Home of
Arizona State University and Sky Harbor Airport, Tempe is located in the
southern part of the Phoenix metropolitan area and is bordered by Phoenix,
Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler.
Tempe is
the state's seventh largest city. Access to Tempe is easy from just about any
direction via the Loop 101, 202, US 60, I-10 and the Hohokam Expressway. The
City of Tempe, Arizona offers more than 330 days a year of sunshine to its
residents and visitors, and annual rainfall amounts to only 7.36 inches a year.
The first
stop for many is legendary Arizona Mills, the vast indoor shopping mall with an
emphasis on tasteful decoration, reasonable prices, and top quality
merchandise. One of the main hang-out and night-life spots is nearby Mill
Avenue, but there are a number of other places in the surrounding area that
contribute to a memorable visit to the area.
In 1865,
the U.S. Army arrived at the eastern end of the Salt River Valley and
established Fort McDowell. More pioneers arrived, including Wickenburg
entrepreneur Jack Swilling, who directed the renovation of the Hohokam canals,
and Charles Trumbull Hayden, who built a flour mill and began a ferry service
across the Salt River.
"Hayden's
Ferry," as the city was called then, was also the name of the only vehicle
across the Rio Salado. The town grew slowly and was renamed the City of "Tempe"
Arizona (Tem-PEE) by an English traveler who compared the area to the
beautiful Vale of Tempe in Greece.
In 1886,
the Arizona Territorial Normal School welcomed its first class of 31 students in
the building known today as Old Main on Arizona State University's campus.
A growth
spurt over the past twenty years has resulted in the development of industrial
parks and planned communities in all directions. Arizona State University's
main campus, adjacent to downtown Tempe, educates students from all 50 states
and more than 120 countries. ASU is known as leading Research institution. The
presence of its enthusiastic faculty and students has contributed to the success
of the numerous local theaters, galleries, and cultural centers in Tempe. The
ASU campus even houses the State Arboretum that is open to the public. The Law
Library (said to be second only to Harvard’s ) is designed to look like an open
book. Gammage Auditorium is well known as Frank Lloyd Wright's last public
structure design.
Over the
past two decades, Tempe has been a top choice for visitors seeking Arizona
vacations. The downtown area has been made pedestrian friendly. Shady brick
sidewalks, turn of the century buildings, historic landmarks, a wide variety of
restaurants and popular night spots, ASU, "A" mountain and Tempe Town Lake all
make downtown Tempe a place recognized for its for dining, shopping,
sightseeing, and nightlife.
Families
enjoy the Tempe Beach Park Splash Playground and the pedal boats on Tempe Town
Lake. Visitors can see a Broadway show, visit a fine art museum, explore
hiking and biking trails. It’s all there and so conveniently located! Just
about everything in Tempe can be found in a one mile radius. The only decisions
to be made are what to see and do first and how soon it will be possible to
return to this lively and thoroughly enjoyable city.
Worldwide Hotels
