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Cities / Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix

Sleep in Downtown Phoenix.

Downtown Phoenix is the pick if you're flying in without a car: the free Sky Train and the A Line get you from the terminal to the Downtown Hub for $2, and the ballpark, arena, and Heritage Square are a walk away. Book Old Town Scottsdale, a separate city 25 to 30 minutes northeast by car, if you'll rent a car and want the most restaurants and bars within walking distance.

Rooms in Downtown Phoenix tonightCompare all 5 neighborhoods
Phoenix, Arizona
Photo: Daniel Flores / Pexels

Where to stay in Phoenix

Most visitors use "Phoenix" to mean the whole Salt River Valley. Scottsdale and Tempe, where a lot of people actually book, are separate cities next door, each with its own walkable downtown. Distances are long, the street grid is flat, and the light rail covers one band: northwest Phoenix, down Central Avenue to downtown, then east past the airport to Tempe and Mesa.

  1. Both light rail lines meet at the Downtown Hub on Washington Street at Central Avenue. Chase Field (Diamondbacks) and Mortgage Matchup Center (Suns and Mercury) sit on Jefferson Street, and Heritage Square holds Pizzeria Bianco and the Arizona Science Center. Roosevelt Row's galleries and murals, with the First Friday art walk, are a few blocks north.

    The catch: The big hotels charge roughly $35 to $60 a night to park, and rates jump during conventions and home games.

    Rooms in Downtown Phoenix tonight

  2. This is the city of Scottsdale, not Phoenix. Restaurants, galleries, and bars fill the walkable blocks around Fifth Avenue and Main Street, with the Thursday evening Scottsdale ArtWalk, Scottsdale's Museum of the West, and Scottsdale Stadium for spring training. Scottsdale Fashion Square is at the north edge.

    The catch: No light rail, and rates are the highest in the Valley during Barrett-Jackson, the WM Phoenix Open, and March.

    Rooms in Old Town Scottsdale tonight

  3. Tempe is its own city, built around Arizona State University. Mill Avenue runs from campus north to Tempe Town Lake, with the A Line at Mill Ave/3rd St and the $1 Tempe Streetcar looping Mill and Ash avenues. Mountain America Stadium is next to the Veterans Way/College Ave station, and Sky Harbor is a short drive west.

    The catch: ASU football weekends push rates up, and Mill Avenue bars get loud on weekend nights.

    Rooms in Downtown Tempe tonight

  4. The Biltmore area runs along Camelback Road around 24th Street, anchored by Biltmore Fashion Park and the Arizona Biltmore resort. Mid-range options include the AC Hotel Phoenix Biltmore, The Camby, and the Hampton Inn Phoenix-Biltmore. Camelback Mountain's trailheads are about 15 minutes east.

    The catch: It isn't on the light rail and is laid out around wide arterial roads, so most meals beyond the mall mean a drive.

    Rooms in Biltmore tonight

  5. Midtown is the Central Avenue corridor north of downtown, with the B Line running down the middle. The Heard Museum (2301 N. Central) and Phoenix Art Museum are on the line, and several chain hotels such as the Home2 Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites Phoenix Midtown sit near stations. The Melrose District's shops and bars are on Seventh Avenue a short drive northwest.

    The catch: It's mostly office towers and chain hotels, so for dinner you'll often ride back downtown or drive.

    Rooms in Midtown tonight

Prices are typical mid-range hotel rates per night before tax, rounded to $10. Times are to Downtown Phoenix (Washington St and Central Ave). Booking links open tonight's real prices.

When to go

November and early December: highs of 66 to 77°F and average rates around $137 to $161 a night. March has similar weather but the year's highest prices, about $246 on average, because of spring training. Late October works if you can handle highs near 90°F. June through August is cheapest, with highs averaging 104 to 107°F.

Spring Mar–May

Highs 78-95°F, lows 55-70°F

March ties February as the most expensive month (spring training, golf). By May highs reach the mid-90s and the average room drops to about $130.

Summer Jun–Aug

Highs 104-107°F, lows 79-85°F

Cheapest hotels of the year, about $96 to $105 a night on average. Monsoon season officially runs June 15 to Sept. 30. Do anything outdoors before 9 a.m.

