McDowell Peak is located in the McDowell Mountains, to the northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Its height is 4,036 feet. McDowell Peak is located approximately half a mile north of the easily recognizable Thompson Peak, and shares a ridge with Drinkwater Peak. It is bordered on the south by Bell Pass, and on the north by Windgate Pass. The peak is in Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve, owned and operated by the city of Scottsdale.