Founded in 1908, the town was named after Ely Parker, the first Native American commissioner for the U.S. government.

Camp Colorado was abandoned after sparks from the departing steamboat Cocopah rapidly burned down the brush huts of the officers of the garrison, and endangered its barracks and storehouses.

[7] : 66, n.61 [8] The city is on the Colorado River just south of the Headgate Rock Dam and Moovalya Lake.

The same road can be taken 15.5 miles south to the town of Poston, which is noted for its relocation camps for Japanese Americans during World War II.

Parker has an arid climate classification, which is characterized by extremely hot summers and warm winters.

[11] Summers in Parker can be dangerously hot, with highs in June, July, August, and September remaining in the 100 to 110 °F (37.8 to 43.3 °C) range, days over 115 °F (46.1 °C) or even 120 °F (48.9 °C) are not rare.

This was, at the time, the all-time record high temperature in Arizona history until Lake Havasu City reached 128 °F (53.3 °C) on June 29, 1994.

The monsoon storms that provide much of the rain in southern and eastern parts of Arizona seldom effect Parker.

The wettest month since records began in 1893 was September 1939, when a rare decaying hurricane produced a total of 8.85 inches (224.8 mm) including a record daily total of 3.41 inches (86.6 mm) on the fifth day of that month.

Arizona State Route 95 runs through Parker, entering the town from the northeast as Rio Vista Highway then turning south in the intersection with California Avenue.