6524 N Citrus Road, Waddell
(602) 483-4665
DeLex Realty
Waddell is a mostly unincorporated West Valley area in ZIP 85355, centered on Waddell Road and Cotton Lane near Surprise, Glendale and the White Tank Mountains. Homes on an acre or more are common on its county-zoned land, so expect open desert lots with room for animals and shops, plus homework on wells, septic, roads and Luke Air Force Base rules.
I'm Terry Day with DeLex Realty. Waddell is one of the closest places to the core of the West Valley where you can still find homes on real acreage. It is also a patchwork: some land is county, some has been annexed by nearby cities, and each piece has its own rules. Here is what I walk through with buyers before they write an offer out here.
See Waddell homes on 1+ acre Call Terry: 602-483-4665
Waddell takes its name from Donald Ware Waddell, a New York investment banker whose firm arranged the private financing for the dam that created Lake Pleasant. The dam was later named for him too. In 1935 he laid out a townsite on his land near Waddell Road and Cotton Lane, and a post office opened in a store in 1937, but the town he planned never really grew. As Surprise and Glendale spread west, the name lived on mostly in Waddell Road and the 85355 mailing address.
Today "Waddell" describes a wide stretch of the West Valley rather than a town. It is not incorporated and it is not a Census-designated place, so there is no official town population or boundary. Glendale annexed strips of road around it in the 1970s, and both Glendale and Surprise have annexed land nearby since then. White Tank Mountain Regional Park even uses a Waddell mailing address. For shopping, the Village at Prasada sits near Loop 303 and Waddell Road in Surprise, and in March 2026 ABC15 reported plans for a Prasada East center with a Whole Foods.
On unincorporated land, Maricopa County zoning sets how many homes a lot can hold. Rural-43 means one acre per home, while Rural-70 and Rural-190 call for about 70,000 and 190,000 square feet per home. The county's White Tank/Grand Avenue Area Plan, adopted December 6, 2023, covers about 727 square miles of the northwest Valley, and about half of that land carries rural designations of up to one home per acre. That is why so many Waddell listings come with room for horses, a detached shop, RV parking or a big garden.
If a home sits on land that a city annexed, city zoning applies instead of county rules, so the same street can have different setbacks, animal rules and building permits from one side to the other. I always confirm the jurisdiction for the exact parcel before we talk about plans for a barn, a guest house or a lot split.
Much of the area sits within the reach of Luke Air Force Base. Arizona law (A.R.S. 28-8461) defines the "territory in the vicinity" of a military airport as 10 miles north, south and west and 4 miles east of the center of the main runway. Sellers of homes in that territory must give buyers a written disclosure (A.R.S. 28-8484), and the Arizona Department of Real Estate keeps maps of the high-noise and accident potential zones. The county also has a military airport overlay along the southern part of its plan area.
What that means for you: jet noise is part of daily life on some parcels, and land inside a high-noise contour or accident potential zone can have limits on new homes or splits. Before an offer, I pull the ADRE map and the county's PlanNet military layer for the parcel. For more on living near the base, see my homes near Luke Air Force Base guide.
Many Waddell acreage homes run on a private or shared well. ADWR treats a well that pumps 35 gallons a minute or less as an exempt well. Drilling, deepening or changing one takes a Notice of Intent and a licensed driller, and after you buy, you file Form 55-71A to put the well in your name. ADWR does not referee shared-well agreements, so we read that agreement closely and test the water before closing. Other homes are served by a water company; the county points buyers to the Arizona Corporation Commission to find the provider for an address.
Growth here also depends on groundwater rules. ADWR's Phoenix area groundwater model found unmet demand over 100 years and stopped new groundwater-based assured water supply approvals in the Phoenix Active Management Area, while saying existing homeowners are protected. It is one more reason existing acreage homes with good water records are worth a close look.
On county rural zoning, farm animals and limited horse keeping are allowed as part of a home. Boarding six or more horses, giving lessons or holding larger arena events is treated as a separate use that may need a Special Use Permit (county directive DD-2017-05). Riders have White Tank Mountain Regional Park nearby, the county's largest at nearly 30,000 acres, where horseback riding is allowed. Browse more options on my Arizona horse property page.
Thinking of splitting off a lot? The county treats a split into five or fewer parcels as a minor lot split that Planning and Development does not review, but each new lot still has to meet its zoning minimums. Six or more lots is a subdivision that needs county approval, and the Arizona Department of Real Estate has its own rules. Get those answers in writing before you count on a split.
Depending on the address, Waddell homes are commonly served by Dysart Unified or by the Litchfield Elementary and Agua Fria Union High school districts, so confirm the assigned schools with the district for each home. Unincorporated areas often rely on Rural Metro Fire, a subscription service, while annexed areas get city fire service. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office patrols county land. Electric service is SRP or APS depending on location, so call the provider with the address.
Is Waddell its own town?
No. Waddell is an unincorporated area with a 85355 mailing address, not an incorporated town. Most of it is county land, and some nearby land has been annexed by Surprise or Glendale, so the rules depend on the exact parcel.
How big are lots in Waddell?
Many are an acre or more, because county Rural-43 zoning allows one home per acre and Rural-70 and Rural-190 call for more land per home. Every home in the search on this page sits on at least 43,560 square feet.
Will I hear jets from Luke Air Force Base?
On many Waddell parcels, yes, at least some of the time. Sellers in the area near the base must give a written military airport disclosure, and I check the ADRE noise and accident potential maps for each home before you offer.
Do Waddell acreage homes have city water?
Some do through a water company, and many use private or shared wells. I ask for the well records, a water test and any shared well agreement, and we confirm the provider for the address with the Corporation Commission.
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Buying with an FHA or VA loan in mind? Read my assumable mortgage guide and my first steps to buying a home in Arizona.
Zoning, water, septic, road, flood and military airport details come from Maricopa County, ADWR, ADEQ, Arizona statutes and news reports and can change. Confirm jurisdiction, zoning, utilities, school boundaries and any restrictions for a specific property before you buy.
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