Tucson, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Tucson is a city in and the county seat
of Pima County, Arizona
, United States. The city is located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix
and 60 miles (98 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area
population at 1,020,200. In 2009, Tucson ranked as the 32nd largest city and 52nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. A major city in the Arizona Sun Corridor
, Tucson is the largest city in southern Arizona, the second largest in the state after Phoenix. It is also the largest city in the area of the Gadsden Purchase
. Tucson is home to the University of Arizona
. Roughly 150 Tucson companies are involved in the design and manufacture of optics and optoelectronics systems, earning Tucson the nickname Optics Valley
.
Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley
and Marana
northwest of the city, Sahuarita
south of the city, and South Tucson
in an enclave south of downtown. Communities in the vicinity of Tucson (some within or overlapping the city limits) include Casas Adobes
, Catalina Foothills
, Flowing Wells
, Tanque Verde
, Tortilita, New Pascua, Sahuarita and Vail
. Towns outside the Tucson metro area include Benson
to the southeast, Catalina
and Oracle
to the north, and Green Valley
to the south.
The English name Tucson derives from the Spanish name of the city, Tucsón tukˈson, which was borrowed from the O'odham
name tʃʊk ʂɔːn, meaning "(at the) base of the black [hill]", a reference to an adjacent volcanic mountain. Tucson is sometimes referred to as "The Old Pueblo".
Tucson was probably first visited by Paleo-Indians, known to have been in southern Arizona by about 12,000 years ago. Recent archaeological excavations near the Santa Cruz River have located a village site dating from 4,000 years ago. The floodplain of the Santa Cruz River was extensively farmed during the Early Agricultural period, circa 1200 BC to AD 150. These people constructed irrigation canals and grew corn, beans, and other crops while gathering wild plants and hunting animals. The Early Ceramic period occupation of Tucson saw the first extensive use of pottery vessels for cooking and storage. The groups designated by archaeologists as the Hohokam
lived in the area from AD 600 to 1450 and are known for their vast irrigation canal systems as well as their red-on-brown pottery.
Jesuit
missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino visited the Santa Cruz River valley in 1692, and founded the Mission San Xavier del Bac
in 1700 about 7 miles (12 km) upstream from the site of the settlement of Tucson. A separate Convento settlement was founded downstream along the then flowing Santa Cruz River, near the base of what is now "A" mountain. The Spanish subsequently established a walled fortress, Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón, on August 20, 1775 (near the present downtown Pima County Courthouse
). During the Spanish period of the presidio, attacks such as the Second Battle of Tucson
were repeatedly mounted by Apache
s. Eventually the town came to be called "Tucson" and became a part of Mexico after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Tucson was captured
by the Mormon Battalion
during the Mexican-American War, but later returned to Mexican control. Tucson was not included in the Mexican Cession
– it was following the Gadsden Purchase
in 1853 that Tucson became a part of the United States of America, although the American military did not formally take over control of the community until March 1856. In 1857 Tucson became a stage station on the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
and in 1858 became 3rd division headquarters of the Butterfield Overland Mail
until the line shut down in March 1861. The Overland Mail Corporation
attempted to continue operations, however following the Bascom Affair
, devastating Apache
attacks on the stations and coaches ended operations in August 1861.
From August 1861, until mid-1862, Tucson was the western capital of the Confederate
Arizona Territory
, the eastern capital being Mesilla
. In 1862 the California Column
drove the Confederate forces out of Arizona. Tucson and all of what is now Arizona was part of New Mexico Territory
until 1863, when it became part of the new Arizona Territory
. From 1867 to 1877, Tucson was the capital of Arizona Territory. From 1877 to 1878, the Tucson area suffered from a rash of stagecoach
robberies. Most notably, however, were the two robberies committed by masked road-agent William Whitney Brazelton. Brazelton held-up two stages in the summer of 1878 near Point of Mountain Station approximately seventeen miles northwest of Tucson. John Clum
of Tombstone fame was one of the passengers held-up and Brazelton would eventually be tracked down and killed on Monday August 19, 1878 in a mesquite
bosque
along the Santa Cruz River three miles south of Tucson by Pima County Sheriff Charles A. Shibell
and his citizen's posse. Brazelton had been suspected of highway robbery not only in the Tucson area, but also in the Prescott
region and Silver City
, New Mexico
area as well. Brazelton's crimes prompted John J. Valentine, Sr.
