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Central Chandler

General

This area is a hub for jobs and shopping. Surrounded by freeways, Central Chandler is easy to get to. It draws both residents and visitors. Home prices are climbing but still on par with the typical Valley house. Big companies including Intel have large Valley operations based here. Jobs are plentiful and so are parks and shopping.

This neighborhood guide - like every one on Street Scout - was researched and written by experts from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. It's based on public records, census data and on-the-ground reporting. Our Emmy-winning photographers and videographers have brought images of each neighborhood to life. We know our neighborhoods. If you want to live here, you want to read this.

Transportation

This neighborhood is bisected and surrounded by Valley freeways.

School Map
Walk Score

Explore the 3 Areas of Central Chandler

Price Corridor: 85224

Price Corridor, ZIP code 85224, is named after Chandler’s main commercial growth area. It runs parallel with Loop 101. Corporations including Orbital Sciences and Bank of America have large operations here. West of the corridor are several neighborhoods and parks. The many jobs in this neighborhood are a big draw. Downtown, ZIP code 85225, spans Chandler’s historic central area and north to include several new and older neighborhoods. Superstition Ranch and Oasis are a few of this neighborhood’s bigger communities. Parks and schools are abundant. State Route 87 runs through this area.

Downtown: 85225

Downtown spans Chandler’s historic central area and north to include several new and older neighborhoods. Superstition Ranch and Oasis are a few of this neighborhood’s bigger communities. Parks and schools are abundant. State Route 87 runs through this area.

Desert Breeze: 85226

Desert Breeze is named after a popular park with a railroad and lake in the middle of this neighborhood. Intel’s large campus is here. The bustling Chandler Fashion Center mall is nearby. This area is central for the East Valley and surrounded by freeways. Homes are newer and more expensive.

Housing

Housing

The area has newer stucco houses as well as brick and block homes built in the 1970s and ’80s. More affordable pockets of housing can be found near the Price Corridor and in older neighborhoods around Downtown. Newer neighborhoods, particularly in Desert Breeze, are higher priced. There are plenty of apartments here. Rentals are popular around the Price Corridor because of the many jobs nearby.

The Market

Price Corridor85224

Downtown85225

Desert Breeze85226

  • Home prices in central Chandler track very close with metro Phoenix’s overall median.

  • The area, particularly around the Price Corridor, had more affordable neighborhoods a few years ago. But home prices are rising throughout this section of Chandler.

  • New homes can still be found in the Price Corridor and Desert Breeze, but the area is running out of big tracts of vacant land for new communities.

  • Both apartment and home rentals can be easily found here. But rents are also climbing. New apartment complexes are going up to meet rising demand from the many employees working in the Price Corridor.

Living Here

Living here

Expect a suburban experience with many parks, jobs and plenty of shopping. This area has easy freeway access and is growing. Millennials are moving here for jobs. Young families like the area for its relatively affordable homes in the central East Valley. There’s plenty to do in this area, from Chandler’s historic downtown to the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.

Things To Do

Price Corridor85224

Downtown85225

Desert Breeze85226

Main attractions

Close by is historic downtown Chandler, a town center bustling with retail and dining options. You’ll be enviably close to Golfland Sunsplash, one of the Valley’s premiere water parks with thrilling water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river. It also has an indoor arcade and mini-golf course. Stay culturally connected at Chandler Center for the Performing Arts, where musicians, theater troupes, dancers, circus performers and more take the stage.

Out on the town

Local craft brewer San Tan Brewing Company specializes in Southwestern-style ales and is one of the Valley’s major beer destinations. Chandler Fashion Center is the city’s main retail and dining hub. There you’ll find major department stores, high-end retailers and discount favorites, as well as a 20-screen Harkins Theatre. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, nearby Fiesta Mall offers more options.

Main attractions

This neighborhood includes historic downtown Chandler, a town center bustling with retail and dining options and host to farmers markets, art walks and more. It hosts the annual Great American BBQ & Beer Festival with dozens of barbecue pit masters, craft brews and live music. Swanky Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort offers more low-key, upscale pleasures in this area. Continue your education or switch career tracks with classes at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

Out on the town

Stay culturally connected at Chandler Center for the Performing Arts, where musicians, theater troupes, dancers, circus performers and more take the stage. Local craft brewer San Tan Brewing Company specializes in Southwestern-style ales and is one of the Valley’s major beer destinations. The area is heaven for foodies with ethnic palates. Choose from Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese restaurants. The area’s many community parks make regular outdoor exercise and family fun a way of life.

Main attractions

In your backyard is Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, a world-class gaming facility tricked out with showrooms, spas, lounges, pools and fine-dining establishments, including Don Shula’s American Steakhouse. For motorheads, there’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. For the kids, there’s Desert Breeze Railroad amusement park. Take a ride on the kiddie train or the antique Allan Herschell carousel or go fishing. In hotter months, cool off on the splash pad.

Out on the town

Chandler has many shopping options. Find upscale shops, department stores and fine dining at the Shoppes at Casa Paloma and Chandler Pavilions. At Chandler Fashion Center there’s also a 20-screen Harkins Theatre. For the really big shopping excursions there’s Phoenix Premium Outlets, with deals on brand names like Armani, Coach and Kate Spade.

Explore the Outdoors

Outdoors

Just to the south, San Tan Regional Park offers more than 10,000 acres of desert with trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Almost every trail leads to spectacular views. To the northwest, road cyclists will find plenty of challenging routes through the Ahwatukee Foothills and around the Wild Horse Pass Resort and Casino on the Gila River Indian Reservation. Access to great hiking, mountain biking and running trails is just beyond Ahwatukee in South Mountain Park. For kids and teens, the Chandler Bike Park at Espee Park is a BMX bicycle facility that will get the adrenaline pumping.

Stats & Facts

Price Corridor85224

Downtown85225

Desert Breeze85226

Who lives here

Residents around central Chandler have above-average incomes and are relatively young. The area has more racial and ethnic diversity than the state as a whole. The newer Desert Breeze neighborhood (85226) is significantly more affluent than the larger Downtown neighborhood (85225).

5 Things To Know About Chandler

It’s bigger than people think.

According to a recent U.S. census, Chandler was Arizona’s fourth most-populated city, with 236,123 residents. Only Phoenix and Mesa have more residents.

Its downtown is historic.

Heritage Square in Chandler’s downtown area is lined with historic buildings that house restaurants, bars, shops and offices. The area also includes the historic San Marcos Resort, which opened in 1913. Built by the city’s founder Dr. A.J. Chandler, it was Arizona’s first destination resort hotel.

It wants to help older neighborhoods.

The city of Chandler offers neighborhood academies for older neighborhoods. Residents can learn how to better connect with the city and organize their own clean-up and public-safety efforts.

It has different growth zones.

There are several different geographic regions within Chandler designated for new development or redevelopment. The Price Road Corridor is home to dozens of major employers. High-tech giant Intel employs more than 10,000 in Chandler. Other distinct areas include the downtown area along Arizona Avenue south of Chandler Boulevard, west Chandler, the Chandler Airpark area and north Chandler.

It has residents who play.

The national non-profit parks and recreation advocacy organization KaBOOM! has named Chandler a Playful City USA several times. About 250 cities that make playing a priority receive the designation each year. And there are several big parks and recreations areas across Chandler.