Sun City
Words by Victoria Love
Sun City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, located within the Phoenix metropolitan area, northwest of downtown Phoenix. It was opened on January 1, 1960 by the Del E. Webb Corporation as a planned community with recreation centers and shopping centers.
Victoria serves buyers and sellers in Sun City.
Schools
Sun City sits near the boundary of the Peoria Unified School District, which serves Peoria and surrounding unincorporated areas of Maricopa County. Nearby Sun City West includes areas in both the Dysart Unified School District and Peoria Unified School District. Residents can check exact school assignments using the district and school boundary maps posted on the Peoria Unified School District website.
Getting around
Valley Metro operates bus service in the area, with routes such as Line 106 connecting Sun City toward Phoenix. Driving distance between Sun City and downtown Phoenix is about 16 miles, taking roughly 24 minutes by car. Sun City to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a road distance of about 21.7 to 22 miles, roughly a 31-minute drive.
Homes and housing
Sun City was unveiled on January 1, 1960 with five model homes, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course, and was developed as an age-restricted community of ranch-style houses. In the 1960s, homes built there were relatively small, simple, and modestly priced. By the time the community was built out, it grew to include 26,000 homes.
Things to do
Sun City includes recreation centers and shopping centers for local residents. Decades after opening, the community grew to include seven pools and eight golf courses. Recreational activities historically associated with the community have included shuffleboard, lawn bowling, crafts, and golf.
- Sun City opened on January 1, 1960 at the intersection of 107th Avenue and Oakmont Drive. Sun Cities Area Historical Society
- The Del Webb Sun Cities Museum is located at 10801 W. Oakmont Dr., Sun City, AZ 85351. Sun City, Arizona Historical Marker
- The community's opening weekend drew more than 100,000 visitors. Del E. Webb Construction Company
- Sun City was built on the site of the former ghost town of Marinette. Sun City, Arizona
- The Del E. Webb Corporation sold 1,300 homes in Sun City by the end of 1960. Del Webb History
- Sun City West, built in the late 1970s, was a later Del Webb development near Sun City. Sun City, Arizona