Scottsdale, Arizona is located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert at the foot of the scenic McDowell Mountains. It is bordered by Phoenix to the West, the Tonto National Forest to the North, the McDowell Mountains to the East, and the Salt River to the South.

Scottsdale is annually rated among the nation's most desirable communities to live in, visit and do business in.

Old Town Scottsdale is considered the finest urban center in Arizona. It is home to more than 90 restaurants, 320 retail shops and more than 80 art galleries.

Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve, in the city's northern reaches, is the largest urban wilderness area in the United States and features more than 60 miles of trails through diverse and scenic desert terrain.

Scottsdale Facts

• County: Maricopa
• Incorporated: 1951
• Slogan: "The West's Most Western Town"
• Official Food: Chili, by 1994 Mayoral proclamation
• Population: 241,361 (2020 U.S. Decennial Census)
• Size: 184.5 square miles, stretching 31 miles from north to south
• Elevation: from 1,150 to 4,877 feet above sea level. Scottsdale Airport is at 1,510 feet
• Average sunny days: 314
• Average rainfall: 7.66 inches

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