Apache Junction is part of the fastest growing
county in Arizona. Pinal county's population increased 13.6% between
2000 and 2003. According to Apache Junction's office of economic
development, an average of 34.5 families move to Apache Junction
each week. Apache Junction is a rural bedroom community. It is
located a half hour away from downtown Phoenix. It is right next
door to some of the most rugged and beautiful wilderness in the
country. With these sometimes conflicting attributes, it's not
difficult to understand why the town caters to a diverse population
of winter visitors, tourists and year-round families. Business
development in the town is concentrated along Apache Trail
Boulevard, which runs east-and-west and bisects the town. The stores
range from a large box retail store on the west side of town, near
Mesa, to small mom-and-pop grocery and hardware stores toward the
center of town. Many businesses cater to the RV crowd. As you get
near the east end of the town, you see a rather abrupt shift to
rural acreage. Less roads are paved, building lots are acre+ and you
see more undeveloped desert. Finally, at the very east end of town,
the land is unincorporated county and there are large properties
that lie directly in the shadows of the 3000-foot cliffs of the
Superstition Mountains. On the southern end of the Superstitions
lies Gold Canyon, approximately five miles south and east of Apache
Junction.
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