Kierland stands as one of North Scottsdale’s most coveted master-planned communities, widely regarded as the gold standard for mixed-use residential development in the entire Valley of the Sun. Spanning approximately 435 acres at the strategic junction of Phoenix and Scottsdale along the Scottsdale Road corridor, the community is bounded by Loop 101 to the north, Shea Boulevard to the south, 56th Street to the west, and Scottsdale Road to the east — a location that places residents within walking distance of world-class shopping, a championship golf club, and a five-star resort. Development began in the early 1990s when Woodbine Development Corporation acquired the land from the Herberger family and secured master plan approval in 1991, making it the largest rezoning case in Phoenix’s history at the time.
As an Associate Broker with West USA Realty, I’ve had the privilege of guiding countless families and professionals through one of Arizona’s most distinctive communities. Kierland homes for sale attract buyers who want the energy of a vibrant lifestyle center without sacrificing the serenity of a well-planned neighborhood. Single-family residences, townhomes, luxury lofts, and high-rise condominiums coexist here in a density that feels purposeful rather than crowded. From the fairways of the Westin Kierland Golf Club to the boutiques of Kierland Commons, every detail of this community reinforces the promise of resort-caliber living as a daily reality.
Kierland‘s residential fabric is woven from several distinct product lines, each developed by a builder with a specific buyer profile in mind.
UDC Homes built the majority of the community’s single-family residences between 1995 and 1998, producing roughly 410 homes that range from approximately 1,600 to 3,500 square feet. Both single-level and two-story floor plans are represented; more than half are two-story. These homes sit on lots typically under a quarter acre and benefit from mature landscaping that gives the streetscape a settled, established character unusual in Scottsdale’s newer suburbs. The architectural vocabulary blends contemporary desert design with Mediterranean influences — clay tile rooflines, stucco exteriors, and interior courtyards that channel the Sonoran light.
Two townhome enclaves bookend the single-family core. Kierland Heritage, built by Cachet Homes between 1997 and 1999, offers one- and two-story townhomes ranging from approximately 1,600 to 2,400 square feet. Many units back directly onto the Kierland Golf Club, giving residents the visual luxury of fairway views without the maintenance demands of a standalone estate. Kierland Greens, developed by Centex Homes between 1998 and 2000, offers approximately 210 apartment-style townhome units ranging from 1,100 to 2,200 square feet — an entry point into the community that has consistently attracted young professionals and lock-and-leave buyers.
At the luxury end of the spectrum, The Plaza Lofts at Kierland — two contemporary loft buildings constructed between 2005 and 2008, ranging from 1,100 to 3,900 square feet — sit directly above Kierland Commons, offering residents an almost unparalleled live-work-shop integration. The newest addition is Optima Kierland, a collection of high-rise condominium and apartment towers developed by Optima Inc. on the northeast corner of Kierland Commons. The completed project totals 579 apartment units across multiple towers, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, gourmet kitchens, spa-quality bathrooms, and resort-caliber amenity decks. The Landmark Condominiums round out the vertical residential options, adding concierge services and a heated lap pool to the mix. Taken together, Kierland homes for sale represent one of the broadest housing typologies of any North Scottsdale community — from modest two-bedroom townhomes to penthouse condominiums overlooking a lifestyle center.
At the physical and experiential heart of the community sits The Westin Kierland Golf Club, a 27-hole championship facility managed by Troon Golf and designed by acclaimed course architect Scott Miller. Three distinct nine-hole courses — Acacia, Mesquite, and Ironwood, each named for native desert trees — allow players to assemble a custom 18-hole routing from any combination of nines. Total combined yardage exceeds 10,400 yards across all three loops, with the Ironwood nine stretching to 3,539 yards from the back tees. The club holds recognition from Golf Advisor as one of the top public courses in the Phoenix-Scottsdale market and has been certified by Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for its ecologically sound land management practices. A fully stocked golf shop, practice range, and performance training center complete the facility. Residents of Kierland Greens and Kierland Heritage enjoy the unusual perk of fairway-adjacent living without private-club price tags.
