Phoenix Metroplex Overview

Looking for information about the Phoenix Metroplex? You've come to the right place. This page is full of useful, up-to-date information, and links to many helpful web sites.

The largest urban center in Arizona is Maricopa County, home of the Phoenix Metroplex (the Phoenix Metropolitan Area), also called the "Valley of the Sun." The Phoenix Metroplex includes all the cities discussed on this web site. With a population approaching 3.5 Million people, Phoenix is now the 7th largest metroplex in the United States.

Looking for Phoenix Real Estate, Phoenix Homes, or perhaps Phoenix Condos? Let me help you find exactly what you're looking for. But, the Phoenix Metroplex is a big place. Let me guide you as you search for your Phoenix Dream Home.

It is helpful to divide the Phoenix Metroplex into 4 major sections:

Central Phoenix is the heart of the Metroplex, and includes Downtown, The Central Avenue corridor, the Camelback Road corridor, the Biltmore Estates area, and the Arcadia neighborhood. This area offers lots of fine dining, shopping, nightlife, sports, and cultural activities. Central Phoenix has a wide variety of home styles and neighborhoods, including many downtown (and near-downtown) condos and lofts (some new construction, some renovations).

Defined in its broadest sense, the East Valley includes all of the cities and towns east of the City of Phoenix. However, most people think of the East Valley as the cities and towns south of the Salt River basin, including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Ahwatukee. Many high-tech companies can be found in this area (within a few miles of Arizona State University). The southern part of the East Valley has experienced rapid growth, and now offers many upscale planned communities and excellent amenities such as shopping and golf.

The Northeast (including the part of the East Valley north of the Salt River basin) includes Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, and parts of the City of Phoenix. This area has the advantage of being close to Scottsdale, with all its amenities, but also has many "out of the way" neighborhoods that offer quiet desert landscapes and (in some cases) foothill and mountain views. Many of the planned communities in The Northeast offer resort-like amenities such as World Class Golf.

The West Valley includes Glendale, Peoria, and surrounding cities. Driven by the availability of land and new freeway construction, the West Valley has also seen lots of recent planned community development.

Why is the Phoenix Metroplex so popular? There are lots of reasons:

Climate: An average of 330 days of Sunshine every year. Need we say more?

Affordable Housing: There are a wide variety of homes available in the Phoenix Metroplex:

Luxury Homes (from $1 Million)
Single Family Homes (all price ranges)
Condos and Townhomes (all price ranges)
Lofts (mainly in re-developed urban locations)
Multi-Unit Properties (duplexes, quads, etc.)
Senior / Retirement Communities
Golf Properties
Horse Properties
Starter homes
Fixer-Uppers

Economic Growth, driven by health care, high technology, financial services, tourism, housing, and construction. This means Job Growth in the Phoenix Metroplex. Banner Health, headquartered in Phoenix, is the 2nd largest employer in the state (behind WalMart). Other health-care-related companies include the Mayo Clinic, the Mayo Hospital, and Caremark Perscription Services. Intel has 2 major facilities in the Phoenix Metroplex and is the 5rd largest employer in the state. Other high-technology-related companies include Honeywell (3rd), Raytheon (6th), Boeing, IBM, Avnet, Microchip Technology, Verizon, Intuit, Go Daddy, and Motorola. Companies in financial services include JP Morgan Chase (the 10th largest employer in the state), American Express (16th), and USAA Credit Services. Also, The Apollo Group (17th largest, the parent of the University of Phoenix) is headquartered in Phoenix, and US Airways (11th largest, formerly America West Airlines) is headquartered in Tempe.

World Class Health Care facilities can be found throughout the Phoenix Metroplex. Some of the best known are the Mayo Clinic, the Mayo Clinic Hospital, the Arizona Heart Hospital, the Phoenix Children's Hospital, and Scottsdale Healthcare, which operates 2 hospitals and is building a third hospital. Banner Health operates 10 Hospital / Clinic facilities throughout the state.

Recreation: The Phoenix Metroplex has literally hundreds of municipal parks and recreation facilities that offer swimming, boating, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and just about anything else you can think of. One place to highlight is South Mountain Park, located a few miles south of Downtown Phoenix. At 16,500 acres, it is the largest municipal park in the country, and offers mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking in a beautiful Sonoran Desert setting. Another place to highlight is Papago Park, which includes the Phoenix Zoo and the Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens. And one major event to highlight is the P.F. Chang Rock and Roll Marathon (and half-Marathon), held in January. You can run with 20,000 others through the streets of Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe.

Beyond Outdoor Recreation, Golf, and Gambling, the Phoenix Metroplex also has many spectator sports:

Arizona Diamondbacks (Major League Baseball)
Arizona Cardinals (NFL Football)
Phoenix Suns (NBA Basketball)
Phoenix Coyotes (NHL Hockey)
Phoenix International Raceway (NASCAR Auto Racing)
Arizona State University (NCAA Sports)
Major League Baseball Spring Training (in March)
PGA and LPGA Golf Tournaments
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (NCAA Football BCS Tournament in January)
Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction

And much more . . .

Cultural Activities, including numerous Theatre Companies, Concerts, and Art Galleries. The Phoenix Symphony and the Phoenix Art Museum are both located in Downtown Phoenix. And, the Phoenix Metroplex is a major center for Native-American Art (the Heard Museum in Downtown Phoenix is world famous) and Western (Cowboy) Art (many galleries in Old Town Scottsdale).

Education: Public Schools (Kindergarden thru High School) are organized in Unified School Districts. For example, the Scottsdale region is managed by the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD). You can check out the SUSD at its web site by clicking here, or check it out along with all the other school districts in the state by clicking here.

At the College level, the Phoenix Metroplex is home to Arizona State University (ASU) and many smaller private universities. ASU's main campus is in Tempe, and ASU is establishing a second campus in downtown Phoenix as part of that area's redevelopment plan. Also, Maricopa Community College has campuses throughout the Phoenix Metroplex.

Transportation: It's easy to get around the Phoenix Metroplex. The streets are laid out in a North-South-East-West grid, with major roads spaced about 1 mile apart. In addition, many new freeways have been built in recent years. And, a Light Rail Mass Transit System is being built. The Light Rail system will link the Central Avenue Corridor, Downtown Phoenix, Sky Harbor International Airport, and Central Tempe, with the potential for expansion to other cities.

LIGHT RAIL PLAN (PHOENIX - TEMPE)

Interested in finding out more? Please register by clicking here, or call me at 480-703-3253, or email me at homes@kathyarizona.com.