The campus is located at 3333 W. Roosevelt Street just west of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, United States.

Carl Hayden's enrollment is 2,209 students, over 93 percent of whom are Hispanic.

[2] The school predominantly serves students from partner elementary districts Isaac, Murphy and Riverside, however students from across the district come to the school for its two Phoenix Union Magnet Programs: Computer Studies[3] and Marine Science.

The school opened in 1957 designed by the local architecture firm of Lescher & Mahoney.

[5] The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007-2008 with the completion of a $22 million renovation and administration building.