city, Maricopa county, central Arizona, U.S. Originally a station of the Southern Pacific Railroad some 20 miles (30 km) west of Phoenix, Avondale is situated near the Gila River in the Salt River valley, on the edge of the Sonoran Desert. In the early 20th century the city grew to embrace a small business district surrounded by dairy and citrus farms. It now includes several residential developments and industrial parks, along with the Phoenix International Raceway. Like other communities across Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix metropolitan area, in the early 21st century the city experienced tremendous population growth. Inc. 1946. Pop. (2000) 35,883; (2005 est.) 66,706.