From Rittenhouse to the QC 

The Town of Queen Creek incorporated on Sept. 5, 1989 and was founded on a deep-rooted history in agriculture. The community’s founding families were drawn to this portion of the Sonoran Desert, known as Rittenhouse, in the early 1900s to farm cotton, corn and potatoes.The fertile valley below the San Tan Mountains offered a safe haven for the early Indian communities and the homesteaders who farmed and ranched along Queen Creek Wash. Citrus, cotton, pecans, vegetables, and other crops still provide for area families, and the wash is a key element in the Town's plan for future recreational trails and open space.

Before the scattered farm community was called Queen Creek, it had a different name. The area was known as Rittenhouse because of the railroad spur located near Rittenhouse and Ellsworth roads. People used to flag down the train to get a ride into Phoenix. As the community grew, and the use of the railroad stop diminished, the community changed its name and took on the name Queen Creek.  

Location

Queen Creek is located in Maricopa and Pinal counties; and is located within 10 minutes of Mesa Gateway Airport  and 45 minutes of Sky Harbor International Airport. The Town is bordered on the north by the City of Mesa, to the west by the Town of Gilbert, to the northeast by the City of Apache Junction and to the southeast by the Town of Florence’s planning area. The east is bordered by an unincorporated area of Pinal County, San Tan Valley, and the south is bordered by San Tan Mountain Regional Park, a 10,200- acre park managed by Maricopa County. 

Population Growth

In 1990, just after the Town incorporated, Queen Creek’s population was just over 2,500. The next 10 years experienced a relatively rapid growth rate, with the Town’s population escalating significantly by 2010. The Great Recession tempered growth for several years, but by 2015, Queen Creek was one of the fastest growing communities in Arizona. The Town’s population continued to increase at a steady, manageable pace, with an estimated population of 83,700 in 2024. 

Queen Creek's Name

The Town of Queen Creek's name originated over a hundred miles away. Up in the eastern mountains surrounding the Town of Superior, the land is rich with supplies of ore. One of the many mines that opened up in those mountains was the Silver Queen. (Another was the Silver King, but it was later renamed the Magma Mine.) At the base of the Silver Queen Mine there was a creek known as the Picket Post Creek. It was named after the oddly shaped mountain above it (the one you can see today above the State Arboretum). When the Silver Queen Mine opened for production, the name of the Picket Post Creek was changed to Queen Creek. That creek runs down from the mountains, past the mine, through the Queen Creek Canyon, into the area surrounding the present day Town of Queen Creek.

Historical Documentary  

In honor of the Town's 25th anniversary in 2014, the Town produced and released “From Rittenhouse to QC,” a mini-documentary about the history of the community and the struggle to become a municipality. Updated in 2020, this PBS award-winning, film includes interviews from members of Queen Creek’s founding families, and three residents responsible for leading the incorporation effort - Paul Gardner, Mark Schnepf and Steve Sossaman. 

Produced in conjunction with OrangeScreen Production, the film is available free-of-charge on the Town’s YouTube channel, “TheQCchannel,”

Learn more about QC History