Community guide · Jeane Adinolfi
North Scottsdale
The place
North Scottsdale is the upper, most recently developed reach of the City of Scottsdale — the desert north of the city’s historic core, rising toward Pinnacle Peak, Troon, and the McDowell Mountains. Scottsdale incorporated in 1951, but this was long its least built-up quarter; today it is the most actively developed, and home to the highest residential property values in Arizona, many exceeding $5 million.
The defining feature is preserved desert. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve — planned at roughly 36,000 acres, close to a third of Scottsdale’s land — wraps the area in protected Sonoran landscape, and master-planned communities such as Desert Mountain, DC Ranch, and Grayhawk are set into it. The Scottsdale Airpark, the metro’s second-largest employment center, anchors its commercial side.
For buyers, North Scottsdale means guard-gated golf communities, custom desert estates, and new luxury construction — often with a preserve trailhead minutes from the door.
3
Featured listings
$3.45M
Entry point
$4.50M
Top offering
4,664 SF
Avg residence
Figures reflect the featured North Scottsdale listings shown here — not a town-wide market average.
What defines it
The character of North Scottsdale.
Arizona’s top values
North Scottsdale carries the highest residential property values in the state, with many homes exceeding $5 million.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve
A planned ~36,000-acre preserve — nearly a third of Scottsdale — puts protected Sonoran desert and trailheads at the edge of the neighborhoods.
Championship golf culture
TPC Scottsdale and a roster of championship courses — and the WM Phoenix Open each winter — put world-class golf at the center of the lifestyle.
Pinnacle Peak & the McDowells
The granite of Pinnacle Peak and the McDowell range define the skyline and the character of the area’s luxury tier.
The setting
Inside North Scottsdale.
The setting
North Scottsdale is the desert above the City of Scottsdale’s historic core, climbing north and east toward Pinnacle Peak, Troon, and the McDowell Mountains. It was historically the least built-up part of the city and is now the most actively developed.
Protected land defines it: the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, planned at around 36,000 acres — close to a third of Scottsdale — keeps open Sonoran desert and trailheads at the edge of the neighborhoods.
How it developed
North Scottsdale grew through the master-planned era from the mid-1980s onward, with new neighborhoods set carefully against protected desert rather than sprawling across it — an approach that kept open land and mountain views central to the area’s character.
That growth produced the highest residential property values in Arizona, with many homes exceeding $5 million, while the Scottsdale Airpark became the metro’s second-largest employment center. (The individual communities are in the collection below.)
Getting here
North Scottsdale is reached via Pima, Scottsdale, and Pinnacle Peak Roads and the Loop 101. Scottsdale Airport, within the Airpark, handles general and corporate aviation; Phoenix Sky Harbor International handles commercial travel.
Schools
Scottsdale & Cave Creek Unified School Districts
North Scottsdale is served by more than one district — the Scottsdale Unified School District across much of the area, and the Cave Creek Unified School District in its northern reaches (Troon, Desert Mountain). School assignment follows attendance boundaries, so confirm the district and school for any specific address.
What's nearby
In and around North Scottsdale.
Shopping
- Scottsdale Quarter
- 22 min · 11.1 mi
Schools
- Copper Ridge School
- 18 min · 8.6 mi
- BASIS Scottsdale
- 31 min · 16.5 mi
- Cheyenne Traditional School
- 28 min · 14.5 mi
Points of Interest
- Grayhawk Golf Club
- 16 min · 7.8 mi
- Troon North Golf Club
- 9 min · 2.8 mi
Driving distances and times are approximate, routed from central North Scottsdale.
Landmarks & points of interest
What the town is known for.
01
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
A planned ~36,000-acre municipal desert preserve — close to a third of Scottsdale’s land — with a trail network that backs right up to the neighborhoods for hiking, biking, and morning rides.
02
Pinnacle Peak
The landmark granite summit and its popular summit trail — the signature silhouette of the North Scottsdale skyline and a favorite golden-hour hike.
03
The WM Phoenix Open
Each winter TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course hosts the PGA Tour’s rowdiest, best-attended event — the famous stadium-style 16th hole is a Valley rite of passage.
04
WestWorld of Scottsdale
The city’s equestrian and events showground, home to the Barrett-Jackson collector-car auction and the Arabian Horse Show — North Scottsdale’s marquee winter happenings.
The neighborhoods
Communities in North Scottsdale.
44 luxury communities across North Scottsdale — from guard-gated golf enclaves to custom-estate neighborhoods.
