The incorporated limits of the Town of Queen Creek cover 26 square miles. The Town’s General Plan contains 31,282 acres, with about 20 percent set aside for commercial or industrial uses.
At the northern boundary of Queen Creek, an area referred to as the “Northern Tier,” there is a significant amount of land designated for future employment uses. The General Plan designations and/or zoning in this area encourages a range of light to intensive uses such as high-tech manufacturing and related manufacturing enterprises, support industry, aerospace support, computer software and technical service businesses.
The Northern Tier has direct access to major arterials and is positioned for strong growth potential with its proximity to the PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport, Eastmark, Arizona State University Polytechnic and State Route 24 (SR 24). The SR 24 provides a direct connection between the Santan Freeway and Ellsworth Road, the main thoroughfare into Queen Creek. The initial phase of this freeway opened in May 2014 and is a one-mile stretch beginning at the Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, ending at Ellsworth Road. Once completed, the SR 24 will provide enhanced access from southeast Maricopa County to northeast Pinal County with additional routes in and out of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and surrounding schools and businesses.
In the southeastern corner of Queen Creek, Schnepf Farms and the Queen Creek Olive Mill collectively create an agritainment/agritourism district, which is a core component to the town’s tourism efforts. The nearby Banner Ironwood Medical Center and surrounding Pinal County/San Tan Valley residential neighborhoods enhance this unique area of the region and provide an attractive demographic base for investors. This area of town is projected to grow significantly between 2014 and 2018, serving as a catalyst for the town’s overall projected growth and creating new employment opportunities.