When Was Phoenix, Arizona Founded?

Phoenix was founded on April 13, 1868, by a group of settlers led by Jack Swilling, a former Confederate soldier and prospector who recognized the agricultural potential of the Salt River Valley — previously farmed by the Hohokam people (c. 300–1450 CE) using extensive irrigation canals.

Key Milestones

• 1867: Swilling Irrigation Canal Company formed; first modern canals dug.
• 1868: Townsite platted; name "Phoenix" proposed by Darrell Duppa (mythic rebirth from Hohokam ashes).
• 1870: First census: 240 residents.
• 1881: Incorporated as a city.
• 1889: Territorial capital moved from Prescott to Phoenix.
• 1912: State capital upon Arizona statehood.

Growth Drivers

Railroad arrival (1887), Roosevelt Dam (1911), air conditioning (post-WWII), defense/tech industries, Sun Belt migration — transformed a desert farming town into the 5th largest U.S. city (1.6M, 2023).