Camelback Mountain, which rises over Arcadia

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Arcadia, the orange grove with a mountain

Big lots, old citrus trees and Camelback looming over every backyard. Arcadia is where you go for a long brunch, a sunset walk on the canal and a very good patio.

Arcadia sits at the south foot of Camelback Mountain and gets shared between Phoenix and Scottsdale. The core runs roughly from 44th Street to 68th Street, between Camelback Road and the Arizona Canal, but most locals stretch the name west to 40th Street because that's where half the good food is.

It's not a nightlife neighborhood. It's a ranch house, sprinkler-hiss, grapefruit-on-the-lawn neighborhood with a few restaurant strips that punch way above their weight. Come hungry, come in the cooler months if you can, and plan on someone else driving home. Want bars after? Old Town Scottsdale is a short ride east.

The Arcadia vibe and a little history

Before it was big houses, it was citrus. The Arcadia Water Company was founded in 1919 to pull irrigation water off the Arizona Canal, and by 1924 it had built several pumping stations and about 15 miles of concrete pipe. Citrus growers worked this land from 1919 until the mid-1950s, when the groves got carved up into ranch-style homes on big lots.

The farm never fully left. Walk any side street and you'll see orange, lemon and grapefruit trees in front yards, plus that deep green irrigated grass you don't find in most of the Valley. It smells like blossoms in the spring. Quiet, leafy, and somehow it feels calmer than the rest of Phoenix.

Fun fact for movie nights: scenes from the Will Ferrell movie Everything Must Go were shot in Arcadia. A guy living on his front lawn with all his stuff fits this place weirdly well. If you want more of the city's food scene after this, our Phoenix eats guide picks up where this page leaves off.

Things to do in Arcadia Phoenix

Most of the fun here is outdoors and free, so timing matters. Go early in the morning or right around sunset. Midday in summer is a no. For more Valley sights worth the trip, hit our things to see page.

  • Camelback Mountain

    Echo Canyon Trail, Camelback Mountain

    4925 E McDonald Dr, Phoenix, AZ

    The big one. Echo Canyon is about 1.2 miles each way with roughly 1,280 feet of climb, and it gets steep and rocky fast. The view from the top covers the whole Valley.

    It's a hard hike, not a stroll. Phoenix closes Echo Canyon and the Cholla trail through the middle of the day when the weather service puts out a heat warning, so in summer you either go at first light or you don't go. Bring way more water than you think.

    TipHike sober, sesh after. Save the celebration for the patio.

  • Arcadia, Arizona Canal

    Arizona Falls

    Near 56th Street and Indian School Road, the Arizona Canal drops about 20 feet, and in 1902 somebody built Arizona's first hydroelectric plant on it. It got rebuilt in 1911, made power until 1950, then sat dead for decades. It reopened in 2003 as a working mini power plant and public hangout.

    There's a footbridge out to a seating area with water falling on three sides. It's loud, cool and genuinely relaxing at dusk. The canal path runs right past it, so you can walk or bike in from the west.

    TipGo at golden hour, the light on the water is the move.

  • 40th Street and Camelback

    The Phoenix bat cave

    Just north of 40th Street and Camelback Road, a long underground flood tunnel opens up by the Arizona Canal, and somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 Mexican free-tailed bats live in it. At dusk they pour out in a long ribbon over the canal.

    The bats come back in March and you can catch them into October, with June through August being peak. Walk the north side of the canal to the south end of the tunnel and get there before the sun drops.

    TipShow up by about 6:30 in summer and just wait. Don't shine lights at them.

Where to eat and drink in Arcadia

The 40th Street strip and Camelback Road carry most of the load. Patios are the whole point here, so go when it's nice out and grab a table outside. Munchie-tier comfort food is everywhere.

  • 40th Street and Campbell

    LGO (La Grande Orange)

    4410 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ

    Part general store, part wine shop, part pizzeria, part breakfast spot. It's the neighborhood's living room. Grab coffee and a pastry in the morning or come back for pizza at night.

    TipBrowse the market shelves while you wait. Great snack haul.

  • Campbell Avenue

    Postino Arcadia

    3939 E Campbell Ave, Phoenix, AZ

    A wine bar inside an old 1940s brick post office. The bruschetta boards are the order: a bunch of little toasts to pass around the table, which is exactly the kind of decision-making a stoned table can handle.

    TipGo before dinner rush and sit on the patio.

  • 40th Street

    Ingo's Tasty Food

    4502 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ

    Comfort food with all-day breakfast, a full bar and a patio. If you woke up late and want eggs at 3 p.m., this is your spot.

  • 40th Street

    Chelsea's Kitchen

    5040 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ

    Southwest comfort food. The rotisserie chicken and the house cornbread are what people come back for. Big patio, easy crowd.

    TipGet the cornbread even if you're not hungry. You will be.

  • Camelback Road

    The Vig Arcadia

    4041 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ

    Upscale-casual with a huge patio. The Vig Burger and the Brussels sprouts are the house classics. Loud in a good way on weekend nights.

  • Camelback Road

    The Henry

    4455 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ

    Industrial room with a Gatsby-era streak. Avocado toast at brunch, braised short rib at dinner, cocktails all day. A safe pick when your group can't agree.

  • Indian School Road

    Undertow

    3626 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ

    A tucked-away tiki bar done up like the inside of a ship. Small, dark, strong drinks. It's the one real night-out move in the area.

    TipBook ahead if you can. It's tiny.

  • 36th Street and Indian School

    The Stand

    A drive-thru at 36th Street and Indian School Road doing burgers, hand-cut fries and milkshakes. Pure munchie fuel.

    TipLet your sober friend take the wheel for the drive-thru run.

Questions about Arcadia

Where is Arcadia in Phoenix?

Arcadia sits at the south base of Camelback Mountain in east Phoenix, spilling into Scottsdale. The classic boundaries are 44th Street to 68th Street, between Camelback Road and the Arizona Canal, though plenty of locals count the 40th Street restaurant strip too.

Why does Arcadia have so many orange trees?

It was citrus groves first. The Arcadia Water Company started in 1919 to irrigate the land from the Arizona Canal, and growers farmed it until the mid-1950s. When it turned into houses, a lot of the trees stayed in people's yards.

When can you see the bats in Phoenix?

The Mexican free-tailed bats near 40th Street and Camelback come back in March and stick around into October, with June through August the best months. They fly out at dusk, so get there before sunset and hang out on the north side of the Arizona Canal.

Can you smoke weed on Camelback Mountain?

No. It's public preserve land, and smoking marijuana in a public place or open space is a petty offense in Arizona. Hike first and sesh later on private property where the owner is cool with it.

Is Arcadia walkable?

Parts of it. The 40th Street restaurants are walkable from each other and the canal path is great on foot or bike. Getting there usually means a car or rideshare, and summer afternoons make long walks a bad idea.

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