Overview
Chandler is a city in Arizona, and a medium-sized suburb of Phoenix with over 240,000 residents. It is a delightful place to visit.
2 sights · 5 things to do · 1 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Chandler
Historic Downtown Chandler
Full of delightful shops and amusements.
Chandler Center for the Arts
A small venue with seating capacity of 1,500. A gallery hosts rotating exhibits of regional and local artists' work.
Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Art
Free art gallery with over 3,000 pieces of contemporary Native American and Western American art including paintings, sculptures and pottery. Groups of 25 or more are asked to make an appointment in advance.
Lone Butte Casino
Gila River Indian Community Casino features 850 slot machines, 24 table games (Blackjack, Pai Gow, 3 Card Poker, Let-it-Ride), 750 Seat Bingo Hall, and a High Limit Room. Also offers high-end and casual dining.
Ostrich Festival
A festival at Tumbleweed Park with an ostrich theme: ostrich races, parade, food, and arts and crafts. Festival takes places in early March annually.
Chandler Jazz Festival
Annual outdoor Jazz festival in downtown chandler featuring a variety of renowned jazz performers. Admission is free.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Nov–Apr. Summer highs reach about 106°F; winter lows dip to about 45°F. Very hot (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Feb. (climate data from nearby Phoenix)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- AZA Mesa Gateway Airport, Mesa — 11 mi away. Directions
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix — 13 mi away (major hub). Directions
To reach Chandler head on I-10 until it reaches the Santan Freeway. Also, the loop 101 runs down the west side of Chandler near the mall and connects to all other major freeways in the area.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Chandler Center for the Arts, Historic Downtown Chandler
- Lunch Rawhide
- Afternoon Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Art, Chandler Jazz Festival
- Evening The Brickyard Downtown
Day 2
- Morning Lone Butte Casino, Ostrich Festival
- Afternoon Chandler Innovation Fair
- Evening SanTan Brewing Company
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
There are many fine, well-known establishments in the vicinity of Chandler Fashion Center and in downtown Chandler.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is the main air gateway to Arizona. It is in East Phoenix 3 miles from downtown. All major U.S. carriers serve Phoenix Sky Harbor with extensive flights to major cities across the country. Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have hubs at Sky Harbor. It is approximately 25 minutes from Chandler.
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) is east of Phoenix, in neighboring Mesa. It is served mainly by Allegiant Air, although Vision Airlines also offers service from North Las Vegas. It is a small airport but is being redeveloped into a major regional airport.
By car
To reach Chandler head on I-10 until it reaches the Santan Freeway. Also, the loop 101 runs down the west side of Chandler near the mall and connects to all other major freeways in the area.
By bus
Get around
Car and bus are the easiest ways to get around Chandler. Rideshare services Uber and Lyft also operate in the city as well as Chandler Flex, a joint initiative between Via and City of Chandler. Google's Waymo autonomous car service is also available in parts of the city.
See
The Sonoran desert and a beautiful residential area.
Do
Annual events
Buy
Eat
There are many fine, well-known establishments in the vicinity of Chandler Fashion Center and in downtown Chandler.
Eat Rawhide (aka Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse)
Authentic western-style dining with large "cowboy size" portions, accompanied by live Country Western music and dancing. "Old West" shows and activities available before and after meals. Contingent on good weather, most Saturdays they also offer chuck-wagon cookouts out onto the property; the hay wagon to the desert cookout area leaves at 6PM sharp, so you'll want to make sure you're early if you have reservations for this.
Drink
Drink SanTan Brewing Company
Microbrewery in downtown Chandler that brews beer on site and serves good food. Listed in the Phoenix New Times as the Best Happy Hour in the Southeast Valley in 2010.
Drink The Brickyard Downtown
Where Electro-swing meeting global flavors, approachable dishes, well-crafted cocktails, sharing plates & tapas, welcoming atmosphere & an unpretentious experience.
Sleep
San Marcos hotel is an old and luxurious hotel in downtown Chandler. Otherwise, many well known hotel chains have hotels in Chandler. There are however, few resorts in this area compared to Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe.
Stay Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Arizona’s premier Native American-owned luxury resort, boasts 500 culturally-themed rooms, 36-holes of Troon Golf, the Aji spa, four pools, a 111-foot waterslide, Koli Equestrian Center and Rawhide, an 1880s Western Town. Located on the Gila River Indian Community, this unique property offers a recreational, educational and inspirational experience never before available in a resort setting.
Stay Crowne Plaza Phoenix Chandler Golf Resort
On one of the prime corners of the original 1912 Chandler Townsite, at the northwest corner of San Marcos Place and Commonwealth Avenue. It faces east onto San Marcos Plaza, the center of Chandler, Arizona. The resort was conceived as a winter getaway for celebrities, dignitaries, and luminaries.
Go next
- In the Greater Phoenix area:
- Head into Scottsdale for the day – take Loop 101 north.
- Head north on I-10 to downtown Phoenix – catch a show or a ballgame, or see the Phoenix Zoo or the Desert Botanical Garden.
- North of the Metro Phoenix area — on Interstate 17 North:
- Visit the Grand Canyon – a four hours drive to the South Rim, north near Flagstaff.
- Elsewhere north: Prescott, Sedona and Route 66.
- South — on Interstate 10 East:
- See South Central Arizona, with an hour-and-a-half drive to Tucson.
- Elsewhere south: Picacho Peak State Park, Saguaro National Park, Santa Catalina Mountains.
- West — on Interstate 10 West (via Loop 202 West):
- Head towards the Palm Springs area in the California Desert, or continue onwards to Southern California for Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood.
Nearby
Gilbert
City / town · 33 listings · 4 mi away
Mesa
City / town · 62 listings · 8 mi away
Guadalupe
City / town · 8 mi away
Tempe
City / town · 64 listings · 8 mi away
Queen Creek
City / town · 13 listings · 13 mi away
Scottsdale
City / town · 63 listings · 14 mi away
Apache Junction
City / town · 13 listings · 18 mi away
Phoenix
City / town · 190 listings · 19 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.