Scottsdale

Welcome to Scottsdale

Scottsdale is easy to recognize—the Sonoran Desert, the McDowell Mountains, golf courses and destination resorts have made it an international draw. What is less obvious is how much of a working, evolving city exists behind that familiar image. Scottsdale has become an important center for business, healthcare and innovation, with the Scottsdale Airpark anchoring one of Arizona’s major employment districts and Mayo Clinic contributing to a healthcare and bioscience community with reach far beyond the Valley.

The city has grown with an unusual awareness of what makes it worth living in. Scottsdale has invested in parks, paths, recreation, arts and public spaces while setting aside more than 30,000 acres of Sonoran Desert in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. That balance—development alongside preservation—can be felt throughout the city, from established neighborhoods and community parks to trailheads that lead directly into protected desert.

There is plenty of energy here, too. Old Town is Scottsdale’s walkable cultural and social center, where restaurants, galleries, museums, public art, hotels and nightlife share the streets with the city’s historic core. Scottsdale Fashion Square anchors a destination retail scene, while nationally recognized events, resorts, golf and a continually evolving dining culture bring visitors back year after year.

For residents, however, Scottsdale is not one lifestyle but many. Urban condominiums near Old Town give way to established central neighborhoods, golf and resort communities, and, farther north, private homes shaped by open desert and mountain views. It is a city with genuine momentum, but also one that has made room for the landscape, recreation and community life that make growth worth having.

Explore the history, landscape and choices that shaped the city in The Scottsdale Story →