North Central Phoenix.
Large lots on
Central Avenue.
North Central Phoenix is a common name, not an official boundary. Along Central Avenue from Missouri to Northern avenues, the city's North Central Avenue Special Planning District covers about 188 acres and 246 properties, with a 100-foot lot frontage rule.
North Central Phoenix on the map
Boundary from the City of Phoenix registered neighborhood map (North Central Phoenix Neighborhood Association boundary). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A special planning district
North Central Phoenix is a common name, not an official boundary, and it is not a historic district. Along Central Avenue the city does draw a line: the North Central Avenue Special Planning District. A special planning district adds its own standards on top of the base zoning.
The district covers properties that front, side or back onto Central Avenue, or have a Central Avenue address, from Missouri Avenue north to Northern Avenue. The plan counts about 188 acres and 246 properties. The Phoenix Zoning Ordinance lists the plan with a July 1, 2004 date.
The city's Alhambra village page describes large homes along the tree-lined Murphy Bridle Path beside Central Avenue, with growth that began in the 1920s and 1930s.
Orangewood and the citrus road
William J. Murphy platted the Orangewood subdivision in 1895, about two square miles between Northern Avenue and Bethany Home Road, from Seventh Avenue to Seventh Street. A plat is the recorded map that divides land into lots. The plan quotes his aim of rural homes at an easy distance from the city, on large lots with citrus groves. The city also credits Murphy with developing the Arizona Canal.
J. M. Evans platted Evans' Addition to Orangewood in 1897. Both were divided into smaller tracts from 1911 to 1942. The Central Avenue Driving Association kept Central Avenue as a private road from 1895 to 1910, when the county declared it a public highway. It was paved in concrete as a 22-foot roadway in the 1920s. The area was annexed into Phoenix in 1959.
The Murphy Bridle Path
The Murphy Bridle Path is a trail about 10 feet wide between the trees on the east side of Central Avenue. It begins at Bethany Home Road and runs two and a half miles north to the Arizona Canal. It was named Murphy's Maricopa Bridle Path in 1948. In 1951 the county extended it south to Camelback Road, and later road widening returned its end to Bethany Home Road.
William J. Murphy planted the olive trees along Central Avenue between 1905 and 1910. The original ash trees from the early 1900s were replaced with Aleppo pines in 1963. Residents preferred ash, and new ash trees replaced the pines in 1972.
Houses the city lists
Most of the district is zoned R1-10, a single-family residential zoning district. The plan notes a few multifamily and gated developments as exceptions. It lists properties in and near the corridor that carry historic overlays, including those below. A historic overlay on one house does not make the area a historic district.
- W. J. Murphy House, 7514 N. Central Ave.Also addressed 10 W. Orangewood Ave. Dated 1895 in the plan.
- Asbury-Salmon House, 7801 N. Central Ave.Dated 1934 to 1935 in the plan.
- Olney-Ellinwood House, 6810 N. Central Ave.Dated 1910 in the plan.
- Ralph Converse House, 6617 N. Central Ave.Dated 1935 in the plan.
- E. Payne Palmer House, 6012 N. Central Ave.Dated about 1929 in the plan.
- Lewis Douglas House, 815 E. Orangewood Ave.Dated 1911 in the plan.
What the district requires
Inside the district, the base zoning still applies, with added standards from Section 664 of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance. Its stated purpose is to keep the area's large lot, single family residential character. The plan's goals are to protect that character, preserve the Central Avenue streetscape, and inform the public about the district.
The city's district map notice lists a 100-foot lot frontage requirement along Central Avenue. Frontage is the width of a lot along the street.
Setback
A 40-foot landscape and building setback along Central Avenue. A setback is the distance a building must sit back from the property line.
Garages
Garage doors facing Central Avenue are limited to 25 percent of the facade.
Walls
Solid walls within the setback are capped at 40 inches high.
North Central Phoenix, answered
Where is North Central Phoenix?
North Central Phoenix is a common name, not an official boundary. The city's North Central Avenue Special Planning District covers properties on Central Avenue from Missouri Avenue north to Northern Avenue.
Is North Central Phoenix a historic district?
No. It is not a historic district. Some individual houses in and near the corridor carry historic overlays.
What is the Murphy Bridle Path?
A trail about 10 feet wide on the east side of Central Avenue. It begins at Bethany Home Road and runs two and a half miles north to the Arizona Canal. It was named Murphy's Maricopa Bridle Path in 1948.
How big are the lots on North Central Avenue?
The city plan says lots in the district range from one-third acre to nearly three acres.
What rules apply to building on Central Avenue?
The district requires 100 feet of lot frontage along Central Avenue, a 40-foot landscape and building setback, garage doors facing Central Avenue limited to 25 percent of the facade, and solid walls within the setback no higher than 40 inches.
Who developed North Central Phoenix?
William J. Murphy platted the Orangewood subdivision in 1895, and J. M. Evans platted Evans' Addition to Orangewood in 1897. Both were divided into smaller tracts from 1911 to 1942.
When did North Central become part of Phoenix?
The area was annexed into Phoenix in 1959.
Why are there olive trees on Central Avenue?
William J. Murphy planted olive trees along Central Avenue between 1905 and 1910. The original ash trees were replaced with Aleppo pines in 1963, then with ash trees again in 1972, according to the city plan.
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Sources: City of Phoenix, North Central Avenue Special Planning District plan, district map notice and Alhambra village page; Phoenix Zoning Ordinance, Section 664 and Section 668. All checked 28 October 2026.