Moving to New River, AZ: Homes, Land and Living Guide

New River is a rural, unincorporated community in Maricopa County along I-17, just north of Phoenix and next to Anthem, with Cave Creek to the east and the Tonto National Forest to the north. New River AZ homes for sale are mostly custom homes, manufactured homes and horse property on an acre or more, many with no HOA, wells and septic.

I'm Terry Day with DeLex Realty. New River draws buyers who want room, quiet and mountain views but still want to reach north Phoenix by freeway. Rural living here is different from a master-planned community, from how you get water to who grades your road, so this guide covers the good parts and the homework.

See New River AZ homes for sale Call Terry: 602-483-4665

Where New River is

New River stretches along I-17 north of the Phoenix city limits. According to the Census Bureau, the New River census-designated place covers about 56 square miles and takes in Desert Hills. Anthem and Phoenix are to the west and south, Cave Creek is to the east, and the Tonto National Forest is to the north. The elevation is a little over 2,100 feet, so it is a bit higher than central Phoenix.

The freeway exits that serve the area are Carefree Highway/SR 74 (exit 223), Daisy Mountain Drive (227), Anthem Way (229), New River Road (232) and Table Mesa Road (236). Black Canyon City is the next stop to the north.

A short history

New River started as a stagecoach stop in 1868 on the slope of Gavilan Peak, on the road between Phoenix and Prescott. The community is named after the New River, a seasonal wash that drains into the Agua Fria River. Ranching shaped the area for decades, and for years the paved Black Canyon Highway, now I-17, ended at New River, with a dirt road going on north. A few historic buildings remain, including the 1930s service station listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Areas and neighborhoods

• New River proper, around New River Road and the I-17 exits, with acreage, ranch homes and views of Daisy Mountain and Gavilan Peak.
• Desert Hills, the southern part of the census area toward Carefree Highway, with custom homes on larger lots.
• Next door: the master-planned community of Anthem to the west, Tramonto to the south, and Cave Creek to the east.

Types of homes and land

Most of New River is rural zoning, so lot sizes are big. Under the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance, Rural-43 means at least 1 acre per home, Rural-70 about 1.6 acres, and Rural-190 about 4.4 acres. You will find custom site-built homes, manufactured homes on acreage, horse property with barns and arenas, homes with shops and RV parking, and raw land. Many properties have no HOA, which gives you more freedom and also means you handle more yourself. See more horse property in Arizona and Cave Creek horse properties. For a closer look at acre-plus lots, wells, septic and lot splits, see New River homes on 1+ acre.

Water, septic and roads

This is the part I go over with every New River buyer.

• Wells. Many homes have a private or shared well. The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) calls most home wells "exempt" wells, with a pump of 35 gallons per minute or less, and a new owner has to update the well registration. Shared-well agreements are private contracts that ADWR does not enforce, so read them closely.
• Hauled water. ADWR has written that New River and Desert Hills sit at or near the edge of the regional aquifer, where shallow bedrock limits how much some wells produce, and some homes rely on hauled water stored in a tank. Ask how a home gets its water and test the well's flow and quality.
• Septic. Under state rules administered in Maricopa County, a septic system must be inspected within six months before a sale, and the buyer files a Notice of Transfer within 15 calendar days after closing.
• Private dirt roads. The county only maintains roads that are part of the county system. Many New River roads are private, and the owners along them handle grading and repairs.

Things to do

• Lake Pleasant Regional Park, more than 23,000 acres, reached from Carefree Highway (exit 223B), for boating, fishing and camping.
• Table Mesa Recreation Area, Bureau of Land Management land west of I-17 between New River and Black Canyon City, popular for off-highway driving and camping.
• Agua Fria National Monument, 70,900 acres of BLM land to the north.
• The Maricopa Trail, with the Spear S Ranch Trailhead on New River Road linking toward Cave Creek Regional Park and Spur Cross.
• Daisy Mountain, State Trust land with trails (a State Land recreation permit is required).

Schools

New River is served by Deer Valley Unified School District. New River Elementary School on the Black Canyon Highway serves preschool through 6th grade, and other district schools nearby include Gavilan Peak School, Canyon Springs STEM Academy, Diamond Canyon School and Boulder Creek High School in Anthem. School assignment depends on the address, so confirm boundaries with the district. See my Deer Valley Unified homes page and Boulder Creek High School page.

Getting around, jobs and services

I-17 is the main route south into Phoenix. The north Phoenix job centers are a short drive, including the Norterra area where USAA has a large campus, the Deer Valley employers near I-17 and Loop 101 (see my Deer Valley guide), and the TSMC chip plant near I-17 and Loop 303. Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical runs stations in New River, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office patrols the unincorporated area. The county's North Valley Regional Library is moving to a new building in Anthem.

Buying in New River

• Ask how the home gets water: private well, shared well or hauled water.
• Get the well record, a flow test and a water quality test.
• Read the septic inspection report and check permits for barns, shops and additions.
• Drive the road in, and ask who maintains it.
• Pull the parcel's zoning and flood zone if you plan to add animals or buildings.
• Ask me about homes that may have an assumable FHA or VA loan (see my assumable mortgage homes page), and start with first steps to buying a home in Arizona.

Selling in New River

Rural buyers want records. Before we list, I help sellers gather the well registration and any shared-well agreement, water hauling details if any, the septic inspection, and permits for outbuildings. My guide on how to price your Arizona home to sell walks through pricing acreage.

Questions buyers ask

Is New River part of Phoenix?
No, New River is an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, so the county handles zoning and roads. Some addresses use a Phoenix mailing address and ZIP code 85086, while most use New River 85087.

Do New River homes have city water?
Most New River homes use a private well, a shared well or hauled water instead of city water. Ask how each home gets water and test it before you buy.

What school district serves New River?
New River is served by Deer Valley Unified School District, including New River Elementary School. Confirm the assigned schools for any address with the district.

How far is New River from Phoenix?
New River sits along I-17 just north of the Phoenix city limits, so north Phoenix job centers like Norterra are a short freeway drive. Downtown Phoenix takes longer, so time the drive at your commute hour.

New River listings

All New River homes for sale · Anthem · Cave Creek guide · Phoenix guide

Area details come from public sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, Maricopa County, ADWR and Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical, and they can change. Confirm water source, zoning, road maintenance and school assignment for a specific property before you buy.