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, which opened in 2002, serves as the community’s social anchor and lifestyle centerpiece. Designed around the theme “The Essence of Arizona,” the resort features Agave, The Arizona Spa & Salon, which draws on healing traditions from the state’s native cultures. A resort water park, multiple pools, and expansive event lawns make it a gathering point for residents and visitors alike. Having this caliber of resort as a neighbor — rather than a destination — distinguishes Kierland from virtually every other master-planned community in the Valley.
Minutes from Kierland, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve encompasses over 30,000 acres of permanently protected Sonoran Desert habitat and more than 225 miles of interconnected multi-use trails, making it the largest urban preserve in the United States. For residents seeking a morning hike before office hours, the Gateway Trailhead off North Thompson Peak Parkway is the most accessible entry point. Top trails include:
The McDowell Mountain Regional Park, managed by Maricopa County Parks & Recreation, provides additional camping, equestrian, and trail-running opportunities to the north and east.
Kierland is served by the Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), one of the largest and most consistently high-performing districts in Arizona. The neighborhood’s feeder elementary is Sandpiper Elementary School, located within easy walking distance of the UDC single-family homes at the intersection of approximately 64th Street and Greenway. Sandpiper is distinguished by its dual-language Spanish immersion program, offering instruction in both English and Spanish from kindergarten through sixth grade — a feature that sets it apart from most PVUSD elementaries and adds meaningful long-term value for families who prioritize multilingual development. In the 2024–2025 school year, Sandpiper’s sixth-grade students scored 78% proficient or better in ELA, significantly outpacing the district average of 57% and the state average of 41%. The school holds an A rating from the Arizona Department of Education and ranks in the top quarter of all elementary schools statewide.
Students advance to Desert Shadows Middle School at 5858 East Sweetwater Avenue, which serves grades 7 and 8 within PVUSD. Desert Shadows offers a broad slate of academic and extracurricular programs, with strong performance metrics that reflect the district’s rigorous academic culture. The pathway concludes at Horizon High School — home of the Huskies — at 5601 East Greenway Road. Horizon High earned the 2021 Arizona 6A Football State Championship and the school’s women’s volleyball program has captured four consecutive 5A State Championships from 2021 through 2024, giving the school a competitive athletics profile that matches its academic one. Career and Technical Education tracks in marketing, graphic design, and photography provide workforce-ready pathways alongside the traditional college-prep curriculum. The school’s enrollment of approximately 1,863 students creates a campus large enough to offer comprehensive programming but small enough to maintain meaningful community.
For families considering private or charter alternatives, the Kierland location provides relatively convenient access to several well-regarded independent schools in the broader North Scottsdale corridor.
Kierland‘s most defining lifestyle asset may be its walkable proximity to Kierland Commons, Arizona’s original outdoor lifestyle center and the community’s commercial namesake. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, Kierland Commons is home to more than 80 specialty retailers and restaurants on a pedestrian-friendly streetscape that routinely tops “best outdoor shopping” rankings for the metro area. The fashion lineup includes Anthropologie, Athleta, Madewell, ALO Yoga, Vuori, and exclusive-to-Arizona brands such as Malbon Golf, Mizzen+Main, Chanel Fragrance & Beauty Boutique, and Wilson Sporting Goods — the last three all arriving in 2024 as Arizona market debuts. The 2025 class of new arrivals adds Aritzia, Mejuri, La La Land Kind Café, Paradise Grills, and Saatva, confirming that Kierland Commons continues to attract first-to-market brands rather than resting on legacy tenants.
