Fountain Hills, Arizona

Fountain Hills, Arizona
Town
The fountain of Fountain Hills can spew water to a height of up to 560 feet (170 m)
Seal
Motto(s):  "All That Is Arizona"[1]
Location of Fountain Hills in Maricopa County, Arizona
Fountain Hills, Arizona Location in Arizona Fountain Hills, Arizona Location in the United States Show map of ArizonaShow map of the United StatesShow all
Coordinates: 33°36′N 111°43′W / 33.60°N 111.72°W / 33.60; -111.72Coordinates: 33°36′N 111°43′W / 33.60°N 111.72°W / 33.60; -111.72
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Incorporated	1989
Government
• Mayor	Ginny Dickey
Area [2]
• Total	20.37 sq mi (52.76 km2)
• Land	20.28 sq mi (52.53 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation	1,520−3,000 ft (580–640 m)
Population  (2010)[3]
• Total	22,489
• Estimate  (2019)[4]	25,200
• Density	1,242.42/sq mi (479.70/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP codes	85268-85269
Area code(s)	480
FIPS code	04-25300
GNIS feature ID	36980
Website	Town of Fountain Hills, Arizona

Fountain Hills is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Known for its impressive fountain, once the tallest in the world, it borders the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Scottsdale. The population is 23,820 as of the 2020 decennial-census from U.S. Census Bureau.^[5] Between the 1990 and 2000 censuses it was the eighth-fastest-growing place among cities and towns in Arizona. Average price for an owner-occupied housing is $402,100^[6]

History[]

Before the development of Fountain Hills, the area was home to the Yavapai, and petroglyphs can be found near the Dixie Mine in the northwest corner of the town along the mountains.

Two boys posing at the petroglyphs by the Dixie Mine, Fountain Hills, AZ

In the early 20th century, the area that became Fountain Hills and the McDowell Mountain Regional Park was part of the Pemberton Ranch,^[7] later renamed the P-Bar Ranch. Fountain Hills High School is built on the site of one of the P-Bar Ranch's buildings, and a plaque stands in the parking lot to commemorate this.

Fountain Hills was developed by C. V. Wood, president of McCulloch Oil, and was named after the towering man-made fountain in the center of town.^[8][9] The town was incorporated in 1989.^[10]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.2 square miles (47.1 km²), of which 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.26 km²) (0.55%) is water. The elevation is 1,520 ft (463 m) at the fountain, 3,000 ft (914 m) on Golden Eagle Boulevard, and is 500 ft (152. m) above Phoenix.^[11]

To the east of the town is the Verde River, a tributary to the Salt River. Inside the town there are many washes that run through Fountain Hills into the Verde River. Some of these washes include the Ashbrook, Balboa, Legend, and Colony Washes. During times of rain the washes flood with water and can sometimes block roads with their water. Signs mark several of the intersections of washes and major streets in the town.

To the southwest and northwest regions of Fountain Hills are the McDowell Mountains, a chain of extinct volcanic mountains. The highest mountains in the range are East End (4,033 ft (1,229 m)) and Thompson Peak (3,910 ft (1,190 m)).

Climate[]

This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fountain Hills has a hot desert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.^[12]

Demographics[]

As of the census of 2020, there were 23,820 people in 11,918 households in the town. The population density was 1,113.8 inhabitants per square mile (430.0/km²). There were 13,167 housing units at an average density of 577.5 per square mile (223.0/km²). The ethnic makeup of the town was 94.1% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race make up 4.1% of the population.

There were 11,918 households, out of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. Householders living alone make up 25.7% of all households, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.56.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 14.4% under the age of 18, 85.6% 18 years and over, and 27.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.9 years. There were 47.8% males and 52.2% females.

According to the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, the median income for a household in Fountain Hills was $85,200.^[14]

The per capita income for the town was $59,791. About 3.3% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture[]

The Fountain[]

The "World Famous Fountain" in Fountain Hills can attain a height of 560-feet when running on all three of its pumps.

The fountain in Fountain Park is lighted with LED lights during holidays and special events. There are eight colors available to shine on the spray.

Fountain Hills has the world's fourth-tallest fountain. It was built in 1970 in Zürich, Switzerland by Robert P. McCulloch, the year before the reconstruction of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, another of McCulloch's projects. The fountain sprays water for about 15 minutes every hour on the hour between 9am and 9pm. The plume rises from a concrete water-lily sculpture in the center of a large man-made lake. The fountain, driven by three 600 horsepower (450 kW) turbine pumps, sprays water at a rate of 7,000 US gallons (26,000 l; 5,800 imp gal) per minute through an 18-inch (460 mm) nozzle. With all three pumps under ideal conditions, the fountain reaches 560 feet (170 m) in height,^[15] though in normal operation only two of the pumps are used, with a fountain height of around 300 feet (91 m). When built it was the world's tallest fountain, a record it held for over a decade.^[16]

The Town of Fountain Hills has partnered with EarthCam to bring live streaming views of its World Famous Fountain. The livestream camera can be accessed on the Experience Fountain Hills website at www.experiencefountainhills.org/fountain.

