Tempe: College Town at the Center of the Valley
Arizona State University defines Tempe more than any other single institution. The main campus covers roughly 660 acres between Mill Avenue and Rural Road, and the university's enrollment of over 70,000 students makes it one of the largest in the country. Mill Avenue, the city's main commercial strip, runs south from the campus toward Tempe Town Lake, a two-mile reservoir created by damming the normally dry Salt River bed. On football Saturdays in the fall, the area around Sun Devil Stadium fills with tailgaters and foot traffic that temporarily transforms the city's atmosphere.
Tempe's population sits around 176,000, but the daytime count swells considerably with students, commuters, and visitors. The city is geographically small compared to its neighbors, boxed in by Phoenix to the north and west, Scottsdale to the northeast, Mesa to the east, and Chandler to the south. This density gives Tempe an urban feel unusual for the Phoenix metro. The light rail runs through the middle of town along Apache Boulevard and University Drive, connecting Tempe to downtown Phoenix and Mesa.
Before ASU dominated the economy, Tempe was a farming community and flour milling center. Hayden Flour Mill, a partially restored industrial building on the north bank of Tempe Town Lake, dates to 1918 and is the most visible remnant of that era. The Tempe Center for the Arts, opened in 2007 on the south shore of the lake, hosts theater, gallery shows, and community events.
Show more
Arizona State University defines Tempe more than any other single institution. The main campus covers roughly 660 acres between Mill Avenue and Rural Road, and the university's enrollment of over 70,000 students makes it one of the largest in the country. Mill Avenue, the city's main commercial strip, runs south from the campus toward Tempe Town Lake, a two-mile reservoir created by damming the normally dry Salt River bed. On football Saturdays in the fall, the area around Sun Devil Stadium fills with tailgaters and foot traffic that temporarily transforms the city's atmosphere.
Tempe's population sits around 176,000, but the daytime count swells considerably with students, commuters, and visitors. The city is geographically small compared to its neighbors, boxed in by Phoenix to the north and west, Scottsdale to the northeast, Mesa to the east, and Chandler to the south. This density gives Tempe an urban feel unusual for the Phoenix metro. The light rail runs through the middle of town along Apache Boulevard and University Drive, connecting Tempe to downtown Phoenix and Mesa.
Before ASU dominated the economy, Tempe was a farming community and flour milling center. Hayden Flour Mill, a partially restored industrial building on the north bank of Tempe Town Lake, dates to 1918 and is the most visible remnant of that era. The Tempe Center for the Arts, opened in 2007 on the south shore of the lake, hosts theater, gallery shows, and community events.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