of Wells, Fargo & Co. to send special agent and future Pima County sheriff Bob Paul to investigate. Fort Lowell, then east of Tucson, was established to help protect settlers from Apache
attacks. In 1882, Frank Stilwell
was implicated in the murder of Morgan Earp
by Cowboy
Pete Spence
's wife, Marietta, at the coroner's inquest on Morgan Earp's shooting. The coroner
's jury concluded that Spence, Stilwell, Frederick Bode, and Florentino "Indian Charlie" Cruz were the prime suspects in the assassination of Morgan Earp.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp
gathered a few friends he could trust and accompanied Virgil Earp
and his family as they traveled to Benson for a train ride to California. They found Stilwell lying in wait for Virgil in the Tucson train station and killed him on the train tracks. After killing Stilwell, Wyatt deputized others and rode on a vendetta
, killing three more Cowboys over the next few days before leaving the state.
In 1885, the University of Arizona
, was founded as a land-grant college on over-grazed ranch land between Tucson and Fort Lowell.
By 1900, 7,531 people lived in the city. The population increased gradually to 13,913 in 1910. At about this time, the U.S. Veterans Administration
had begun construction on the present Veterans Hospital. Many veterans who had been gassed in World War I and were in need of respiratory therapy
began coming to Tucson after the war, due to the clean dry air. Over the following years the city continued to grow, with the population increasing to 20,292 in 1920 and 36,818 in 1940. In 2006 the population of Pima County
, in which Tucson is located, passed one million while the City of Tucson's population was 535,000.
In 1912, when Arizona statehood became reality, the total number of different flags that had flown over Tucson now numbered five, American, Spanish, Mexican, Confederate, and the State of Arizona.
During the territorial and early statehood periods, Tucson was Arizona's largest city and commercial center, while Phoenix was the seat of state government (beginning in 1889) and agriculture. The establishment of Tucson Municipal Airport increased its prominence. Between 1910 and 1920 Phoenix surpassed Tucson in population, and has continued to outpace Tucson in growth. In recent years, both Tucson and Phoenix have experienced among the highest growth rates in the United States.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Tucson has a total area of 195.1 square miles (505.3 km²), of which 194.7 square miles (504.3 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) (0.22%) is water.
The Tucson skyline is dominated by mountains in every direction. Close in to the city are the Santa Catalina Mountains
to the north, the Rincon Mountains
to the east, and the Tucson Mountains
, closest of all, on the west side. Farther from the city proper, but still commanding the southern sky are the Santa Rita Mountains
. And farthest of all, generally not visible from most of the city, are the Tortolita Mountain Range
to the northwest. The highest point in the area is Mount Wrightson
found in the Santa Rita Mountains
at 9453 feet (2,881.3 m) above sea level. Mount Lemmon
is popularly thought to be higher, looming much closer over the city, but misses Mt. Wrightson's peak by 297 feet (90.5 m).
The city's elevation is 2,643 ft (728 m) above sea level (as measured at the Tucson International Airport). Tucson is situated on an alluvial plain
in the Sonoran desert
, surrounded by five minor ranges of mountains: the Santa Catalina Mountains
and the Tortolita Mountains
to the north, the Santa Rita Mountains
to the south, the Rincon Mountains
to the east, and the Tucson Mountains
to the west. The high point of the Santa Catalina Mountains is 9157 feet (2,791.1 m) Mount Lemmon
, the southernmost ski destination in the continental U.S., while the Tucson Mountains include 4687 feet (1,428.6 m) Wasson Peak. The highest point in the area is Mount Wrightson, found in the Santa Rita Mountains at 9453 feet (2,881.3 m) above sea level.
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (98 km) north of the United States - Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200. In 2009, Tucson ranked as the 32nd largest city and 52nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. A major city in the Arizona Sun Corridor, Tucson is the largest city in southern Arizona, the second largest in the state after Phoenix. It is also the largest city in the area of the Gadsden Purchase.
The city is located on the Santa Cruz River, formerly a perennial river but now a dry river bed for much of the year that floods during significant seasonal rains.
