Fountain Hills, AZ: The Story of the Fountain and Life Around It

Fountain Hills, Arizona is a hillside town just east of Scottsdale that grew up around one landmark: a fountain built in 1970 that can shoot water 560 feet into the air. Today it is a town of about 24,000 people, known for its mountain views, its walkable downtown on Avenue of the Fountains and its dark night skies.

When I bring buyers out to Fountain Hills for the first time, almost everyone asks the same thing as we drive down Saguaro Boulevard: "When does the fountain go off?" So let me start there, and then tell you what the rest of the town is like once the water comes down.

A Fountain Built to Sell a Town

Before 1970, the land that became Fountain Hills was ranch country. In the late 1960s, Robert McCulloch, the same businessman who later moved the London Bridge to Lake Havasu City, bought the property and set out to build a new community. According to the Town of Fountain Hills, the town plan was designed by Charles Wood Jr., who was also the designer behind Disneyland in California.

McCulloch needed a way to get people to drive out into the desert and look at lots. His answer was the fountain. It went in during 1970, a year before the London Bridge was rebuilt in Lake Havasu, and the town says it was the tallest fountain in the world when it was built and held that title for more than a decade. It is still the tallest fountain in the United States, per the town.

A few numbers that people love to hear on a tour, all from the town's own description:

• Three 600-horsepower turbine pumps push about 7,000 gallons a minute through an 18-inch nozzle.
• With all three pumps running in calm air, the plume reaches about 560 feet. On a normal day it runs on two pumps and reaches roughly 300 feet.
• The water rises from a concrete water lily sculpture in the middle of Fountain Lake, a man-made lake filled with reclaimed water from the Fountain Hills Sanitary District. That same water also irrigates the parks and golf courses.

When to See the Fountain

The fountain runs for about 15 minutes at the top of every hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., every day, according to the town's visitor bureau, Experience Fountain Hills. If the wind in the park is above about 10 miles per hour, the pump may shut off on its own, so a calm morning is your best bet.

The fountain also dresses up for the holidays. It turns emerald green for St. Patrick's Day, and it glows red, white and blue for the town's Fourth of July fireworks. My tip: grab a coffee downtown, walk over to Fountain Park a few minutes before the hour, and find a spot on the grass facing the lake.

Avenue of the Fountains and the Fall Art Fair

Downtown Fountain Hills runs along Avenue of the Fountains, a short, walkable street lined with restaurants, shops and public art. Twice a year it fills with white tents for the Fountain Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts, put on by the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce.

The fall show this year is November 13 to 15, 2026, at Avenue of the Fountains and Saguaro Boulevard. The Chamber lists hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine, with free admission and more than 400 juried artists. The spring show is set for February 26 to 28, 2027. If you are visiting the Valley this fall and want to get a feel for the town, that weekend is a fun time to come.

Dark Skies and a New Observatory

Fountain Hills is an International Dark Sky Community, which means the town has worked to keep outdoor lighting low and the night sky visible. Board members of the local dark sky nonprofit have said that designation took about three years of work.

The next big step is the International Dark Sky Discovery Center, a building of more than 20,000 square feet with a domed observatory, a planetarium and an exhibit hall. Its organizers say the observatory holds a 27.5-inch telescope billed as the largest in the Greater Phoenix area. As of a July 2026 report, construction was expected to wrap up around the end of this year, with a public opening aimed for early 2027. I'll be watching for the official date.

Mountains on Every Side

Geography is a big part of daily life here. The town sits on about 24 square miles, with McDowell Mountain Regional Park along its north edge and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation to the east. The town lists its elevation at about 1,520 feet at the fountain and up to 3,000 feet in the higher hillside areas, and says it sits roughly 500 feet above Phoenix. That higher ground is why so many Fountain Hills homes come with mountain, desert or city-light views.

The homes themselves range from condos and patio homes near downtown to custom homes on hillside lots. If you want the bigger-picture guide, with highlights and buying tips, read my Moving to Fountain Hills, AZ guide, or browse homes for sale in Fountain Hills. Comparing it with its next-door neighbor? Here is my Scottsdale relocation guide.

Questions People Ask

How often does the Fountain Hills fountain go off?
The fountain runs for about 15 minutes at the top of each hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Strong wind can shut it off automatically.

How tall is the fountain in Fountain Hills, AZ?
It can reach about 560 feet with all three pumps running in calm conditions. On a typical day it runs on two pumps and reaches around 300 feet.

Who built Fountain Hills?
Fountain Hills was developed by Robert McCulloch's company, McCulloch Properties (now MCO Properties), starting in 1970. The town incorporated in 1989.

How far is Fountain Hills from Scottsdale?
Fountain Hills sits right next to Scottsdale, on the east side of the McDowell Mountains. Drive time depends on where in Scottsdale you start, so it is worth timing your own commute route before you buy.

New to the Valley? My post on your first steps to buying a home in Arizona is a good place to start.

Terry Day, REALTOR®, DeLex Realty, 10115 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.