Today, very little remains of this once bustling community, but it played an important part in the progress and development of the Southwest. Several of Arizona's rivers, the Gila, Santa Cruz, Vekol and Santa Rosa provided this oasis in the desert with an ample supply of water during this period of time.ĭuring the late 1800s, Maricopa Wells was one of the most important relay stations along the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line and the later more famous Butterfield Overland Mail Route. European-American traders and travelers called it Maricopa Wells. It started as an oasis around a series of watering holes eight miles north of present-day Maricopa, and about a mile west of Pima Butte. Maricopa has had three locations over the years: Maricopa Wells, Maricopaville and Maricopa Junction the latter gradually became known as Maricopa. With 66,290 residents as of 2022, Maricopa is the largest incorporated municipality in Pinal County.
Maricopa is a city in the Gila River Valley in Pinal County, Arizona, United States.