Dining at Kierland Commons is an event in itself. Mastro’s Ocean Club — consistently an OpenTable Diners’ Choice winner — anchors the fine-dining tier with its signature seafood towers and prime cuts. Morton’s The Steakhouse brings classic steakhouse gravitas, while North Italia satisfies the pasta crowd and Zinc Bistro channels a Parisian brasserie on a sun-drenched patio. Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar and Postino Winecafé complete a dining portfolio that runs from casual weekend lunch to celebratory dinner.
Directly across Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Quarter extends the retail ecosystem with additional national and luxury tenants including Apple, Urban Outfitters, and American Girl, while a dedicated entertainment district hosts concerts and community events throughout the year. Less than a mile north, Scottsdale Promenade adds Nordstrom Rack, ULTA Beauty, and Home Depot to the convenience roster. Scottsdale Fashion Square — among the largest shopping malls in the Southwest — is approximately 15 minutes south along Scottsdale Road, providing department store anchors and a Luxury Wing for high-end needs not met by the walkable options.
HonorHealth Medical Group – Kierland operates a primary care practice at 16100 N. 71st Street, just east of Scottsdale Road on Greenway Parkway — essentially a neighborhood medical office for Kierland residents. Mayo Clinic Hospital on Shea Boulevard and HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center are both within approximately 6 to 7 miles, placing tertiary and emergency care within a 10–15 minute drive under normal traffic conditions.
Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) provides direct northern and western access, connecting Kierland to the entire SR-51 (Piestewa Freeway) corridor and, by extension, to downtown Phoenix in approximately 25 minutes under typical conditions. Scottsdale Road functions as the community’s commercial spine, running north–south with direct surface access to Old Town Scottsdale in about 15 minutes. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is approximately 25 minutes south via the 101 to SR-51. For frequent flyers, Scottsdale Airport (SDL) is barely two minutes from the community gates, offering private aviation convenience that few neighborhoods in the Valley can match. Valley Metro bus service operates along Scottsdale Road for carless commutes, and the community’s internal walkability is exceptional by Phoenix metro standards — most daily errands can be completed on foot or bicycle without touching a car.
Kierland is more than a real estate transaction — it is an investment in a lifestyle that the majority of the Phoenix metro can only observe from a distance. Kierland homes for sale represent an opportunity to live within a thoughtfully designed community where the golf course, the spa, and the farmer’s market are not amenities you visit occasionally but textures of daily life. Whether you are drawn to the mature landscaping of a UDC Homes single-family residence, the lock-and-leave simplicity of a Kierland Heritage townhome, or the sky-high sophistication of an Optima Kierland high-rise, the options here reward buyers who know what they want.
As your dedicated broker with West USA Realty, my goal is to make sure you understand not just the list price but the full value proposition — the HOA structure, the school boundary nuances, the resale trajectory, and the lifestyle calculus — before you make one of the most significant decisions of your life. With Kierland real estate, the numbers tend to take care of themselves; the community’s location, walkability, and brand equity have supported steady appreciation across multiple market cycles.
Ready to explore Kierland houses for sale and find your perfect North Scottsdale home? Contact Carl Chapman at (602) 518-4440.
Kierland homes for sale span a broad price spectrum that reflects the community’s diverse housing typology. Single-family homes built by UDC Homes — typically 1,600 to 3,500 square feet on sub-quarter-acre lots — have transacted in the range of approximately $850,000 to over $1.8 million depending on condition, renovation level, and golf course proximity. Townhomes in Kierland Greens and Kierland Heritage generally range from the upper $400,000s to the mid-$800,000s. Luxury condominiums at Optima Kierland and The Plaza Lofts extend the ceiling well above $1 million for larger, higher-floor units. With North Scottsdale’s broader single-family price per square foot trending in the $450–$500 range through 2024–2025, Kierland’s established address commands a premium over comparable builds in newer master-planned communities farther north. Days on market have hovered in the 45–80 day range for well-priced listings, with premium or overpriced properties sitting somewhat longer in a market that rewards accurate initial pricing. Appreciation has been consistent across the community’s three-decade history, supported by the permanent commercial infrastructure of Kierland Commons and the institutional pull of the Westin resort.
