Welcome to Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale is a city in the Salt River Valley, or "Valley of the Sun," situated in the northern Sonoran Desert in the state of Arizona. It is bordered by Phoenix and Paradise Valley to the west, Tempe to the south, and Fountain Hills to the east, with the McDowell Mountain Range rising in the east and northeast. Although it is now well-known as a sophisticated and contemporary desert oasis, Scottsdale was not always so. The history of the region begins with thousands of years of Native settlement by first the Hohokam, who built an extraordinary system of canals to support their agricultural needs, and then the Pima Indians, who referred to their village as Vasai Svasoni, and still reside in and near Scottsdale today. Non-Natives began to arrive in the late 19th century; Army Champlain Winfield Scott and his family purchased 640 acres for a mere $1,600, and were the first to establish homesteads in the area. At first, the settlement was named Orangedale, but was changed to Scottsdale in 1894. Although Scottsdale grew considerably in its first years, a major obstacle in the city's development was water drainage. The Indian Bend Wash, a riverbed that ran north-south through the middle of the city, was usually bone dry except for rare periods of heavy rain referred to as "99 year floods." At these times, the Wash was uncrossable, which proved to a major annoyance when in the 60's, the wash flowed several times, bringing the city to a halt. Young Scottsdale was not as affluent then as it is today, and it took many federal tax dollars to alleviate the problem. The Army Corps of Engineers proposed to cement Indian Bend Wash, turning it into a large canal with bridges, but the city of Scottsdale had another idea that would change the face of Scottsdale forever. After a vote, Scottsdale residents chose to build a park and golf course system, hoping that the grass which was planted and maintained would channel the water just as effectively as a cemented canal. This proved to be a monumental decision, and not only was the completed project effective as flood control, but the new grassy areas attracted many residents and visitors to Scottsdale, spurring the city's growth. Scottsdale saw a major transformation in the 70's as the once privately owned McCormick Ranch was developed into new upscale homes and business centers, and the tax revenue from the area was used to renovate Old Town Scottsdale, whose wooden structures had been highly neglected by everyone except vandals.

Today Scottsdale is known as a premier Western city, containing world-class attractions mixed with Old West and Native American touches. The city has an international reputation for its luxurious resorts that are true paradises in the desert, and also for its championship golf courses, which attract golfers and golf spectators from all over the world. Scottsdale is home to the Tournament Players Club, which hosts the FBR Open Golf Tournament—the event that has been acknowledged as having the best attendance on the PGA Tour. Scottsdale is also a premier location for shopping and dining; the city's Fashion Square is the largest shopping mall in Arizona, housing casual and upscale retailers such as Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Also, Kierland Commons, located at the border of North Scottsdale and Phoenix, is a highly popular lifestyle center that features designer boutiques, delectable restaurants and cafés, as well as The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and 27-hole Kierland Golf Club. Tourists flock to Old Town Scottsdale, where many specialty stores and art galleries feature some of the most eye-catching Western and Native American art, jewelry and apparel. The residents of Scottsdale are gaining widespread reputation as patrons for the arts, with the city housing more than 125 art galleries and frequently hosting art festivals and gatherings throughout the year. One of Scottsdale's most visited attractions is Taliesen West, the winter home and school of world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright is a local icon of Scottsdale, having designed many of the area's most beautiful buildings. Performing arts are celebrated in Scottsdale as well, with the Scottsdale Center for the Arts hosting musicals and plays year-round, including the long-running The Late Night Catechism.

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