Interstate 10, which runs southeast to northwest through town, connects Tucson to Phoenix
to the northwest on the way to its western terminus in Santa Monica, California
, and to Las Cruces, New Mexico
and El Paso, Texas
toward its eastern terminus in Jacksonville, Florida
. I-19 runs south from Tucson toward Nogales
and the U.S.-Mexico border. I-19 is the only Interstate highway that uses "kilometer posts" instead of "mileposts", although the speed limits are marked in miles per hour instead of kilometers per hour.
starting in the late 19th century, with the city center at Stone Avenue and Broadway Boulevard. While this intersection was initially near the geographic center
of Tucson, that center has shifted as the city has expanded far to the east, development to the west being effectively blocked by the Tucson Mountains. An expansive city covering substantial area, Tucson has many distinct neighborhoods.
Tucson's earliest neighborhoods, some of which are now covered by the Tucson Convention Center
, or TCC, include:
Other historical neighborhoods near downtown include:
At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, downtown Tucson is undergoing a revitalization effort by city planners and the business community. The primary project is Rio Nuevo, a large retail and community center that has been stalled in planning for more than ten years. Downtown is generally regarded as the area bordered by 17th Street to the south, I-10
to the west, and 6th Street to the north, and Toole Avenue and the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) railroad tracks, site of the historic train depot and "Locomotive #1673", built in 1900. Downtown is divided into the Presidio District, the Barrio Viejo, and the Congress Street Arts and Entertainment District. Some authorities include the 4th Avenue shopping district, which is set just northeast of the rest of downtown and connected by an underpass beneath the UPRR tracks.
Attractions downtown include the Hotel Congress designed in 1919, the Art Deco
Fox Theater designed in 1929, the Rialto Theatre opened in 1920, and St. Augustine Cathedral
completed in 1896. Included on the National Register of Historic Places
is the old Pima County Courthouse, designed by Roy W. Place in 1928. The El Charro Café, Tucson's oldest restaurant, also operates its main location downtown.
As one of the oldest parts of town, Central Tucson is anchored by the Broadway Village shopping center designed by local architect Josias Joesler
at the intersection of Broadway Boulevard and Country Club Road. The 4th Avenue Shopping District between downtown and the University and the Lost Barrio just East of downtown also have many unique and popular stores. Local retail business in Central Tucson is densely concentrated along Fourth Avenue and the Main Gate Square on University Boulevard near the UA campus. The El Con Mall
is also located in the eastern part of midtown.
The University of Arizona
, chartered in 1885, is located in midtown and includes Arizona Stadium
and McKale Center
. Historic Tucson High School (designed by Roy Place in 1924) featured in the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love, the Arizona Inn (built in 1930), and the Tucson Botanic Gardens are also located in Central Tucson.
Tucson's largest park, Reid Park is located in midtown and includes Reid Park Zoo
and Hi Corbett Field
. Speedway Boulevard, a major east-west arterial road in central Tucson, was named the "ugliest street in America" by Life magazine
in the early 1970s, quoting Tucson Mayor James Corbett
. Despite this, Speedway Boulevard was awarded "Street of the Year" by Arizona Highways in the late 1990s.
Central Tucson is bicycle-friendly
. To the east of the University of Arizona, Third Street is bike-only except for local traffic and passes by the historic homes of the Sam Hughes neighborhood. To the west, E. University Boulevard leads to the Fourth Avenue Shopping District. To the North, N. Mountain Avenue has a full bike-only lane for half of the 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the Rillito River Park bike and walk multi-use path. To the south, N. Highland Avenue leads to the Barraza-Aviation Parkway bicycle path.
South Tucson is actually the name of an independent, incorporated town of one square mile, completely surrounded by the city of Tucson, sitting just south of downtown. South Tucson has a colorful, dynamic history. It was first incorporated in 1936, and later reincorporated in 1940. The population consists of about 83% Mexican-American and 10% Native American. South Tucson is widely known for its many Mexican restaurants and the architectural styles which including bright outdoor murals many of which have been painted over due to city policy.
