Goodyear is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 95,294 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 118,186 in 2024. At the time, it had 151 homes and 250 apartments, a grocery store, a barber shop, beauty shop and a gas station.
World War II
Luke Field Auxiliary #6 (Goodyear Field) was built by the United States Army Air Forces in 1943. It served as a satellite airfield for Luke Army Air Field (AAF). According to the History of Luke AFB, this airfield boasted the most facilities.<!-- compared to what? --> It had separate buildings for crew chiefs, operations, supply, barracks, pit latrine, crash truck shed, generator shed and a control tower. Luke AF Auxiliary #6 ceased operations by 1971.
Modern history
In January 1965, the Phoenix Trotting Park, a harness racing track, opened. The current Interstate 10 passes north of the site. As the region lacked major roads from Phoenix to Goodyear, there was not enough business and the track closed two years later. The park was demolished in 2017.
The town became a city in 1985. In 1987, the remaining of the original farmland was sold to Suncor Development, a subsidiary of AZP (later renamed Pinnacle West Capital), for future development. The Phoenix Goodyear Airport received its current name in 1986.
Housing and growth
thumb|upright|South Lake Park in [[Estrella, Goodyear|Estrella, on the southern end of Goodyear]]
Although Goodyear was founded in 1917, the majority of construction and population growth happened after 1990. 22 communities that are completed and under construction have a total area of approximately . These communities, along with another 21 communities for future suburban development, will contain almost 200,000 homes, with only 25,000 built.
Goodyear was affected by the 2000s American housing bubble, reducing home values. Since then, the housing market has rebounded considerably. According to Opendoor, ZIP code 85338 in Goodyear was the fifth most popular place in the Phoenix metro area to buy a home, based on home sales. There are also a variety of home options in 2019 to accommodate families, those who are single, and seniors. As the population in Goodyear grows faster than ever, home builders and community developers are working quickly to keep up with the demand.
Estrella is the largest community in Goodyear, at . The master-planned community is home to about 10,000 residents. Palm Valley, located north of Interstate 10, is , with variously sized homes. PebbleCreek is a community for active adult living, with 54 holes of championship golf, fitness centers, and restaurants.
From the 1990s through the 2010s, residential development has stimulated the growth of Goodyear as a suburb of Phoenix. Goodyear's population is projected to be 358,000 by 2035.
Geography
Goodyear is approximately west of downtown Phoenix. Nearby cities include Avondale, Litchfield Park, Tolleson and Buckeye. From the original town center, the Goodyear city limits extend north to a border with Glendale and south-southeast into the Rainbow Valley to an area south of Arizona State Route 238.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.02%) is water.
The Estrella Mountain Regional Park covers almost , most of which is still desert. It contains eight trails over in combined length, two baseball fields, and a track.
Climate
Goodyear has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) due to its location in the Sonoran Desert. The city receives somewhere around ten inches of rain annually. The city has more than 300 sunny days per year.
Winters are sunny with mild temperatures—nighttime lows averaging between and daytime highs ranging from . The lowest temperature ever recorded in Goodyear is . Summers are very hot, with daily high temperatures at or above for the entirety of June, July, and August, as well as many days in May and September. An occasional heat wave will spike temperatures over briefly. Nighttime lows in the summer months average between , with an occasional overnight low above not uncommon. The highest recorded temperature in Goodyear is .
Snow is rare in the area, occurring once every several years. Lows in the winter occasionally dip below freezing, which may damage some desert plants such as saguaros and other cacti. In the summer (mainly July, August and early September), the North American Monsoon can hit the Phoenix area in the afternoon and evening (possibly continuing overnight), causing thunderstorms and heavy rain even from a sunny morning. Dust storms are occasional, mainly during the summer.