Timeline of Mesa, Arizona

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Mesa, Arizona, United States.

Prior to 20th century

 * 1878 – Mormon settlers arrive.
 * 1883
 * Mesa City incorporated. The townsite's bounded by Broadway Road on the south, Mesa Drive on the east, University Drive on the north, & Country Club Drive on the west.
 * Alexander Findlay Macdonald becomes mayor.
 * 1892 – Mesa Free Press newspaper begins publication.
 * 1896 – Sirrine House built.

1900s–1960s

 * 1902 – Evans School for Boys opens; later renamed Mesa Ranch School
 * 1908 – Granite Reef Diversion Dam is completed; the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association permanently provides water for irrigation canals in Mesa from this point, replacing the earlier Mormon-lead efforts
 * 1909 – The original "Old Main" campus of Mesa High School opens
 * Mesa installs potable waterworks system
 * 1911 – Roosevelt Dam is completed, regulating the flow of the Salt River for the first time, and providing cheap electrical power to parts of Mesa
 * Mesa takes over irrigation system operation within incorporated city limits
 * 1915 – Mesa installs sanitary sewer system and septic tank tract at Riverview
 * 1917 – Mesa purchases existing gas and electric utilities from Dr. A.J. Chandler
 * 1921 – Mesa Welfare League founded.
 * 1923 – Mesa Tribune newspaper begins publication.
 * 1927 – Mesa Arizona Temple dedicated (first time).
 * 1928 – first production of the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant
 * 1931 – Town area expanded.
 * 1937 – City Hall built.
 * 1941
 * U.S. Williams Air Force Base established.
 * British Flying Training School at Falcon Field active near Mesa
 * 1948
 * Mesa Country Club established.
 * Falcon Field becomes part of Mesa
 * 1949 – Modern wastewater treatment plant built at Riverview
 * 1950
 * KTYL-FM radio begins broadcasting.
 * Population: 16,790.
 * 1953 – General Motors Desert Proving Grounds opens
 * KTYL-TV (channel 12; the current day KPNX) launches. The NBC affiliate continues to be licensed to Mesa, but operates from Phoenix
 * Mesa celebrates 75th anniversary Diamond Jubilee
 * 10 million gallon Pasadena city reservoir completed
 * 1962 – Westwood High School opens
 * 1965 – Mesa Community College, and Adelante con Mesa established.
 * 1967
 * Regional Maricopa Association of Governments established.
 * Original "Old Main" building of Mesa High School burns to the ground
 * 1968
 * Tri City Mall in business.
 * KMND radio begins broadcasting.
 * City of Mesa takes over operations of Falcon Field