The South side of the city of Tucson is generally considered to be the area of approximately 25 square miles (65 square kilometers) north of Los Reales Road, south of 22nd Street, east of I-19, west of Davis Monthan Air Force Base and southwest of Aviation Parkway. Much of Tucson's Mexican-American population live on the south side. The Tucson International Airport
and Tucson Electric Park
are also located here.
and suburban development, the West Side is generally defined as the area west of I-10
. Western Tucson encompasses the banks of the Santa Cruz River and the foothills of the Tucson Mountains
, and includes the International Wildlife Museum, Sentinel Peak
and the Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa
. Moving past the Tucson Mountains you are in the area commonly referred to as "west of" Tucson. A large undulating plain extending into the Altar Valley, rural residential development predominates, but here you will also find major attractions including Saguaro National Park West
, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
, and the Old Tucson Studios
movie set/theme park.
On Sentinel Peak (also known as "'A' Mountain"), just west of downtown, there is a giant "A" in honor of the University of Arizona
. Starting in about 1910, a yearly tradition developed for freshmen to whitewash the "A", which was visible for miles. However, at the beginning of the Iraq War, anti-war activists painted it black. This was followed by a paint scuffle where the "A" was painted various colors until the city council intervened. It is now red, white and blue except when it is white or another color decided by a biennial election. Because of the three-color paint scheme often used, the shape of the A can be vague and indistinguishable from the rest of the peak. The top of Sentinel Peak, which is accessible by road, offers an outstanding scenic view of the city looking eastward. A parking lot located near the summit of Sentinel Peak was formerly a popular place to watch sunsets or view the city lights at night.
. Usually considered the area north of Fort Lowell Road, north Tucson includes some of Tucson's primary commercial
zones (Tucson Mall
and the Oracle Road Corridor). Many of the city's most upscale boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries are also located on the north side including St. Philip's Plaza. The Plaza is directly adjacent to the historic St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church (built in 1936).
Also on the north side is the suburban community of Catalina Foothills
, located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains
just north of the city limits. This community includes among the area's most expensive homes, sometimes multi-million dollar estates. The Foothills area is generally defined as north of River Road, east of Oracle Road, and west of Sabino Creek
. Some of the Tucson area's major resorts are located in the Catalina Foothills, including the Hacienda Del Sol, Westin La Paloma Resort
, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
and Canyon Ranch Resort. La Encantada, an upscale outdoor shopping mall
, is also in the Foothills.
The DeGrazia Gallery of the Sun
near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline Drive. Built by artist Ted DeGrazia
starting in 1951, the 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and features an eclectic chapel, an art gallery and a free museum.
The expansive area northwest of the city limits is diverse, ranging from the rural
communities of Catalina
and parts of the town of Marana
, the small suburb of Picture Rocks
, the affluent town of Oro Valley
in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains
, and residential areas in the northeastern foothills of the Tucson Mountains
. Continental Ranch (Marana), Dove Mountain (Marana), and Rancho Vistoso (Oro Valley) are all masterplanned communities located in the Northwest, where thousands of residents live.
The community of Casas Adobes
is also on the Northwest Side, with the distinction of being Tucson's first suburb, established in the late 1940s. Casas Adobes is centered on the historic Casas Adobes Plaza
(built in 1948). Casas Adobes is also home to Tohono Chul Park
(a nature preserve) near the intersection of North Oracle Road and West Ina Road. The attempted assassination
of Representative
Gabrielle Giffords
, and the murders of chief judge for the U.S. District Court for Arizona
, John Roll and five other people on January 8, 2011 occurred at the La Toscana Village in Casas Adobes. The Foothills Mall is also located on the northwest side in Casas Adobes.
Many of the Tucson area's golf courses and resorts are located in this area, including the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort
in Oro Valley, the Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa, and Westward Look Resort. The Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain, the second Ritz Carlton Resort in Arizona, which also includes a golf course, opened in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains
in northeast Marana in 2009. Catalina State Park
and Tortolita Mountain Park
are also located in the Northwest area.
