Scottsdale (O'odham Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. Scottsdale has become internationally recognized as a premiere and posh tourist destination, while maintaining its own identity and culture as "The West's Most Western Town." However, despite this motto, in the 1970s, most construction of new s was prohibited. What had, in the twentieth century been vacant desert, was converted to either urban and suburban environment. As of the 2000 census, the city is the 83rd largest city in the United States, with a population of 202,705. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 240,410, moving Scottsdale in to the 77th position on the 100 largest cities list. In 1981, TCE began to show up in two Scottsdale drinking wells, and in 1983, the Indian Bend Wash superfund site was listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. This title is notoriously lampooned across the state because of the high cost of living in Scottsdale. 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 FBR Open Golf Tournament held at the Tournament Players Club, which carries the distinction of the best-attended event on the PGA Tour. In 2006, Scottsdale will begin hosting a second PGA Tour event, known as the Fry's Electronics Open. The city continues to see rapid growth, mainly in the northern areas of the city.
Geography
Scottsdale is located at (33.590709, -111.895985). The city is located in the Salt River Valley, or the, "Valley of the Sun," in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. Immediately to the east and northeast of Scottsdale is the McDowell Mountain Range. Scottsdale borders the city of Phoenix and town of Paradise Valley to the west, Tempe to the south, and Fountain Hills to the east.
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 (0.12%) is water.
Climate
Scottsdale's climate is hot and arid. Winters are mild to moderate, and summers are hot. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the city is 19.0°F, on February 20, 1955, and the highest temperature ever recorded is 119.0°F, on June 26, 1970 and August 2, 1972.
Cityscape
The city is loosely divided into four areas: South Scottsdale (McKellips Road north to Chaparral Road), Old Town (Downtown) Scottsdale, Central Scottsdale (also known as the, "Shea Corridor"; extends from Chaparral Road north to Shea Boulevard), and North Scottsdale. The real estate market in Scottsdale is among the most expensive in the United States. In 2005, both Scottsdale and Paradise Valley were among the top ten markets in the nation for luxury home sales, and the only two cities outside of California....