Atavia at One Scottsdale
ZIP 85255
Bellasera
$800K – $3M+
ZIP 85266
Candlewood Estates at Troon North
$1.5M – $5M+
ZIP 85262
Cantabrica Estates
$3M – $8M+
ZIP 85255
Cavasson (at Grayhawk)
$1M – $3M+
ZIP 85255
Cavasson Expansion
ZIP 85255
DC Ranch
$600K – $20M+ (Silverleaf sub-community at top end)
ZIP 85255
Desert Highlands
$1.5M – $8M+
ZIP 85255
Desert Mountain
$450K (homesites) – $12M+
ZIP 85262
Desert Mountain Gold Canyon (Lakeside)
$2M – $8M+
ZIP 85262
Estancia
$2M – $15M+
ZIP 85262
Gainey Ranch
$500K – $5M+
ZIP 85258
Granite Mountain Ranch
$800K – $3M+
ZIP 85263
Grayhawk
$500K – $4M+
ZIP 85255
Haven (DC Ranch Area)
ZIP 85255
Hidden Hills
$800K – $4M+
ZIP 85259
ICON at Silverleaf
$2M – $5M+
ZIP 85255
Kierland
$400K – $2.5M
ZIP 85254
Legend Trail
$500K – $2M+
ZIP 85262
McDowell Mountain Ranch
$500K – $3M+
ZIP 85255
Mirabel
$1.5M – $10M+
ZIP 85262
Optima Kierland
$500K – $3M+
ZIP 85254
Optima McDowell Mountain Village
ZIP 85255
Paloma
ZIP 85255
Pinnacle Peak Country Club
$800K – $4M+
ZIP 85255
Portico
$800K – $2.5M+
ZIP 85255
Prado Estates
$5M – $15M+
ZIP 85255
Scottsdale Country Club
$500K – $3M+
ZIP 85257
Scottsdale Golf Club (Sincuidados)
$1M – $5M+
ZIP 85262
Scottsdale Heights
$600K – $1.2M
ZIP 85377
Scottsdale Mountain
$800K – $3M+
ZIP 85259
Sereno Canyon
$1.5M – $4M+
ZIP 85262
Silverleaf at DC Ranch
$2M – $30M+
ZIP 85255
Stonegate
$700K – $2.5M
ZIP 85255
Stoneledge at North Scottsdale
$400K – $800K
ZIP 85255
TPC Scottsdale
$600K – $4M+
ZIP 85260
Terravita
$500K – $2.5M
ZIP 85266
The Retreat at Seven (Desert Mountain)
$800K – $2.5M
ZIP 85262
Troon Mountain Estates
$1.5M – $6M+
ZIP 85262
Troon North
$700K – $8M+
ZIP 85262
Troon Village
$800K – $5M+
ZIP 85262
Whisper Rock
$2M – $10M+
ZIP 85255
White Horse
$2M – $6M+
ZIP 85255
Windgate Ranch
$800K – $3M+
ZIP 85255
On the map
Featured homes in North Scottsdale.
Each pin is a featured North Scottsdale listing. Homes are marketed by their respective brokerages; Jeane can arrange a private showing of any of them.
Featured in North Scottsdale
Featured North Scottsdale listings.
Common questions
North Scottsdale, answered.
- What is North Scottsdale known for?
- North Scottsdale is the upper, most actively developed part of the City of Scottsdale, known for the highest residential property values in Arizona — many homes exceed $5 million — the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and guard-gated golf communities such as Desert Mountain, DC Ranch, and Troon set against Pinnacle Peak and the McDowell Mountains.
- Is North Scottsdale its own town?
- No — North Scottsdale is a district of the City of Scottsdale, which incorporated in 1951, rather than a separate town. It refers to the desert reaches north of the city’s historic core, around Pinnacle Peak and the McDowells.
- What school districts serve North Scottsdale?
- It is split between the Scottsdale Unified School District across much of the area and the Cave Creek Unified School District in the northern reaches near Troon and Desert Mountain. Confirm the district and school for any specific address.
- What kind of homes are in North Scottsdale?
- Guard-gated golf-community residences, custom desert estates, and new luxury construction, largely within master-planned communities set against preserved Sonoran desert. It is the top of the Valley’s luxury market.
- Can Jeane help me buy or sell in North Scottsdale?
- Yes. The featured North Scottsdale listings and their price range are shown on this page; those homes are marketed by their respective brokerages, and Jeane can arrange a private showing of any of them or represent you on a purchase or sale. For what’s coming or off-market, reach out directly.
Town facts & figures sourced from
Population and boundary figures are from the 2020 U.S. Census. Market figures on this page are derived from the featured North Scottsdale listings shown here and are not a town-wide average.
Considering North Scottsdale?
Know the desert before you buy in it.
North Scottsdale is a small market where the right home rarely lasts. Start a conversation with Jeane.