Old Town Scottsdale, AZ
What Old Town Scottsdale is actually like
Old Town traces to 1888, when U.S. Army chaplain Winfield Scott made a down payment on 640 acres in the Salt River Valley, launching the farming settlement that became Scottsdale. The area's first business, the J.L. Davis General Store and Post Office, opened in 1897 at what's now Brown Avenue and Main Street, and the Little Red Schoolhouse replaced an earlier one-room school in 1909. Scottsdale incorporated on June 25, 1951, with about 2,000 residents. In 1947 the newly formed Chamber of Commerce adopted "The West's Most Western Town" as a marketing theme, cementing the Western-storefront look that still defines Old Town's historic core along Main Street and Fifth Avenue.
Today Old Town is Scottsdale's dense, walkable core — a few square miles of restored adobe storefronts, art galleries, patio bars and boutique hotels wedged between the Arizona Canal and Scottsdale Fashion Square. Year-round residents are a mix of retirees in mid-century ranch homes, young professionals in newer mid-rise condos, and snowbirds filling short-term rentals each winter. The neighborhood anchors Scottsdale's nightlife and arts scene, with the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Fifth Avenue shopping district and the Old Town Historic District's bronze horse sculptures drawing tourists and locals alike. Scottsdale's citywide population reached 245,231 in 2024, though Old Town itself holds only a small fraction of that within its compact boundaries.
Home values in Old Town Scottsdale
Redfin (median sale price, Old Town neighborhood) put the typical home value in Old Town Scottsdale at $562,304 as of June 2026, up 2.3% year-over-year.
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Scottsdale has no light rail — it's often cited as the largest U.S. city that has never had a rail line, after a 1913 interurban proposal to Phoenix/Tempe/Mesa was never built. Old Town is instead covered by the free Scottsdale Trolley (three routes: 68th/Camelback, Miller/Hayden and Mustang, weekdays 5:45am-7:45pm on ~20-minute headways), plus Valley Metro bus connections and links to Tempe's Orbit circulator.
Neighborhood FAQ
Does Old Town Scottsdale have light rail?
No. Scottsdale has never built rail transit — it's frequently described as the largest U.S. city without one. Old Town relies on the free Scottsdale Trolley and Valley Metro buses instead.
What is Old Town Scottsdale historically known for?
It grew up around Winfield Scott's 1888 farm settlement and became Scottsdale's original commercial core after the first general store opened in 1897; the city later branded it "The West's Most Western Town."
What's the typical home value in Old Town Scottsdale?
Around $562,304 as of June 2026, per Redfin's median sale price for the Old Town neighborhood, up about 2.3% year-over-year.
What's the nearest hospital to Old Town Scottsdale?
HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, a short drive north of the historic core near 74th Street and Osborn Road.
Nearby alternatives*
Arcadia
About 5 miles east via Camelback Road or Indian School Road, typically 12-15 minutes. Redfin puts Arcadia's median sale price at $1,684,314, well above Old Town Scottsdale's $562,304. Arcadia is also served by Valley Metro bus routes rather than rail.
North Scottsdale
About 9 miles north via Scottsdale Road, typically 18-20 minutes. Redfin puts North Scottsdale's median sale price at $1,199,421, well above Old Town Scottsdale's $562,304. North Scottsdale is more car-dependent, with little to no fixed-route transit.
Tempe
About 8 miles south via Scottsdale Road or Rural Road, typically 15-18 minutes. Zillow puts Tempe's typical home value at $467,863, below Old Town Scottsdale's $562,304. Unlike here, Tempe has Valley Metro light rail service.
*We're not ranking these — every neighborhood has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.