Arizona · United States
Where to stay in Tempe
Tempe is a city in Arizona, United States, home to about 181,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- PHX6 km · Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Phoenix
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Tempe
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.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Tempe
See
- Arizona State University
- Old Main
- Gammage Memorial Auditorium
- ASU Mars Space Flight Facility
- ASU Robert S. Dietz Museum of Geology
- ASU Center for Meteorite Studies
- ASU Art Museum
- Hayden Library
- Life Sciences Tower
- ASU Museum of Anthropology
- Northlight Gallery
- AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park
Do
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 circle the lake leading to Tempe Beach Park, Splash Playground, Town Lake Marina and Giuliano Park, where many triathlons take place. In addition, Tempe has more than 150 miles (250 km) of dedicated bikeways and the League of American Bicyclists has designated Tempe a Silver-Level Bicycle-Friendly Community Award winner. Tempe's outdoor activities and sporting events add to its dynamic lifestyle.
- Tempe Town Lake
- Ironman Arizona
- P.F. Chang's Rock'n'Roll Arizona Marathon and Half Marathon
- Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
- Angels Major League Baseball Spring Training
- Tempe Festival of the Arts
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Tempe
8 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Tovrea Castle | 1929 | 4.2 km |
| Arizona Grand Resort | 6.4 km | |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe | 3.0 km | |
| Graduate Tempe Graduate by Hilton | 1.3 km | |
| Hilton Phoenix Airport | 3.6 km | |
| Marriott Phoenix Airport | 5.7 km | |
| Moxy Phoenix Tempe/ASU Area | 1.9 km | |
| Tempe Mission Palms, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel | 0.1 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Tempe
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Tempe are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; August is the wettest, with about 33 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Tempe: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about 6.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA, 30 km) and Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field (PRC, 144 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
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. See By bus under "Get In", in the Phoenix article for a list of additional bus and shuttle van companies serving the Phoenix area.
Getting around
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.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
PHX · Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
AZA · Mesa Gateway Airport
PRC · Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Tempe
Eat
Tempe's Mill Avenue District offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona. Tempe restaurants offer cuisines including Middle Eastern, Asian, Mexican and, of course, American fare. Many have received the Phoenix New Times's "Best of" award.
Drink
Tempe is situated amidst the Phoenix Metro area as a "college town," and considering this Tempe's nightlife constitutes a wide variety of people. Most prominent is a college-aged drinking crowd that congregates on Mill Avenue District (which offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona) seven nights a week.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Tempe: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Tempe?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Tempe are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; August is the wettest, with about 33 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Tempe?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about 6.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA, 30 km) and Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field (PRC, 144 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Tempe?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Tempe
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.