Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA

Scottsdale lies east of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert, stretching from the Salt River Valley toward the McDowell Mountains. Desert washes, saguaro-studded foothills and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve contrast with the galleries, resorts and restaurants of Old Town. Winfield Scott established an agricultural settlement here in 1888, and tourism and the arts expanded after architect Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin West in the foothills. Scottsdale had about 243,000 residents in 2025. Tourism, health care, finance, technology, retail and a strong arts scene underpin the city’s economy and identity.