San Tan Valley

San Tan Valley Overview

San Tan Valley, a newer East Valley suburb straddles Queen Creek and Pinal County. Just south of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, the neighborhood is home to large older farms and a growing number of new affordable subdivisions. The expanding Hunt Highway begins here. San Tan Mountain Regional Park is a draw for this area. This is the gateway to the growing area between metro Phoenix and Tucson. And there’s plenty of land for future development, including planned job corridors.

Transportation

The Hunt Highway is this area’s main drag. Other major Valley freeways surround it

Explore the 3 areas of San Tan Valley

Queen Creek: 85142/85144

Queen Creek is home to most of San Tan Mountain Regional Park. The Hunt Highway starts in the middle. Chandler Height is one of the area’s bigger communities. Home prices are higher here than other parts of this neighborhood. Look for popular Schnepf Farms.

San Tan Valley North: 85140

San Tan Valley North is home to the upscale retirement community Encanterra Country Club as well as a few other golf course developments. Several new communities are underway or planned for this growing area.

San Tan Valley South: 85143

San Tan Valley South has this neighborhood’s most affordable areas. Look for Johnson Ranch, the community that launched the San Tan Valley area’s growth south. Skyline Ranch is another large community in the area, east of the San Tan Mountains. The Copper Basin development is in the middle.

Housing

Big, affordable new homes and farms make up most of this growing southeastern Valley suburb. Most of the area’s housing was built during the past 15 years. Homes are typically stucco and have two stories. Large garages are common. There’s a lot of land available for future development here.

The Market

The San Tan Valley area is a growing suburb on the southeastern edge of metro Phoenix.
Homes are more affordable here than most other parts of the East Valley, which this neighborhood has extended into Pinal County.
The Queen Creek area has this neighborhood’s highest priced homes. The typical home here costs around $300,000.

Home prices are $50,000 to $100,000 less in San Tan Valley North and South. Houses in these areas are typically smaller than in Queen Creek.
New home subdivisions are plentiful here.
San Tan Valley North and South were hit hard by the housing boom and bust. Many of the foreclosure homes were bought by investors and turned into rentals.
The San Tan Valley area attracts families, retirees and investors.

Living here

Expect a suburban lifestyle with a rural feel. A large desert mountain preserve is in the middle of this area. There’s plenty of land for future development in this neighborhood. Most houses here were built during the past 15 years and drew buyers with their affordable prices. There are still working farms in this neighborhood. Popular pumpkin, peach and olive festivals draw many visitors. The expansion of the Hunt Highway has made this area more accessible. But traffic can still be jammed during peak workday times.

Things to do in Queen Creek: 85142

Main attractions

There are plenty of sporty and outdoor activities in Queen Creek, from hiking and biking at San Tan Mountain Regional Park to golfing at Los Colinas Golf Club. In the need for target practice? Look for the areas’ shooting ranges. Schnepf Farms brings pumpkin and peach festivals. Proximity to major valley freeways makes many East Valley attractions easily accessible, including Superstition Springs Shopping Center and Chandler Fashion Center.

Out on the town

Local agriculture gets a boost at Queen Creek Olive Mill, with over 100 acres of farmland dedicated to the making of homegrown Arizona olive oil. A gourmet marketplace features products from other local vendors, and weekends kick back with live music and wine tastings. Get cultured at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center, which hosts everything from theatrical productions and musicians to circus performers.

Outside

San Tan Mountain Regional Park, with more than 10,000 acres of high desert, sits amid these neighborhoods. There are more than 22 miles of maintained trails ranging from easy to difficult for hiking and mountain biking. The park plays host to numerous trail-running events. Park staff organize year-round events, from mountain-biking classes to night hikes. Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park is only about a half hour away near Superior.

Things to do in San Tan Valley North: 85140

Main attractions

San Tan Mountain Regional Park is not only scenic, but offers plenty of outdoor adventures, nature events and education seminars. Golf friends can play a round at one of the area’s many public or private golf courses, including Encanterra Country Club, Las Colinas Golf Club and Golf Club at Johnson Ranch.

Out on the town

You won’t go hungry in this neighborhood, and better still, your food dollars will boost the local economy. The Prok Shop serves up some of the Valley’s finest pork products in every conceivable cut and flavor. Queen Creek Olive Mill is nearby and home to over 100 acres of farmland. A gourmet marketplace features homegrown olive oil and products from other local vendors, and weekends kick back with live music and wine tastings.

Outside

Things to do in San Tan Valley South: 85143

Main attractions

One benefit of being this far out on the fringes of the Valley is being that much closer to big annual events. Close by are the grounds for the Arizona Renaissance Festival, which rolls through every February and March. Jousters, jesters, fairies and hundreds of artisans displaying handmade wares can be found there. Also close is the venue for the Country Thunder USA, a weekend-long music festival that brings in some of the biggest names in country music. In the meantime, golfers can play a round at one of the area’s many public or private golf courses, including Encanterra Country Club, Las Colinas Golf Club and Golf Club at Johnson Ranch.

Out on the town

San Tan Mountain Regional Park is not only scenic, but offers plenty of outdoor adventures, nature events and education seminars. Fill up before or after on local fare. Try fine corn-fed pork products at the Pork Shop. Or go for homegrown nibbles at Queen Creek Olive Mill, which offers live music and wine tastings on the weekends.

Outside

Who lives here

With the biggest share of new houses in the Valley, the San Tan Valley area uniquely mixes racial diversity and above-average incomes with relatively average educational attainment. The economic numbers are skewed upward by the Queen Creek neighborhood (85142); other parts of the newer San Tan Valley-area neighborhoods (85140 and 85143) are more average.

5 things to know about San Tan Valley and Queen Creek

It’s closer to central Phoenix than most people think: Queen Creek is a 35-minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. San Tan Valley North and South are about 45 minutes from the Phoenix airport.
It’s not that small: Queen Creek has a population of nearly 34,000. And the rest of the San Tan Valley area is home to another 81,000 people.
Its municipal services are a bit limited: Queen Creek does not have its own police department, instead relying on the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. In the San Tan Valley area, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office acts as the area’s police agency. Queen Creek outsources library operations to Maricopa County, which runs one local branch.
It mostly relies on a private utility for water: San Tan Valley North and South must use Johnson Utilities for water and sewer services. The company has been the target of numerous citations from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
It has plans for growth: Queen Creek’s general plan, approved by voters in 2008, includes policies devoted to strengthening and diversifying the area’s economy. The San Tan Valley area is part of Pinal County, which has an extensive growth plan to draw more jobs, including at the huge tract of state-owned land nearby called Superstition Vistas.