Welcome to Fountain Hills, Arizona!

(Article Last Updated 08/13/2011)

An Unexpected Jewel in the Desert

Many first-time visitors to Fountain Hills are pleasantly surprised when they see the town. While expecting another nearly indistinguishable Phoenix suburb, they immediately realize Fountain Hills is quite different. Fountain Hills is often described as an upscale desert mountain community with hometown character.

The famous Fountain -- which the town is named after -- is at the town center situated in tranquil 30-acre Fountain Lake. The lake and Fountain are surrounded by Fountain Park and its rolling, grassy spaces and shade trees. Restaurants, shops and homes surround Fountain Park offering a perfect balance between natural space and amenities that make living in a town like this so great. Fountain Park and the town center host many cultural and recreational events over the year including two large Art Festivals, Oktoberfest, Ballet-in-the-Park, Disc-Golf Championships and many more!

As you leave the town center, beautiful neighborhoods are nestled in the rolling foothills and canyons of the McDowell Mountains as elevation rises. Driving around Fountain Hills, you'll experience stunning panoramic mountain and desert views. Many homes here are designed specifically to take advantage of these views.

Great Location

Fountain Hills has an enviable location in the Phoenix Metro area (otherwise known as the “Valley of the Sun”.) It is located about 20 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix and situated just on the other side of the McDowell Mountains from Scottsdale.

Fountain Hills is nestled in the eastern foothills of the McDowell Mountains at elevations 500 to 1500 feet higher than Phoenix. This means Fountain Hills is close to the abundant cultural amenities that Scottsdale and the rest of the Valley of the Sun have to offer, yet is a world away from big-city noise and stress. Higher elevation, cooling mountain breezes and sparse development also means that Fountain Hills’ weather is more comfortable than most of the Phoenix area.

To add to all of this, Fountain Hills is buffered on all four sides with tracts of land that are very unlikely to be developed. McDowell Mountain Regional Park borders Fountain Hills to the North. The Ft. McDowell Yavapai Indian Reservation borders the Eastern edge of the town. To the South is the Salt River Pima Indian Reservation. Finally, between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills lies the McDowell Mountains and the protected McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Hometown Character

Fountain Hills has a core downtown area that showcases its character and features the famous Fountain and beautiful Fountain Park with its quiet walking paths, rolling grassy hills and mature shade trees. Fountain Park, along with the Avenue of the Fountains provides a beautiful area of open space surrounded by shops and restaurants that are alive with friendly activity. People shop, dine, picnic, walk, or watch the Fountain and just enjoy the quiet and relaxed lifestyle that Fountain Hills offers.

The beautiful downtown park and shopping/dining area is great by itself, but the frequently occuring cultural & social activities and events enhance the Fountain Hills’ lifestyle even more! There are major events such as the Great Fair, Festival of Arts & Crafts, Thanksgiving Parade, Holiday Stroll-in-the-Glow, Balloon Launch at the Park, St. Patrick’s Day at the Fountain and more. In addition to these great large-scale events there are also many smaller events such as Movie in the Park night, Ballet under the Stars, Disc Golf competitions, business fairs, Pet Parades and more! With a Community Center, library, museum, Community Theatre and dozens of clubs & organizations Fountain Hills offers so much to do!

Great for Active People

Fountain Hills and the surrounding area are packed with outdoor activities! Fountain Hills is known for its incredible golf with world-class courses like Eagle Mountain, We-Ko-Pa, Sunridge Canyon and FireRock to name a few. Most people know the weather is usually great for outdoor activities, but did you know there are over 100 miles of biking and hiking trails in McDowell Sonoran Preserve and McDowell Mountain Regional Park, and that both border Fountain Hills? Maybe water is more your thing – Saguaro Lake is about twenty minutes away! Apache, Canyon and Roosevelt Lakes are just a little further. ATV and Dirtbike trails are close by too. Fountain Hills has a Disc Golf Course, multiple parks for baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and more. There is even an off-leash dog park and a skate park!

Come to Visit!

Fountain Hills is a perfect place to visit! Whether you just want to experience the world-famous Fountain, do some shopping and dining, enjoy one of the many scheduled events, or just see how pretty it can be up here you will be glad you came! If you intend to visit the Mogollon Rim country and the Phoenix area in the same visit, Fountain Hills is the perfect place to make your base camp. Payson and the famous Mogollon Rim Country of Zane Grey is a little more than an hour away.

Come to Live!

Fountain Hills is a great place to live! With top-notch schools, parks and quiet & safe neighborhoods, it is a great place to raise a family. An excellent community center, local shopping and less-busy roads make it great for retirees and seniors. And no matter what your age or lifestyle you’ll find plenty of cultural, athletic or outdoor activities to keep you busy!

Enjoy exploring FountainHillsGuide.com and see all that Fountain Hills has to offer!