Scottsdale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. Scottsdale has become internationally recognized as a premiere and posh tourist destination, while maintaining its own identity and culture as "The West's Most Western Town."

The tourism industry is Scottsdale's primary employer, accounting for 39% of the city's workforce. In 2005, 7.5 million visitors stayed in the city, providing an economic impact of $3.1 billion. The city is home to more than 70 resorts and hotels, with four of them listed as AAA Five-Diamond hotels in 2005 (The Phoenician, Scottsdale Camelback Inn, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, and the Fairmont Princess Resort and Spa). Scottsdale also boasts the highest number of resort spas per capita of any city in the U.S, earning the city a national recognition as an ideal destination for relaxation. The city's year-round warm weather is a great factor in its appeal, as many tourists from the midwest (known locally as "snowbirds") flood the community during the winter season, and many also purchase second homes in the area.

Several popular restaurant chains are also headquartered in Scottsdale, including Cold Stone Creamery, Peter Piper Pizza, Kona Grill, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro. Movie theater chain Harkins Theatres is also based in Scottsdale.

The city is also home to several technology firms, such as Motorola Research and Development and Medical Operations, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Taser International, and internet company Go Daddy. Mayo Clinic also has one of its three major locations in Scottsdale, as well as a hospital.

The aviation industry has also grown in Scottsdale, with the Scottsdale Airport, which opened in the 1960s. By 2004, the airpark area around the airport employed nearly 50,000 people, and housed 2,200 businesses with a combined economic impact of $3 billion annually.

Scottsdale is widely known for its affluent culture and high society. The city boasts many luxury restaurants, bars, nightclubs, golf courses, art galleries, and other cultural diversions.

Scottsdale is home to more than 125 art galleries. The city has quickly become a center for art in the United States. Its galleries are most famous for western and Native American themed art.



Information courtesy of US Census Bureau and wikipedia.org