The Paradise Valley Unified School District serves Kierland through a feeder pipeline that is among the most complete in North Scottsdale. Sandpiper Elementary School holds an A rating from the Arizona Department of Education and operates a Spanish-English dual immersion program from kindergarten through sixth grade — the only such program of its kind within walking distance of the community’s single-family homes. Sixth-grade ELA proficiency at Sandpiper reached 78% in 2024–2025, versus a district average of 57% and a state average of 41%. Desert Shadows Middle School maintains strong academic performance metrics within a PVUSD system that allocates approximately $9,600 per pupil annually. Horizon High School — the feeder high school — pairs a rigorous college-prep curriculum with Career and Technical Education pathways in marketing, graphic design, and photography, while its athletic program has won state championships in football and four consecutive girls’ volleyball titles. Supplemental education resources, tutoring centers, and private enrichment programs are abundant along the Scottsdale Road commercial corridor for families seeking additional academic support.
Kierland‘s amenity roster begins with the Westin Kierland Golf Club, 27 holes of Troon Golf–managed championship golf across the Acacia, Mesquite, and Ironwood nines. The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa places a world-class pool complex, resort water park, and Agave Spa & Salon within walking distance of every residence in the community. Internal parks are distributed throughout the UDC single-family neighborhoods, providing green gathering space with mature desert landscaping between the home clusters. Walkable connectivity is the community’s signature amenity: residents can reach Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter on foot, eliminating the car dependency that defines most Phoenix-area suburbs. Outdoor fitness trails and bicycle paths thread through the interior of the neighborhood, supplemented by nearby access to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve trail network approximately five miles to the northeast. The presence of private fitness studios, yoga facilities, and wellness providers within Kierland Commons and its surroundings means that residents rarely need to leave the immediate area to maintain an active lifestyle.
Few communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area can claim the retail and dining density that surrounds Kierland. Kierland Commons — a 25-year-old lifestyle center with over 80 tenants — sits at the neighborhood’s edge, with fine dining at Mastro’s Ocean Club, Morton’s The Steakhouse, North Italia, and Zinc Bistro all within a five-minute walk. Scottsdale Quarter across Scottsdale Road adds entertainment programming, live events, and additional retail anchors including Apple and Urban Outfitters. Scottsdale Promenade within a mile to the north provides everyday conveniences: Nordstrom Rack, ULTA Beauty, and Home Depot. Scottsdale Fashion Square, one of the largest enclosed malls in the Southwest with its dedicated Luxury Wing, is approximately 15 minutes south. The OdySea Aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland, and WestWorld of Scottsdale — which hosts the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open — all lie within a 10–15 minute drive, ensuring that residents have access to signature Valley events and family entertainment without long commutes.
Kierland occupies one of the most freeway-advantaged positions of any North Scottsdale neighborhood. Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) runs along the community’s northern edge, providing immediate access east toward the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) interchange and west toward the I-17 (Black Canyon Freeway) junction. SR-51 (Piestewa Freeway) is accessible within minutes southbound on Scottsdale Road, connecting Kierland to midtown and downtown Phoenix in approximately 20–25 minutes under normal conditions. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a 25-minute drive via SR-51 south to I-10. Residents with private aviation needs will find Scottsdale Airport (SDL) — one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States — barely two minutes away, a convenience that is nearly unique among established residential neighborhoods in the Valley. Valley Metro bus service operates along Scottsdale Road, and the neighborhood’s internal walkability significantly reduces vehicle trip counts for daily errands compared to typical Phoenix suburbs.
