Eloy, Arizona

History

In 1880, as tracks were being laid for the Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Route, a small number of boxcars were used as a camp for railroad workers. It was discovered that cotton could be grown in the area's climate. In 1902, the Southern Pacific Railroad named the area train stop Eloy, an acronym for "East Line Of Yuma". Alternately, there is a legend that the area was initially called "Eloi", after a railroad employee looked around at the barren desert and said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (Aramaic and Hebrew for "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"). A town called Cotton City was established in 1918. In 1919, the newly established post office rejected that name in favor of Eloy. As part of Pinal County, the city incorporated in 1949.

Geography

Eloy has a total area of 113.7 square miles (294.5 km), all land.

Demographics

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As of the 2011 census, there were 16,964 people, 2,492 households, and 1,988 families residing in Eloy. The population density was 144.8 PD/sqmi. There were 2,734 housing units at an average density of 38.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 58% Hispanic or Latino, 5% Black or African American, 41% White, 4% Native American, 1% Asian,

There were 2,492 households, out of which 50.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. Of all households, 15.5% were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.94.

In the city, the population was spread out with 33.7% under the age of 18, 12.0% from the ages of 18 to 24, 32.5% from the ages of 25 to 44, 15.4% from the ages of 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 137.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 154.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,518, and the median income for a family was $28,494. Males had a median income of $25,295 versus $21,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,194. About 27.9% of families and 31.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 24.6% of those aged 65 or over.

Government

The mayor of Eloy is Andrew Sutton whose term runs from 2022 to 2024. He was previously a council member from 2020. The vice mayor is Michelle Trango. The city council consists of the mayor, who serves a two-year term, and six city council members, who each serve four-year terms.

Economy

The largest employer is CoreCivic and CoreCivic prisoners are included in the census. CoreCivic operates four facilities: Eloy Detention Center (opened 1994), Red Rock Correctional Center (opened 2006), Saguaro Correctional Center (opened 2007), and La Palma Correctional Facility (opened 2008). As of 2020, CoreCivic's correctional centers house detainees from states including Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, and Kansas.

According to Eloy's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Transportation

The closest major airports to Eloy are Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Tucson International Airport. Casa Grande Shuttle provides an airport shuttle to Sky Harbor.

The Eloy Municipal Airport is a non-towered airport located in Eloy.

Greyhound serves Eloy.

Culture

Eloy is home to the world's largest skydive drop zone, operated by Skydive Arizona, and bills itself as the skydiving capital of the world. Two parachute manufacturers are based in Eloy, including Firebird USA and Sun Path Products.

The city is home to the Robson Ranch Golf Club with an 18-hole, par-72 golf course. The Casa Grande Valley Historical Society & Museum was founded in 1964 and holds a collection of more than 50,000 artifacts. Picacho Peak State Park is located 10 miles southeast of Eloy. It is the site of the only Civil War battle in Arizona; the battle is re-enacted annually.

Eloy was the town showcased during Season 2, Episode 19 of the 1950s police drama "The Man Behind the Badge". The name of the episode was "The Case of the Wild West" and it was first shown on Saturday, May 14, 1955.

Education

The Eloy Elementary School District provides elementary education in grades kindergarten through 8th grade through its four schools:

• Curiel Primary School (grades kindergarten through 3th)
• Eloy Intermediate School (grades 4th through 6th)
• Eloy Junior High School (grades 7th and 8th)
• Toltec Elementary School (grades 4th through 8th)

Eloy has one public high school, Santa Cruz Valley Union High School, and some residents attend the nearby Casa Grande Union High School.

Notable people

• Mossy Cade – former professional football player
• Anna Maria Chávez – former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA
• Levi Jones – former professional football player
• Art Malone – former professional football player
• Benny Malone – former professional football player
• Ricky Nelson – former professional baseball player
• Paul Powell – former professional baseball player
• Jeff Provenzano – professional skydiver
• Dominic Evans – musician

References

References

1. {{GNIS. 2410433
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. "P1 Race: Eloy city, Arizona". [[United States Census Bureau]].
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12. [http://www.cca.com/facilities/red-rock-correctional-center Red Rock Correctional Center]{{Dead link. (October 2025)
13. [http://www.cca.com/facilities/saguaro-correctional-center Saguaro Correctional Center]
14. [http://www.cca.com/facilities/la-palma-correctional-center La Palma Correctional Center]
15. Brady, Kat. (June 18, 2010). "Using private prisons costs more than it seems (editorial)". [[Honolulu Star Advertiser]].
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18. [https://eloyaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7803/Year-End-Financial-Statements-2023 City of Eloy ACFR] For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, p. 148.
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24. (June 1, 2018). "Firebird Changes Ownership". USPA.
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26. "Curiel Primary School".
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