1970s–1990s

 * 1970
 * Lehi becomes part of city.
 * Population: 63,049.
 * 1971 – Prehab of Mesa (youth-related nonprofit) established.
 * 1972 – Mesa High School reopens at a new location (farther east and south)
 * 1972 – Mesa Central High School opens at site of original Mesa High campus
 * 1973 – Dobson Ranch planned community began selling homes in the first phase of its 26-year development
 * 1975
 * After extensive renovations, the Mesa Arizona Temple is rededicated
 * The Park of the Canals is added to the National Register of Historic Places; work then commences for developing park facilities and later the botanical garden
 * 1976 – Mountain View High School opens
 * 1977
 * Mesa Southwest Museum (later renamed the Arizona Museum of Natural History) founded
 * the original Hohokam Park opens
 * 1978 – Western Design Center is founded by Bill Mensch
 * Mesa celebrates 100-year Centennial
 * 1979
 * Fiesta Mall in business.
 * Mesa Amphitheatre built.
 * Mesa Weekly News begins publication.
 * 1980
 * Population: 152,453.
 * Arizona Museum for Youth opens
 * Used Cars, filmed primarily in Mesa, opens in theaters
 * 1981
 * Dobson High School opens
 * Mesa Sister Cities Association and Mesa United Way active.
 * Sister city relationship established with Guaymas, Mexico.
 * Champlin Fighter Museum opens
 * 1983
 * Sister city relationship established with Upper Hutt, New Zealand.
 * Mesa Golfland opens, expanding to become Golfland Sunsplash by 1986
 * 1984 – Al Brooks becomes mayor.
 * 1987
 * Mesa Historical Museum opens
 * Living Word Bible Church active.
 * 1988
 * Peggy Rubach becomes mayor.
 * Red Mountain High School opens
 * 1989 – Sister city relationship established with Caraz, Peru.
 * 1990
 * Population: 288,091.
 * Superstition Springs Center opens
 * first section of Arizona State Route 202 opens; downtown Lehi was removed to make way for it
 * 1991
 * East Valley Institute of Technology Main campus opens
 * Mesa Community Action Network active.
 * 1992
 * Willie Wong becomes mayor.
 * Mesa Solar Sox is founded
 * 1993
 * Sister city relationship established with Kaiping, China.
 * Williams Air Force Base closes, begins transition to Williams Gateway Airport
 * 1994
 * Williams Gateway Airport opens
 * Paz De Cristo Community Center opens
 * 1995
 * A.T. Still University's Arizona School of Health Sciences opens
 * Heritage Academy (Arizona) opens
 * the current Organ Stop Pizza location in Mesa is opened
 * 1996
 * City website online.
 * Wayne Brown becomes mayor.
 * Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus opens on the former Williams Air Force Base
 * Sun Valley High School opens
 * 1997
 * Harkins Superstition Springs cinema in business.
 * Noah Webster School opens.
 * the new HoHoKam Stadium opens
 * 1998 – Tri City Mall closes, all existing buildings demolished except for former site of JCPenney store, which remains standing until 2006
 * 1999
 * Skyline High School opens
 * AMC Mesa Grand 24 cinema in business.
 * Saint Ignatius of Antioch Church active (approximate date).
 * Sister city relationship established with Burnaby, Canada.
 * 2000
 * Keno Hawker becomes mayor.
 * Population: 396,375.

21st century

 * 2002 – Desert Ridge High School opens; it is physically located in Mesa, but is part of Gilbert Public Schools instead of Mesa Public Schools.
 * 2003
 * Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health opens at A.T. Still University's Mesa campus
 * Champlin Fighter Museum closed
 * 2005
 * Mesa Arts Center built.
 * Mesa Miners is founded
 * Mesa adopts city flag
 * 2006 – Mesa Preparatory Academy opens
 * 2007
 * Mesa Riverview opens
 * Gateway 12/IMAX Theatre (cinema) in business.
 * A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona opens at A.T. Still University's Mesa campus
 * 2008
 * October: Immigration raid by Maricopa County Sheriff.
 * Sycamore Drive and Main Street Valley Metro Rail station opens, in front of the former Tri City Mall location; it is the first Metro Light Rail station in Mesa, and is the eastern terminator until future expansions are completed
 * Scott Smith becomes mayor.
 * 2009
 * closure of the General Motors Desert Proving Grounds is completed
 * East Valley Mormon Choral Organization established, as part of the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras
 * 2010
 * United Food Bank active.
 * Population: city 439,041; metro 4,192,887.
 * 2011
 * East Valley Institute of Technology East campus opened, adjacent to ASU Polytechnic
 * Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix active.
 * 2012
 * February 22: Republican Party presidential primaries debate held.
 * December 10: Alexander murder trial begins.
 * 2013
 * Mesa Grande Cultural Park opens.
 * Matt Salmon becomes U.S. representative for Arizona's 5th congressional district and Kyrsten Sinema becomes U.S. representative for Arizona's 9th congressional district.
 * the inaugural Visit Mesa Gateway Classic annual golf tournament is held
 * 2014
 * Cubs Park opens
 * 2021 - after renovations and redevelopment of the surrounding area, the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is rededicated on December, 12th 2021.