Coordinates: 33°20′30.3″N 111°59′2.5″W / 33.34175°N 111.984028°W / 33.34175; -111.984028

Ahwatukee
—  Urban village of Phoenix, Arizona  —
A typical Ahwatukee neighborhood seen from South Mountain Park
Location of Ahwatukee Foothills highlighted in red.
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
City	Phoenix
Website	AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS VILLAGE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Ahwatukee (formally "Ahwatukee Foothills Village") is an affluent L-shaped neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona bordered on the north by South Mountain Park and Baseline Road, on the east by Interstate 10 and the cities of Chandler, Guadalupe, and Tempe, and on the south and west by the Gila River Indian Community. It is the southernmost of the city's 15 urban villages. As of 2000, the 35.8 square-mile (92.7 km²) village has a population of 85,000. ^[1]

Although annexed by the city of Phoenix between 1978 and 1987, before substantial residential growth, many of Ahwatukee's residents do not strongly associate their region with the rest of the city, due in part to its geographic isolation (South Mountain and South Mountain Park separate Ahwatukee from virtually all of the other 14 urban villages of Phoenix, which lie to the north).

The newspaper serving the area, the AhwatukeeFoothills News[3] has been publishing for more than 30 years, and was founded by Clay Schad.

Before and during the 1800s, Indians hunted and farmed this land now known as Ahwatukee. It was at the time when 32 gold and silver mines were registered in this rich area. The area's first home was built for a dentist, Dr. Ames, in 1921. It was later purchased by Helen Brinton in 1935 and she named it, Ahwatukee (Ah-wa-too-kee), a Crow Indian word meaning 'House of Dreams'. According to Indian legend, if you hang a 'dream catcher' over your window at night, as you bring the morning light in, good dreams will be caught in the web and remain while bad dreams trickle down the dangling feathers and drift away. The Ahwatukee Foothills area must have a giant dream catcher hanging over this community!

This cozy area has all the warmth and charm of a small town blessed by the amenities of a big city just over the hill. There is a mix of folks in both people and housing, as well as many places for visitors and neighbors to come together and enjoy the Arizona outdoors. Because our economy is job-based, the sunshine and great weather aren't the only reasons people are attracted to this area. Ahwatukee is one of the fastest growing communities in the valley. Today, the population exceeds 70,000 and development plans anticipate an eventual population of around 120,000. In fact, the area has been growing so rapidly that in recent years a new school has opened each year to accommodate our new neighbors. The residents of Ahwatukee have the highest income per household in the valley.

About the Ahwatukee Foothills ...

The Ahwatukee Foothills area is 15 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport and exciting downtown Phoenix, featuring our latest sports venue, Bank One Ball Park, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and America West Arena, home of the Suns basketball team. Our growing technologies presence include Motorola, Intel, Allied-Signal, MicroAge, Insight, nearby McDonnell Douglas and many others.

The Foothills is distinguished by its scenic desert-mountain landscape offering more than 40 miles of recreational trails. Golf is also a major attraction for both winter visitors and those that live here year around. We feature some of the world's finest golf courses offering lush fairways and the opportunity to test one's abilities to the fullest. As you can well imagine, Ahwatukee has so much to offer!

As you drive around The Foothills, Mountain Park Ranch, and Club West areas, it's hard to imagine that as recently as 15 years ago, absolutely none of it was there. The nearly 7,000 acres which encompasses these areas are bordered on the east by Interstate 10, on the west by state-owned land, on the south by the Gila River Indian reservation and on the north by South Mountain Park, the largest city park in the United States.