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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Anthem
Anthem, Arizona
Skip as a base. Anthem is a 30-min I-17 stop north of Phoenix: 2–3 hours for the Veterans Memorial and outlets, then drive on.
Anthem is a planned suburban community of about 21,700 people on I-17, roughly 30 minutes north of downtown Phoenix and an hour south of Prescott. There is one hotel, one outlet mall, a large community park and a small war memorial. It works as a half-day break on the drive between Phoenix and Flagstaff or Prescott, not as a place to sleep for a Phoenix trip.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Anthem, Arizona
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (extreme heat, 40°C (104°F)+ afternoons)Jun–Sep (extreme heat, 104°F (40°C)+ afternoons)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison control 1-800-222-1222 · Road conditions (ADOT) 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Fast-food or food-court meal | $10–16 |
| Sit-down chain meal, per person | $18–35 |
| Gallon of petrol | $3.50–4.50 |
| Rideshare, Anthem to central Phoenix | $35–60 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PHX · Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- About 30–35 min south via I-17 and I-10; the commercial airport for Anthem.
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
- General aviation only, about 24 km (15 mi) south of Anthem.General aviation only, about 15 mi (24 km) south of Anthem.
Typical fares
- PHX airport to Anthem, rideshare
- about $45–70, 30–35 min (check)
- Anthem to downtown Phoenix, rideshare
- about $35–60, 30 min (check)
- Anthem Outlets parking
- free surface lots (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. I-17 runs through town with exits at W Anthem Way (229) and N Daisy Mountain Dr (227). Most streets have sidewalks and bike lanes, so the park and memorial are walkable from nearby lodging, but there is no useful local transit: Valley Metro buses stop at Happy Valley, about a 10–15 min drive south.
See and do
Known for
- Anthem Veterans Memorial
- Anthem Community Park
- Anthem Outlets
- I-17 stop between Phoenix and Prescott
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | Drive I-17 south, about 30 min to downtown | About 30–40 min |
| Scottsdale | I-17 south to Loop 101 east, about 35–45 min | About 45–55 min |
| Cave Creek | I-17 south to Carefree Highway east, about 30 min | About 30–40 min |
| Prescott | I-17 north then Highway 69 west, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Tempe | I-17 south to I-10 east, about 40 min | About 40–50 min |
| Mesa | I-17 south to Loop 202 east, about 50 min | About 50–60 min |
Sleep
- Anthem proper (I-17 exit 229)
- One hotel, the Hampton Inn next to the outlet mall. Fine for a single night on a road trip; nothing else in town.
- Happy Valley and Deer Valley (south)
- 10–15 min south on I-17; more hotels and the nearest Valley Metro bus stops and park-and-ride.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How far is Phoenix? | How far is Phoenix? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat is the real risk: June–September afternoons regularly top 40°C, and the park has little shade.
- Valley Metro service into Anthem is effectively nil; the nearest bus routes end at Happy Valley, a 10–15 min drive away.
- Almost everything here is a chain restaurant or store; do not come expecting an independent food scene.
- Arizona does not observe daylight saving, so summer clock times differ from most US states.
Anthem is a low-crime suburban community and feels safe day and night. The genuine hazards are summer heat, long drives on I-17 and monsoon storms from July to September.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Anthem yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Anthem Veterans Memorial
- Anthem Community Park
- Anthem Outlets
- I-17 stop between Phoenix and Prescott
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Anthem Community Council — parks and recreation: www.onlineatanthem.com/residents/recreations_and_amenities/parks/index.php
- Anthem Veterans Memorial: www.onlineatanthem.com/visitors/veterans_memorial/index.php
- Valley Metro: www.valleymetro.org
- Wikivoyage: Anthem, revision 5097541 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5097541
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AnthemAnthem, Arizona
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
- Road conditions (ADOT)511
No consulates in Anthem; most countries keep consulates in Phoenix and embassies in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/anthem). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.