Paradise Valley is a prestigious, affluent town encompassing an area of 16.5 square miles. Despite the town's relatively small area and population compared to other cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise Valley is home to twelve resorts, making it one of Arizona's premiere tourist destinations.

Most of the town is zoned exclusively for residential use and for one acre lots with one house per lot. With such a large lot requirement, the homes in Paradise Valley tend to be VERY large....some over 20,000 sq. ft., with 5,000-7,000 sq. ft. being quite typical. With such large homes and such large lots, it has exclusive real estate, with a median home price at $1.74 million, with many homes exceeding $5 million and some over $20 million.

HISTORY

During the late 1800’s, cattle grazed in the area surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the east and Camelback Mountain to the south. In 1889, the Rio Verde Canal Company sent three surveyors to this area who were so taken by the beauty and tranquility of the desert landscape that they named this area Paradise Valley.

Settlement in Paradise Valley did not begin in earnest until post World War II. Though the homes were modest in size and style, they were on large parcels of land, usually one to five acres.

In the late 1950’s, Phoenix and Scottsdale were looking to expand their respective boundaries. Residents who lived in Paradise Valley area feared that they would lose the rural lifestyle they had become accustomed to and would soon be swallowed up by Phoenix or Scottsdale. These concerned residents formed a "Citizens Committee for the Incorporation of The Town of Paradise Valley, Arizona." The residents' main goals were to keep zoning to a one house per acre minimum; to keep the area entirely residential; and to keep government regulation to a minimum. On May 24, 1961, incorporation was granted and the Town of Paradise Valley was established.

Throughout the Town’s history, the residents have strived to preserve the Town’s original mission – to maintain a residential community in a quiet and country-like setting with little government intervention.

Contact us if you have any questions regarding the purchase of Paradise Valley real estate or if you would like to schedule a convenient time to visit Paradise Valley homes for sale.

Paradise Valley Population: 14,558
Paradise Valley to Phoenix: 5 miles