Scottsdale (Pima Vaṣai S-veṣonĭ) is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 202,705, while a July 1, 2002 Census estimate put the city's population at 215,779. Originally founded by Army chaplain Winfield Scott in the late 1800's as a citrus farming community, it has grown to become one of Arizona's fifth-largest city, and one of its most celebrated. Officially incorporated in 1951, it is routinely defined by its high quality of life, and was named the "Most Livable City" in the United States by the US Conference of Mayors. It is continually ranked as one of the premier golf and resort destinations in the world, with a sizable portion of tax revenue being derived from tourism. It is also home to the Phoenix Open golf tournament held at the Tournament Players Club, which carries the distinction of the best-attended event on the PGA Tour. It is also home to Taliesin West, the summer campus of world renowed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Originally incorporated in the mid-1950's, the city continues to see rapid growth, mainly in the northern areas of the city.

It is regarded as one of the most expensive and posh areas in the western United States.

The town is loosely divided into four ever-changing areas:

• Old Town/South Scottsdale has many streets emulating the cowboy era, stores and primarily western art galleries. Scottsdale's number of art galleries is second only to New York City. It will also soon be home to a new research center for Arizona State University. Old Town/South Scottsdale extends from McDowell Road at the city's southern border, north to Osborn Road.
• Downtown Scottsdale/Civic Center/Fashion Square is very close to Old Town Scottsdale, overlapping only a mile south on Scottsdale Road. This area includes many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Streets are usually filled with walking traffic after 10:00pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, as Downtown Scottsdale has one of the highest concentrations of bars and nightclubs in the country. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is one of the ten largest malls in the nation, with many high-end tenants including Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy's, Burberry, Lacoste, and Louis Vuitton. Loosely, this area extends from Osborn Road north to Chaparral Road.
• Central Scottsdale, an area where many shows and movies, such as Silk Stalkings, Beverly Hills 90210 and Clueless have come to shoot neigborhood scenes. Encompassing areas such as McCormick Ranch that were formerly considered in the far northern area of the city, Central Scottsdale routinely sees the demolition of older homes and new ones constructed. Some areas, such as Gainey Ranch, remain very expensive and highly desirable in the Phoenix area real estate market. This area extends from Chaparral Road north to approximately Shea Blvd.
• North Scottsdale, where most new home construction takes place. North Scottsdale is by far the most expansive area in Scottsdale. The city's borders rapidly expand to the east and west in this area, occupying the McDowell Mountain range, now preserved from development by the city. Most of the city's dozens of golf courses are located in North Scottsdale, utilizing the varied desert mountain terrain to create some of the most beautiful courses in the country. Homes in North Scottsdale see median values in the $4-500,000.00 range, with many in the area exceeding $3-4 Million in value.

The city is served primarily by Sky Harbor International Airport, which is located in Phoenix. Also serving the city is Scottsdale Municipal Airport, one of the busiest single-runway facilities in the nation. While the airport does see some tour and commuter airline flights, it is used mainly by corporate jet traffic. Most high-profile individuals, including actors, executives, and athletes use one of Scottsdale Airport's two private terminals to avoid crowds at Sky Harbor International Airport.

Geography

Scottsdale is located at 33°35'27" North, 111°53'46" West (33.590709, -111.895985)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 477.7 km² (184.4 mi²). 477.1 km² (184.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.12% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 202,705 people, 90,669 households, and 54,492 families residing in the city. The population density is 424.9/km² (1,100.4/mi²). There are 104,974 housing units at an average density of 220.0/km² (569.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 92.19% White, 1.23% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 1.96% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. 6.96% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 90,669 households out of which 22.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% are married couples living together, 7.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% are non-families. 30.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.22 and the average family size is 2.79.

In the city the population is spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $57,484, and the median income for a family is $73,846. Males have a median income of $51,204 versus $34,739 for females. The per capita income for the city is $39,158. 5.8% of the population and 3.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.4% of those under the age of 18 and 5.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Regions of Arizona
North Central Arizona | Northern Arizona | Phoenix metropolitan area | Southern Arizona
Largest Cities
Apache Junction | Avondale | Bullhead City | Casas Adobes | Catalina Foothills | Chandler | Flagstaff | Gilbert | Glendale | Lake Havasu City | Mesa | Nogales | Payson | Peoria | Phoenix | Prescott | Scottsdale | Sierra Vista | Sun City | Surprise | Tempe | Tombstone | Tucson | Yuma
Counties
Apache | Cochise | Coconino | Gila | Graham | Greenlee | La Paz | Maricopa | Mohave | Navajo | Pima | Pinal | Santa Cruz | Yavapai | Yuma

External links

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=33.590709&longitude=-111.895985&zoom=6)
  • Topographic map from Topozone (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.590709&lon=-111.895985&s=200&size=m&layer=DRG100)
  • Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-111.895985&lat=33.590709&w=750&h=500)