Fall Sep–Nov

Highs 100°F (Sept) to 77°F (Nov), lows 54-78°F

September is still summer weather at summer prices. October brings the State Fair and a NASCAR weekend, and rates climb back to about $160.

Winter Dec–Feb

Highs 66-71°F, lows 45-49°F

December is the cheapest winter month, about $137 a night. Rates rise through January and peak in February with Barrett-Jackson and the WM Phoenix Open.

On the calendar

Getting around

From the airport

Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) is about 3 miles east of downtown. The free PHX Sky Train runs from Terminals 3 and 4 to the 44th Street/Washington station every 3.5 to 7 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the A Line ($2) continues to downtown and Tempe. Taxis charge a $20 flat rate to downtown Phoenix; Old Town Scottsdale is roughly a 20 to 25 minute drive.

Trains and buses

Valley Metro runs two light rail lines: the A Line east-west from downtown past the airport to Tempe and Mesa, and the B Line north-south along Central Avenue. A ride is $2 and fares cap at $4 a day when you pay with the Valley Metro app or a Copper Card; station machines sell single rides. Trains come every 12 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and every 20 minutes on Sundays and after 8 p.m.

Driving

Rent a car if you're staying in Scottsdale or the Biltmore or plan to hike, since rail doesn't reach either. The big downtown hotels charge roughly $35 to $60 a night to park; many hotels in Tempe and the Biltmore area include parking.

Worth your time

What to eat

  • Pizzeria Bianco

    Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizza at Heritage Square since 1997, Monday to Saturday, no reservations, so arrive at 11 a.m. or expect a wait.

  • Sonoran hot dog

    A bacon-wrapped dog in a soft bolillo-style bun with beans, onions, tomatoes, mayo, and salsa; El Caprichoso won Phoenix New Times' Best Sonoran Hot Dog in 2025.

  • Fry Bread House

    In 2012 it became the first Native American restaurant to win a James Beard America's Classics award; it's at 4545 N. 7th Ave.

  • Carolina's Mexican Food

    A family business since 1968 known for its flour tortillas and red chile burros, with several Valley locations, all closed Sundays.

Before you go

Tip 15 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants and a dollar or two per drink at bars. Arizona skips daylight saving time, so from March to early November Phoenix matches Los Angeles, and in winter it matches Denver. Locals call the metro "the Valley," and the grid splits at Central Avenue: numbered streets run east of it and numbered avenues west, so 7th Street and 7th Avenue are on opposite sides of downtown. Visitors underestimate the dry heat; drink water before you go out, start hikes early, and turn back when half your water is gone.

How Phoenix got this way

The Hohokam dug roughly 135 miles of irrigation canals here and left the valley by the mid-1400s. In 1867 Jack Swilling started a canal company to reuse that system for farms, and Darrell Duppa suggested the name Phoenix for a town rising from earlier ruins; Yavapai County recognized it in May 1868. Phoenix incorporated in 1881 with about 2,500 people, became territorial capital in 1889, and state capital in 1912, a year after Roosevelt Dam secured its water. World War II air bases brought new residents, and affordable air conditioning helped the 1950 population of about 105,000 triple within a decade.

Questions people ask

Should I stay in Phoenix or Scottsdale?

Downtown Phoenix has light rail to the airport and Tempe and costs less, so it suits visitors without a car. Old Town Scottsdale is a separate city with more walkable restaurants and bars but no rail, so plan on a car or rideshare.

Can you get around Phoenix without a car?

Yes, if you stay along the light rail: downtown Phoenix, Midtown, or downtown Tempe. Scottsdale, the Biltmore, Camelback Mountain, and Taliesin West all need a car or rideshare.

How do I get from Sky Harbor to downtown Phoenix?

Take the free PHX Sky Train to the 44th Street/Washington station, then the A Line west to downtown for $2. A taxi is a $20 flat rate to downtown.

When is the cheapest time to visit Phoenix?

July and August, when the average room runs about $96 to $98 a night, compared with about $246 in February and March. The tradeoff is average highs of 105 to 107°F.

How hot does Phoenix get in summer?

Average highs are 104°F in June, 106.5°F in July, and 105°F in August, and lows in July average about 84°F. Highs top 110°F about 21 days a year.

Checked against 40 sources. Updated October 16, 2026.

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