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Town Snapshot: Fountain Hills, AZ
The town of Fountain Hills is a master planned community established in 1970 by McCulloch Properties (now MCO Properties, Inc.). Prior to 1970
the area was a cattle ranch and was part of one of the largest land and cattle holdings in Arizona. The land was purchased by Robert McCulloch in
the late 1960s and the community designed by Charles Wood, Jr. (designer of Disneyland in southern California).
Over the past 22 years Fountain Hills has grown from 10,190 residents to a town of 22,489 in 2010. The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG)
estimates that the population of Fountain Hills will continue to grow to a build-out population of between 30,000 and 35,000.
One of the community's most valuable assets is its natural beauty. Incredible views and natural desert terrain provide for a wide range of outdoor
activities including hiking, biking and golf. In fact, Fountain Hills contains some of the more challenging and picturesque golf courses in the
state of Arizona.
The centerpiece of Fountain Hills is the beautiful fountain built in 1970 by Robert McCulloch. The fountain sprays water for about 15 minutes every
hour at the top of the hour. The plume rises from a concrete water lily sculpture and under ideal conditions with three pumps in operation the fountain
reaches 560 feet in height; though in normal operation only two of the pumps are used, with a fountain height of around 300 feet. When built, it was
the world's tallest fountain and held that record for over a decade.
Fountain Hills is home to nearly 100 pieces of publicly displayed artwork throughout its downtown and at public buildings. Art is a significant part of
the town's heritage. The eight fountains along the Avenue of the Fountains were the beginning of the public art collection. The volunteer spirit and high
level of involvement of the citizens and business representatives is an important cornerstone of Fountain Hills' development.
Based on abundant open space and playground equipment available for public use, Fountain Hills was designated in both 2010 and 2011 as a "Playful City USA".
In 2006, Fountain Hills was named by Phoenix Magazine as the best place to live in the Valley of the Sun and was cited as "a welcome oasis on the outskirts
of a metropolis." Fountain Hills has also earned a top accolade from the magazine BusinessWeek. In its February 2009 edition, the magazine named Fountain
Hills the Best Affordable Suburb in all of Arizona.
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League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
http://www.azleague.org
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