North Valley

North of the Loop 101 Agua Fria and Pima freeways, the metro transitions from suburban neighborhoods into high-desert terrain. Anthem is a large master-planned community straddling I-17, while New River and Desert Hills offer rural acreage parcels with mountain views. Cave Creek and Carefree, at the foot of the Tonto National Forest, preserve a Western small-town character with art galleries, trail networks, and dark-sky stargazing. The Norterra and Tramonto developments along I-17 have extended Phoenix's urban footprint northward.