The inception of development in the Buckeye Valley was catalyzed by the construction of the Buckeye Canal. In 1884, Malin Monroe Jackson, alongside Joshua L. Spain and Henry Mitchell, initiated the canal’s construction. Jackson, hailing from Ohio, christened the canal in homage to his home state, dubbing it the “Buckeye Canal.” By 1886, with assistance from Thomas Newt Clanton, who contributed to building 10 miles of the canal adjacent to his own homestead, the project was successfully completed. The town was incorporated in 1929 and consisted of 440 acres. The original development of Buckeye was built around downtown’s Monroe Avenue.

In the early 2000s, Buckeye underwent a period of rapid suburban expansion as homebuyers looked for more affordable alternatives to Phoenix. The development of master-planned communities and new residential neighborhoods drew a steady influx of residents, quickly transforming Buckeye into one of the region’s fastest-growing cities.

The City of Buckeye has a Mayor/City Council form of government. The Mayor is elected at-large for four-year terms, and the council is elected by district. The city is broken into six districts with a council member voted to represent that district for four-year terms as well.

Buckeye’s economy has diversified in the last 20 years with the growth of residential developments, retail centers, and light industrial sectors. It has gained investment in commercial and industrial spaces, especially near major transportation routes like Interstate 10 and State Route 85. The city is positioned to attract more businesses due to its large amount of undeveloped land, affordable real estate, and proximity to transportation corridors. Key business and economic factors for Buckeye include:

Advanced Manufacturing: Large tracks of available land in existing industrial corridors, excellent transportation system, and direct access to over 1 million people in the labor force and local advanced manufacturing training programs make Buckeye one of the best choices in the nation.

Distribution and Logistics: Buckeye is emerging as a major center for distribution and logistics companies.

Hospitality and Retail: Buckeye is underserved in retail and only has 39% of the amount of retail per capital as the rest of Metro Phoenix.

In 2018, Buckeye introduced the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) for the city’s transportation development. The TMP is a planning tool to guide the city’s future transportation needs based on Buckeye’s ultimate buildout condition, when all development proposed in the adopted Imagine Buckeye 2040 General Plan Future Land Use Plan has been completed. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, Buckeye’s infrastructure continues to evolve, with key roads and highways playing a vital role in its development.

Interstate 10 (I-10): Significant east-west route for Buckeye and the West Valley and the primary connection between Buckeye and Central Phoenix.

State Route 85 (SR 85): A key north-south highway connecting Buckeye to Interstate 8 (I-8) to the south, which leads to Yuma and San Diego.

Sun Valley Parkway: Major arterial road that runs northwest from central Buckeye, providing access to the developing communities in the northern part of the city.

MC 85 (Old US Route 80): runs parallel to I-10 and serves as an alternate east-west route through the southern part of Buckeye, connecting to Goodyear, Avondale, other West Valley communities.

Verrado Way: Primary road connecting to I-10 and serving the master-planned Verrado community, one of Buckeye’s largest developments.