Fountain Hills, a planned community of 17,000 souls, is nestled in the foothills between Scottsdale and Mesa. Founded in 1970, the town is bordered on the west by the McDowell Mountains, the south by the Salt River Indian Reservation, the east by the Ft. McDowell Indian Reservation and the north by McDowell Mountain Park.

The town's name is derived from its landmark fountain. The attraction, the "world's tallest fountain," shoots out water 560 feet into the air from a lagoon in the center of 32-acre Fountain Park. Its status is even recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. Built by the Swiss, the landmark is visible for miles (watch for it when flying into Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport) and is reminiscent of Switzerland's jet fountain on Lake Lucerne.