Kierland benefits from the overlapping service jurisdictions of both the City of Scottsdale Police Department and the City of Phoenix Police Department, given the community’s location directly on the municipal boundary. Scottsdale consistently ranks among the safest large cities in Arizona, with crime rates well below national averages for communities of comparable size and density. Several residential enclaves within the broader Kierland area feature gated access, and the commercial infrastructure of Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter contributes active-street presence that naturally deters opportunistic crime. HOA architectural standards maintain property condition across the community, indirectly supporting the environmental design principles that underpin neighborhood safety. Residents report a strong informal neighborhood watch culture, facilitated in part by the walkable character of the streets and the frequency of outdoor social activity generated by the adjacent resort and lifestyle center.
Kierland residents benefit from a layered and proximate healthcare ecosystem. HonorHealth Medical Group – Kierland Primary Care operates a family medicine practice at 16100 N. 71st Street, directly adjacent to the community on Greenway Parkway — offering same-day and next-day appointments for routine and urgent primary care. For higher-acuity needs, HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Hospital on East Shea Boulevard are both approximately 6–7 miles away, providing tertiary care and emergency services within a 10–15 minute drive. Banner Health facilities and multiple urgent care and specialty clinic clusters along the Scottsdale Road corridor fill in the outpatient specialty gap. The broader Scottsdale healthcare corridor — sometimes called the “Cure Corridor” — encompasses Mayo Clinic, HonorHealth, Banner Health, and CVS Health headquarters, making the area one of the most healthcare-infrastructure-dense zones in the entire southwestern United States and a significant employment engine for the region.
Kierland‘s outdoor lifestyle is anchored by the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the largest urban desert preserve in the United States at over 30,000 acres, accessible via the Gateway Trailhead approximately five miles northeast of the community. Hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners can choose from more than 225 miles of multi-use trails ranging from the easy, family-friendly Bajada Nature Trail to the demanding ascent of Tom’s Thumb. The Westin Kierland Golf Club‘s 27 holes provide year-round play on Troon-managed turf, and McDowell Mountain Regional Park to the northeast adds camping, equestrian, and additional trail options under Maricopa County management. The community’s internal walking and biking paths, combined with the pedestrian corridors of Kierland Commons, enable an active daily routine without leaving the immediate neighborhood. Phoenix’s climate — approximately 299 sunny days annually, mild winters, and a brief but dramatic monsoon season from July through September — supports outdoor recreation in every month of the calendar year, making the community’s proximity to preserved open space a four-season asset rather than a seasonal amenity.
Kierland‘s calendar is anchored by the programming cycles of its commercial neighbors. Kierland Commons stages seasonal events throughout the year — holiday lighting ceremonies, outdoor concerts, art installations, and the popular weekend Farmers’ and Artisan Market — that draw residents down from their homes and out of their units on a predictable, community-building rhythm. Scottsdale Quarter hosts a parallel slate of outdoor entertainment events, live music series, and fitness activations. The broader North Scottsdale corridor offers some of the most prestigious annual events in the Valley, including WestWorld of Scottsdale‘s Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in January, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show in February, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale — a short drive east — which typically draws the largest gallery attendance of any golf tournament worldwide. The HOA structure within the UDC single-family and townhome sub-communities supports community governance and facilitates neighborhood-level social activity, from block events to shared-space maintenance programs.
Kierland enjoys the Valley of the Sun’s signature desert climate: approximately 299 days of sunshine annually, mild winters with daytime temperatures in the 65°F–75°F range from November through February, and warm-to-hot summers peaking between 105°F and 115°F in July and August. Annual rainfall averages approximately 8 inches, with roughly half arriving during the dramatic monsoon season from July through mid-September — a period of afternoon and evening thunderstorms that temporarily transform the desert landscape and provide a spectacle that long-time residents anticipate each year. Kierland’s elevation of approximately 1,250 feet above sea level is consistent with the Phoenix basin floor and offers no significant microclimate variation. Homeowners benefit from the community’s mature tree canopy — an unusual asset for a 1990s-era Scottsdale neighborhood — which provides meaningful summer shading along walkways and reduces ambient temperatures on pedestrian-scaled streets. Energy-efficient construction features, including high-performance windows and insulation, are common in both the original UDC inventory and subsequent renovations.
