Tempe

Understand

Tempe is a small but dynamic, steadily growing city. Its shared history with ASU has given it a long-standing reputation as a college town, and it is considered to be the academic and intellectual center of the greater Phoenix area. It is home to numerous research-centric industries in fields ranging from biotechnology to solar energy as well as a high percentage of knowledge workers those industries require. Being surrounded by the neighboring cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Chandler, it serves as a major hub in the Valley Metro light rail transit system.

1 Tempe Tourism Office, 51 W 3rd St, Ste 105 (just off of Mill Ave), ☏ +1 480-894-8158, toll-free: +1-866-914-1052. Provides city maps, and up-to-date information on hotels, restaurants, and city events.

Getting there

By rail The Valley Metro Light Rail project is operational and brings light rail service through Tempe from the neighboring cities of Mesa and Phoenix. Tickets may be purchased from automated kiosks at every station. An app or dedicated card is needed, see Valley Metro below. Free Park-and-Ride lots are located along the length of the route. There are plans in the works to extend the rail system through the use of spurs.

By bus See By bus under "Get In", in the Phoenix article for a list of additional bus and shuttle van companies serving the Phoenix area.

Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach (Operated by Stagecoach Express), (Curbside Stop) 3rd and Ash, toll-free: +1 800 USA RAIL (8727245). Connects the Phoenix metro area to the Amtrak Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle trains in Maricopa (35 mi (56 km) south). Additional stops are in Sky Harbor International Airport and Metro Center Transit Center by the Metro Center Mall. (updated Mar 2018) 1 Flixbus, (bus stop) 872 S Rural Rd (stop is in the bus terminal on E Tyler St (University Dr/Rural Rd Station); look for the green FlixBus sign). The next nearest one is at the 44th St PHX Sky Train Station on 44th St & Washington near the airport. (updated Dec 2018) 2 Hoang Express, (Bus stop) Lee's Sandwiches at 1901 W Warner, Chandler, ☏ +1 714-839-3500, +1 408-729-7885, toll-free: +1-888-834-9336. Travels between SoCal (San Diego, El Monte, Los Angeles, Westminster) and Arizona (Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe). (updated Nov 2015) Valley Metro offers bus service to Tempe from neighboring cities, as well as ORBIT, the free neighborhood shuttle around Tempe (see listing below in 'Get Around'). Routes and fares can be found on their website. Nearby Mesa does not have bus service on Sundays, so some service in Tempe is disrupted.

By plane Tempe is one of the most accessible cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and only 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Taxis and shuttles are available for arrivals and

Getting around

Public transport

Tempe offers two free and convenient neighborhood circulators, called "Orbit" and "Flash". Fixed route service (fee) is available through Valley Metro, connecting commuters with neighboring cities. A system-wide route map for all bus routes, paid and free, can be downloaded from the Valley Metro website here.

Orbit. M-F 6AM-10PM, Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 8AM-7PM; every 15-30 minutes. Has six routes, taking passengers through neighborhoods to the downtown area and the Mill Avenue District and connecting to the light rail station at College Avenue. The Orbit routes are each named after planets (complementing the "orbit" moniker), charge no fare, and can pick up passengers at any point along a sidewalk in residential areas where no bus stops are established. A route map is available here Free. (updated Apr 2024) Flash. 7AM-10PM, ASU breaks 7AM-6PM. Operates one route on weekdays only, taking passengers from the Tempe Transit Center to around the Arizona State University area. A map and schedule can be downloaded here. Free. (updated Mar 2021) 3 Valley Metro, Tempe Transit Store, 200 E 5th St, 1st Floor, ☏ +1 480-858-2350. M-Sa 4:40AM-11PM; Su 5AM-11PM. Has an extensive bus service operating on every major road with cheap fares; paper tickets have been abolished, so you load value to an app or a dedicated card ($4) before buying the ticket by tapping or scanning. Single tickets can also be paid with cash. Many bus routes connect to Metro, the light rail system. The buses have bike racks, but because the buses usually only come every half hour, they are often full during high traffic hours. All-day, 7-day, 15-day and 31-day passes can be purchased at numerous locations like grocery stores or the light rail stations; cash and credit card accepted. Single ticket $2/1 (children 6–18 years), daily maximum $4/2, weekly $20/10. (updated Apr 2023) Tempe Streetcar. A 3.1 mi (5.0 km) new streetcar line which originates from Marina Heights behind the Sun Devil Stad

See

1 Arizona State University, University Dr and College Ave. In the heart of Tempe, ASU is a key factor in its vibrant, diverse and progressive lifestyle. It was founded as a Normal (Teaching) school in 1885. Arizona State is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with several campuses spread throughout the metropolitan area. The largest of these campuses is the Tempe ASU Campus, a square-mile center of knowledge and cultural experience. ASU's expansive campus features many shaded lawns and expansive walks; most buildings feature displays and recent projects. The grounds are officially an arboretum – discreet tags mark many of the trees and plantings, which showcase desert and tropical flora from around the world. There are also a number of free museums and exhibits available, some permanent and some on a rotational basis. (updated Apr 2024) 2 Old Main, 400 E Tyler Mall (adjacent to University Dr and College Ave). The original school's building, dating back to its founding. (updated Apr 2024) 3 Gammage Memorial Auditorium, 1200 S Forest Ave, ☏ +1 480-965-5062. A theater designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that hosts international talent, Broadway shows, and local entertainment. One of his last architectural pieces, it was designed for Baghdad before being built in the equally arid Valley of the Sun. 4 ASU Mars Space Flight Facility, 201 E Orange Mall, ☏ +1 480-965-1790. M-F 8AM-5PM. Supports the Thermal Emission Spectrometer experiment that was sent aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft when it launched in November 1996. The Mars facility has a visitor area with displays about Mars and a television tuned to NASA TV. (updated Aug 2022) 5 ASU Robert S. Dietz Museum of Geology, Bateman Physical Sciences Center, F-wing, Room 186, ☏ +1 480-965-7065. Houses minerals, gems, fossils from Arizona and around the world. It also has a six-story Foucault pendulum; local fossils including Colombian mammoth remains excavated in 1985, 1997 and 1999; real dinosaurs, a gia

Do

Outdoor activities and sports Tempe has numerous parks, soccer fields, fenced dog parks, lighted tennis courts, pools, golf courses and its own two-mile urban park complex, Tempe Town Lake. Twin bicycle and walking paths