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Scottsdale, Arizona

Coordinates: 33°29′35″N 111°55′34″W / 33.49306°N 111.92611°W / 33.49306; -111.92611
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scottsdale, Arizona
O'odham: Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ
Downtown Scottsdale waterfront
Taliesin West
Old Town Scottsdale
Clockwise from top: Downtown Scottsdale waterfront, Old Town Scottsdale, and Taliesin West
Flag of Scottsdale, Arizona
Nickname: 
"The West's Most Western Town" (official)
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Scottsdale is located in Arizona
Scottsdale
Scottsdale
Scottsdale is located in the United States
Scottsdale
Scottsdale
Coordinates: 33°29′35″N 111°55′34″W / 33.49306°N 111.92611°W / 33.49306; -111.92611
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyMaricopa
Incorporated1951
Named forWinfield Scott
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
Area
 • Total184.44 sq mi (477.70 km2)
 • Land184.00 sq mi (476.57 km2)
 • Water0.44 sq mi (1.14 km2)
Elevation2,165 ft (660 m)
Population
 • Total241,361
 • RankUS: 93rd
 • Density1,311.72/sq mi (506.46/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP codes
85250–85271
Area code480
FIPS code04-65000
GNIS ID2411845[2]
Websitewww.scottsdaleaz.gov

Scottsdale (O'odham: Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ; Yaqui: Eskatel) is a city in the southwestern part of the state of Arizona in the United States. In 2020 there were 241,361 people living in Scottsdale.[3]

Geography

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The city is in the Salt River Valley, or the, "Valley of the Sun", in the northern Sonoran Desert. 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.

Scottsdale's climate is arid. Winters are mild and summers are very hot. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the city is 19.0 °F (−7.2 °C), on February 20, 1955, and the highest temperature ever recorded is 119.0 °F (48.3 °C), on June 26, 1970 and August 2, 1972.[4]

History and Culture

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Scottsdale was originally inhabited by Hohokam. From 800 to 1400, this ancient civilization farmed the area and built ingenious irrigation canals.

The city was incorporated in 1951. The seal, which shows a mounted cowboy surrounded by a 64-pointed star burst, was designed by Mrs. Gene Brown Pennington.[5]

There are many businesses in Scottsdale. Many of them are in a business park known as The Scottsdale Air Park. Some of these companies are: AXA, GE Capital, DHL,[6] Discount Tire Company, Tempo Creative,[7] Fidelity Investments, JDA Software and The Vanguard Group.[8]

Scottsdale is seen as an upscale tourist and shopping destination. It is also known as a good model of western American style. The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as "a desert version of Miami's South Beach." The Times article also stated there was "plenty of late night partying and a buzzing hotel scene".[9]

Government

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Scottsdale is governed by a mayor and city council, all of whom are elected "at large" to represent the entire city. A city manager is responsible for the leadership of the city staff. He also helps carry out the council policies, develops programs and budgets to respond to council goals, and makes sure that people get effective and efficient city services. The city manager also serves as the city treasurer.

The Scottsdale City Hall was designed by architect Bennie Gonzales in 1968, and was designed with an area for community meetings.[10]

Education

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Public education in Scottsdale is provided by the Scottsdale Unified School District. Some parts of the town fall under other school districts in the Phoenix Metro Area, including the Cave Creek Unified School District, Paradise Valley Unified School District, Phoenix Union High School District, Tempe Union High School District, and the Balsz Elementary School District

There are five major high schools in Scottsdale: Arcadia High School, Chaparral High School, Coronado High School, Desert Mountain High School, and Saguaro High School.

The primary college in the city is Scottsdale Community College. The college actually lies inside the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation. Many students also commute to nearby Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Penn Foster College, a distance education college, is based in Scottsdale[11]

Scottsdale is also home of the International School of Arizona, a non-profit language school that teaches children who speak a foreign language (French or Spanish).

Scottsdale has four branches within the Scottsdale Public Library System.[12] A fifth is currently being built.[13]

Sister cities

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Scottsdale has seven sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International: [14]

References

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  1. "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Arizona". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Scottsdale". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Scottsdale city, Arizona: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  4. "Scottsdale Weather: Records & Averages Archived 2007-03-03 at the Wayback Machine." Yahoo! Retrieved on April 30, 2007.
  5. Myers, Patricia Seitters, Scottsdale: Jewel in the Desert
  6. DHL Arizona
  7. Scottsdale Web Design
  8. "Scottsdale Airpark News Business Directory". Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  9. The 31 Places to Go This Summer - NYTimes.com
  10. Scarp, Mark (December 4, 2008). "Gonzales left his creative imprint on Scottsdale". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on 2009-01-11. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
  11. Penn Foster College
  12. Scottsdale Public Library Locations and Hours
  13. "The Appaloosa Library". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  14. "Interactive City Directory: Scottsdale, Arizona". Sister Cities International, Inc. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2013.

Other websites

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