Kierland‘s residential neighborhoods operate under HOA covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) that govern architectural modifications, landscaping standards, exterior paint colors, and parking. The master HOA coordinates community-wide infrastructure and common area maintenance, while sub-associations within Kierland Greens, Kierland Heritage, and the loft and condominium communities manage their respective shared amenities. Maricopa County’s zoning designations support the mixed-use character of the broader Kierland corridor, balancing high-density residential and commercial uses against the single-family residential core. The community sits in a low flood-risk zone with minimal exposure to the wash flooding that affects some North Scottsdale neighborhoods farther east. Building code compliance across the community’s 1995–2010 construction era aligns with Arizona’s energy efficiency and structural standards for desert construction. Residents considering exterior modifications should consult their specific sub-association’s architectural review committee before proceeding, as approval timelines and standards vary between the single-family, townhome, and vertical residential product lines.
Kierland‘s location at the intersection of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road places it within easy reach of several of the Valley’s most significant employment corridors. Scottsdale Airpark — one of the largest business parks in the United States, with approximately 50,000 employees — is essentially a neighbor, lying directly north of the community. Major employers in the Airpark and broader North Scottsdale corridor include Honeywell (aerospace and industrial automation headquarters), GoDaddy (digital services), Vanguard (asset management operations center), General Dynamics (defense and technology), and Axon Enterprise (public safety technology), among hundreds of smaller firms. Mayo Clinic and the broader HonorHealth system represent major healthcare employment anchors to the east and south. The healthcare sector, which employs over 42,000 workers in Scottsdale alone, continues to grow as a share of the regional employment base, providing meaningful job security for residents in medically adjacent careers. The result is a community whose residents can, in many cases, commute to major employers in five to fifteen minutes — a meaningful quality-of-life advantage in a metro area where many workers face 40-to-60-minute commutes.
Property taxes in Kierland follow the Maricopa County standard, with effective rates typically ranging from approximately 1.0% to 1.3% of assessed value annually — lower than many comparable markets nationally, though Arizona’s assessment ratio and limited-value calculation methodology require buyers to consult a tax professional for property-specific projections. HOA fees vary significantly by product type: single-family UDC homes carry comparatively modest master HOA assessments, while the high-rise and condominium communities — particularly Optima Kierland and The Plaza Lofts — carry higher monthly fees that reflect the cost of concierge services, shared amenity maintenance, and building reserves. Utility costs in the desert climate are dominated by summer cooling expenses; buyers should budget for meaningfully higher electricity bills from June through September relative to other parts of the country, though newer renovations with high-SEER HVAC systems can partially offset this. The community’s long-term price appreciation has historically compared favorably to the broader Scottsdale market, supported by irreplaceable location, permanent commercial infrastructure, and the institutional halo of the Westin brand. Buyers purchasing Kierland homes for sale should engage a lender familiar with the full HOA disclosure requirements for both master and sub-associations before finalizing financing.
Kierland straddles the municipal boundary between the City of Scottsdale and the City of Phoenix, with the majority of the residential core falling within Scottsdale’s jurisdiction. Scottsdale provides trash and recycling collection on a weekly schedule, operates one of the most award-winning water and wastewater systems in the Southwest, and maintains its street infrastructure to a standard that routinely earns recognition from national livability surveys. The City of Scottsdale’s Planning and Building Department handles permitting for renovations and new construction within the city limits, while Phoenix’s corresponding departments serve the smaller portion of the community on the western boundary. Residents are represented at the city council level through Scottsdale’s at-large council system. The HOA structure within each residential sub-community coordinates directly with municipal departments on common-area improvements, landscape maintenance, and code compliance, creating a collaborative public-private governance model that keeps common areas well maintained. Public library access is provided through the Scottsdale Public Library system, with the closest full-service branch a short drive south on Scottsdale Road.