During the early 1930s, migrant farm workers settled in El Mirage on the west bank of the Agua Fria River.

[4] Farming and agriculture remain central to El Mirage's economy, but it has witnessed a robust industrial growth over the past few decades, emerging as a diverse urban community.

In 1977, the city annexed 2,000 acres of land for a proposed planned community with apartments, shopping centers, and industrial development.

Immediately following this announcement Attorney General Bruce Babbitt, sued in an attempt to undo this annexation due to its proximity to Luke Air Force Base.

The lawsuit failed, but prompted the cities of Glendale and Goodyear to work together to buy land surrounding the base to stop any further annexations.

A spring training baseball stadium, medical center, and auto mall were also pitched for the area.

[5] As a result of all of this, in 2009 when Luke Air Force Base was bidding to get the new F-35 fighter jets, El Mirage was an outlier among local cities.

[7][8] El Mirage is located along the Agua Fria River and U.S. Route 60 within the northwestern part of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

[9] It is bordered to the east by Youngtown, to the south by Glendale, to the northwest by Surprise, and to the northeast by unincorporated Sun City.

El Mirage’s roughly 5,500 preK - 12th grade students are served by the Dysart Unified School District.