Sun City

Sun City is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, that is within the Phoenix metropolitan area. The population was 37,499 according to the 2010 census. Its adjoining sister city is Sun City West. Both cities are retirement communities popular with snowbirds.

Sun City was opened January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, ten times more than expected, and resulted in a Time magazine cover story. The future retirement community was built on the site of the former ghost town of Marinette. Developer Del E. Webb expanded Sun City over the years, and his company went on to build other retirement communities in the Sun Belt. Sun City West was built in the late 1970s, Sun City Grand in the late 1990s, Sun City Anthem in 1999, and Sun City Festival in July 2006. Sun City, Arizona wasn't the first of its kind though. In 1957 Sun City, California was built. It was built in the middle of the Southern California desert. It was built next to a tiny town called Menifee, California. Sun City boosted Menifee into becoming a city in the early 90s causing more housing developments to begin popping up in Menifee. Eventually Sun City became part of Menifee, California but is still a thriving community and a big part of Menifee, California.

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