Ahwatukee Foothills.
Master-planned communities
below South Mountain.
Ahwatukee Foothills is a 35.8-square-mile village of the City of Phoenix, not a separate city, running from I-10 west to about 35th Avenue between South Mountain Park and Pecos Road. It takes its name from the Ahwatukee Ranch, a house built in 1922, and Presley Development Company began its first master-planned community in 1971.
Ahwatukee on the map
Boundary from the City of Phoenix village planning map (Ahwatukee Foothills Village). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A Phoenix village south of South Mountain
Ahwatukee Foothills is one of the City of Phoenix urban villages, the planning areas the city uses to organize land use. The city's Ahwatukee Foothills Village Character Plan describes the village as bordered on the north by the foothills of South Mountain Park, extending south to Pecos Road, and running from the I-10 freeway west to approximately 35th Avenue (Village Character Plan).
A City of Phoenix village profile lists the village at 35.8 square miles and states that it takes its name from the Ahwatukee Ranch, a house built in 1922 (village profile). The Village Planning Committee generally meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at the Pecos Park Community Center, 17010 S. 48th Street (City of Phoenix).
From Casa de Sueños to a 1970s master plan
The Ahwatukee Board of Management, the homeowners association for the original Ahwatukee community, publishes this history (ABM history). Dr. and Mrs. W. V. B. Ames owned more than 2,000 acres here and named the property Casa de Sueños. Both died within the first year after building a large home on the land, and the property was left to St. Luke's Hospital.
In 1935 Helen Brinton of Dixon, Illinois, bought the land and renamed it Ahwatukee, which she described as a Crow language term meaning "House of your Dreams." After Brinton died in 1961, a land syndicate bought the property, and ownership changed several times.
In 1971 Presley Development Company bought the land and began building one of Arizona's early master-planned communities. A master-planned community is one large development laid out in advance with homes, streets, parks and shared facilities. The Ahwatukee Board of Management was created in this period. Its articles called for control to pass to homeowners once 90 percent of lots sold, and in April 1988 homeowners elected the first nine-member board.
Mountain park, community center, golf
South Mountain Park/Preserve forms the village's north edge. The City of Phoenix lists it at more than 16,000 acres with more than 100 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. The city bought about 13,000 acres of it in 1924 (City of Phoenix Parks).
The city's Character Plan names four golf courses in the village: Ahwatukee Country Club, Ahwatukee Lakes, Foothills and Club West.
- Pecos Park and Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St.City park with a swimming pool, splash pad, skate park, dog park, tennis, pickleball, basketball and volleyball courts, a soccer field and a community center (City of Phoenix).
- Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd.A branch of the Phoenix Public Library.
- Ahwatukee Community Swim, Tennis and Event Center, 4700 E. Warner Rd.Swim programs, tennis club memberships, a rentable event space and a park with a playground, ramadas and a community garden (ahwatukeecommunitycenter.com).
Two freeways frame the village
Interstate 10 runs along the village's east side, and Pecos Road marks its south edge, per the city's Character Plan.
The Arizona Department of Transportation opened the full 22-mile South Mountain Freeway on Saturday, December 21, 2019. It runs between I-10 at the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in the East Valley and I-10 at 59th Avenue in the West Valley (ADOT). ADOT has also described a 6-mile multi-use path along the freeway between 40th Street and 17th Avenue in Ahwatukee.
Measured from the coordinates Wikipedia lists for Ahwatukee, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is about 7 miles away in a straight line.
Many associations, one village
Ahwatukee is not one subdivision. The city's Character Plan lists master-planned communities across the village, including Ahwatukee 620, Lakewood, Mountain Park Ranch, Silver Creek, South Mountain 320, Foothills at South Mountain and Pointe at South Mountain. It also names association-governed communities such as the Ahwatukee Board of Management, The Foothills, Foothills Club West and Foothills Reserve.
The Ahwatukee Board of Management alone describes its community as more than 5,000 homes on more than 2,000 acres (ahwatukeehoa.com). It maintains about 106 acres of greenbelt and desert drainage channels, plus a community center, a private park, an RV storage park, a pool, tennis and basketball courts and a community garden.
Two public school districts serve the area. The Kyrene School District states that it serves preschool through 8th grade in Ahwatukee and parts of Chandler, Guadalupe and Tempe. The Tempe Union High School District operates Mountain Pointe High School at 4201 E. Knox Road.
Which association?
A home can belong to a master association and a smaller sub-association. The recorded CC&Rs for the lot say which.
CC&Rs
Covenants, conditions and restrictions: the recorded rules an association enforces on exterior changes, use and upkeep.
Village plan
The city's Character Plan sets design goals for the village, including protecting scenic desert views.
Ahwatukee, answered
Where is Ahwatukee?
Ahwatukee Foothills is a City of Phoenix village south of South Mountain Park. It runs from I-10 west to approximately 35th Avenue, and south to Pecos Road.
Is Ahwatukee its own city?
No. Ahwatukee Foothills is one of the City of Phoenix urban villages, a planning area inside Phoenix.
What does Ahwatukee mean?
Helen Brinton, who bought the land in 1935, described Ahwatukee as a Crow language term meaning House of your Dreams, according to the Ahwatukee Board of Management.
Who developed Ahwatukee?
Presley Development Company bought the land in 1971 and began building one of Arizona's early master-planned communities.
How big is Ahwatukee?
A City of Phoenix village profile lists the Ahwatukee Foothills Village at 35.8 square miles.
What school districts serve Ahwatukee?
The Kyrene School District serves preschool through 8th grade in Ahwatukee. The Tempe Union High School District operates Mountain Pointe High School at 4201 E. Knox Road.
How big is South Mountain Park?
The City of Phoenix lists South Mountain Park/Preserve at more than 16,000 acres with more than 100 miles of trails.
When did the South Mountain Freeway open?
The full 22-mile Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway opened on December 21, 2019.
Is Ahwatukee a historic district?
No. Ahwatukee is a planning village made up of master-planned communities, not a listed historic district.
Looking at Ahwatukee?
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Sources: City of Phoenix, Ahwatukee Foothills Village Character Plan; City of Phoenix, Ahwatukee Foothills village profile; City of Phoenix, Ahwatukee Foothills Village page; Ahwatukee Board of Management, History and home page; City of Phoenix Parks, South Mountain Park/Preserve and Pecos Park; City of Phoenix, Phoenix Public Library, Ironwood branch; Ahwatukee Community Swim, Tennis and Event Center; Arizona Department of Transportation, South Mountain Freeway opening and a ride along the 22 miles; Kyrene School District; Tempe Union High School District, Mountain Pointe High School; coordinates for Ahwatukee and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from Wikipedia, used only to compute straight-line distance. All checked 28 October 2026.