Casa Adobes, Arizona

The unincorporated county area north of Tucson and between Oro Valley and Marana is known as Casas Adobes. Though it is an informal community, it is older than both Oro Valley and Marana and has developed its own distinct lifestyle and personality. Casas Adobes has the Northwest's most unique shopping center, Casas Adobes Shopping Plaza, its only shopping mall, Foothills Mall, its only hospital, Northwest Medical Center, and its only botanical park, Tohono Chul Park. As a result the area draws people from communities all around giving it a hustle and bustle distinct from its neighboring suburbs. What was once home to just cows and coyotes is now single-family homes, apartment complexes, gated communities, shopping centers, medical facilities, parks, golf courses, restaurants and more. Begun more than 60 years ago, the Casas Adobes community has grown to encompass a 23-square mile area inhabited by nearly 60,000 residents.