To help celebrate the fountain's 50th year, the town installed a new LED lighting system with four lights mounted directly under the fountain and six lights on the shore for a total of 10 lights to provide ample lighting and still meet the Dark Skies ^[17] regulations.

International Dark Sky Community[]

In January, 2018 the Town of Fountain Hills was designated an International Dark Sky Community ^[18] by the International Dark Sky Association.^[19] The town is one of only two International Dark Sky Communities located near a large metropolitan area. There are currently only 16 communities in the world have earned this designation. The Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association (FHDSA) worked with town council and town staff to change outdoor lighting and sign ordinances to address light pollution. Fountain Hills is one of only 29 communities in the world that has received the designation of International Dark Sky Community by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). This designation is a result of both geography and lighting ordinances. The community is shielded from the lights of the larger cities in the Phoenix metro region by the McDowell Mountains to the west. The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation to the east, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to the south, and the McDowell Mountain Regional Park all help the Town preserve its dark skies. The absence of street lights and the presence of only low-impact outdoor lighting creates an outstanding environment for stargazing. The Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association is currently working to develop a 15,000 square foot International Dark Sky Discovery Center that will include a Dark Sky Observatory, Hyperspace Planetarium, Inspiration Theater, and an Immersion Zone. ^[20]

Events[]

The town hosts a number of events each year at Fountain Park, including three large art fairs: the Spring Fountain Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts and the Fall Fountain Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts both presented by the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Thunderbird Artists’ Fountain Hills Fine Art Festival. Each year, the town hosts a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in which the town’s fountain is dyed green. Other signature events include a 4^th of July celebration, an annual Music Fest,^[21] and Concours in the Hills – a car show which featured over 1,000 vehicles and 30,000 attendees in February 2020.^[22]

Arts[]

Fountain Hills is home to one of the largest public art collections in Arizona. The art collection, which features over 150 pieces, is part of a partnership between the Town of Fountains Hills and the Public Art Committee of the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association. ^[23]

Fountain Hills Theater is a performing arts venue entering its 28th season and offering over 16 productions a year to local communities as well as performing an arts education year round for youth.

Government[]

Fountain Hills has a council-manager system. The current mayor of Fountain Hills is Ginny Dickey, first elected in August 2018, and reelected in 2020. The current Town Council consists of the mayor and six councilmembers: Councilmembers Peggy McMahon, Vice Mayor Alan Magazine, Gerry Friedel, Sharron Grzybowski, Mike Scharnow, David Spelich. Grady Miller has been serving as the Town Manager since 2015. Among other council appointed staff are Town Attorney Aaron Aronson and Town Magistrate Robert Melton.

The town contracts its law enforcement services with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

Fountain Hills' Fire Department has two fire stations and contracts with Rural Metro for staffing of its fire department. Dave Ott is the Fire Chief.

Fountain Hills is in Arizona's 6th Congressional District, served by Representative David Schweikert and Arizona's 23rd State Legislative District served by Representatives Jay Lawrence and John Kavanagh. Michelle R. Ugenti is a member of the Arizona Senate.

Education[]

Fountain Hills Public Schools are part of the Fountain Hills Unified School District #98. The district has two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school, Fountain Hills High School.^[24]

Media[]

The Fountain Hills Times is the town's weekly newspaper and is published in Fountain Hills.^[25] The paper has a weekly circulation of about 3,000.^[26]

The parent company of the Times, Western States Publishers, Inc., also publishes the Fountain Hills/Rio Verde Telephone Directory, Fountain Hills Community Guide, Fountain Hills HOME.^[27]

Notable people[]

• Joe Arpaio – former sheriff of Maricopa County
• Kathy Ahern – professional golfer

Sister cities[]

Fountain Hills has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:^[28]

• – Concepcion de Ataco, El Salvador
• – Dierdorf (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)
• – Kasterlee (Antwerp, Belgium)
• – Zamość, Poland

Gallery[]

Fountain Hills Arizona

The Stoneman Road, established by Colonel George Stoneman, was an important supply road between Fort McDowell and Fort Whipple in Prescott between 1870 and 1890 on what is today the Yavapai Reservation near Fountain Hills. The trail passed through the McDowell Mountains. The McDowell Mountains is a chain of extinct volcanic mountains in Fountain Hills.^[29]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fountain Hills, Arizona.

• Fountain Hills City website
• "Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved October 26, 2011.
• "Fountain Hills Times Newspaper". Retrieved October 26, 2011.
• "Fountain Hills School District". Retrieved October 26, 2011.
• "Fountain Hills Charter School". Retrieved October 26, 2011.