. It is generally classified as the area of the city east of Swan Road, with above-average real estate values relative to the rest of the city. The area includes urban and suburban development near the Rincon Mountains
. East Tucson includes Saguaro National Park East
. Tucson's "Restaurant Row" is also located on the east side, along with a significant corporate and financial
presence. Restaurant Row is sandwiched by three of Tucson's storied Neighborhoods: Harold Bell Wright Estates, named after the famous author's ranch which occupied some of that area prior to the depression; the Tucson Country Club, and the Dorado Country Club. Tucson's largest office building is 5151 East Broadway in east Tucson, completed in 1975. Park Place
, a recently renovated shopping center, is also located there.
Near the intersection of Craycroft and Ft. Lowell Road are the remnants of the Historic Fort Lowell. This area has become one of Tucson's iconic neighborhoods. The Fort abandoned at the end of the 19th century was rediscovered by a trio of artists in the 1930s. The Bolsius family Pete, Nan and Charles Bolsius
purchased and renovated surviving adobe buildings of the Fort – transforming them into spectacular artistic southwestern architectural examples. Their woodwork, plaster treatment and sense of proportion drew on their Dutch heritage and New Mexican experience. This rural pocket in the middle of the city is listed on the National register of Historic Places. Each year in February the neighborhood celebrates its history in the City Landmark it owns and restored the San Pedro Chapel.
Situated between the Santa Catalina Mountains
and the Rincon Mountains
near Redington Pass
northeast of the city limits is the affluent community of Tanque Verde
. The Arizona National Golf Club, Forty-Niners Country Club, and the historic Tanque Verde Guest Ranch are also in northeast Tucson.
Southeast Tucson continues to experience rapid residential development. The area includes Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
. The area is considered to be south of Golf Links Road. It is the home of Santa Rita High School, Chuck Ford Park (Lakeside Park), Lakeside Lake
, Lincoln Park (upper and lower), The Lakecrest Neighborhoods, and Pima Community College East Campus. The Atterbury Wash with its access to excellent bird watching is also located in the Southeast Tucson area. The suburban community of Rita Ranch
houses many of the military families from Davis-Monthan, and is near the southeastern-most expansion of the current city limits. Close by Rita Ranch and also within the city limits lies Civano, a planned development meant to showcase ecologically sound building practices and lifestyles. While the houses certainly meet that goal, other aspects of the development have been less successful.
, the highest peak of the Santa Catalina Mountains
, reaches an elevation of 9157 feet (2,791.1 m) above sea level. The mountain is named after 19th Century botanist Sara Lemmon. She was the first documented European to ascend to the peak and was purportedly guided by local Tohono O'odham
up through Babad Do'ag (the O'odham name for the Santa Catalina Mountains
). Lemmon botanized extensively along the way, including collecting the plant Tagetes
lemmoni which is now called the Mount Lemmon marigold.
Near the top of Mt. Lemmon is the town of Summerhaven. This is one of Tucson's biggest vacation spots. While it can be hiked, most people use Catalina Highway, which stretches 25 miles (40.2 km). In Summerhaven, visitors will find log houses, shops, and a rather large gift shop. Also, there is another road that leads to Mount Lemmon, where one will find a ski area.
Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, which is located at a Steward Observatory
site known as 'Sky Island', sits 9152 feet (2,789.5 m) in altitude on the summit of Mt. Lemmon. As one of the Southwestern United States
's 27 unique Sky Islands
, this science learning facility is open to the public.
because of its higher elevation.
Tucson has a desert climate
(Köppen
Bwh), with two major seasons, summer and winter; plus three minor seasons: fall, spring, and the monsoon
. Though Tucson receives more precipitation than most other locations with desert climates, it still qualifies due to its high evapotranspiration
in spite of receiving 11.8 inches (299.7 mm) of precipitation per year; in other words, it experiences a high net loss of water. A similar scenario is seen in Alice Springs, Australia which averages 11 inches (279.4 mm) a year, but has a desert climate.
The most obvious difference of climate from most other inhabited regions is the extremely hot and sunny climate. This difference is a major contributing factor to a rate of skin cancer that is at least 3 times higher than in more northerly regions.
Media reports heat related deaths increasing among illegal immigrants in and around Tucson. Heatstroke related deaths have been recorded since 1999 in the Pima County Area.
Summer
is characterized by daytime temperatures that exceed 100 °F (37 °C) and overnight temperatures between 66 °F (19 °C) and 85 °F (29 °C). Early summer is characterized by low humidity and clear skies; mid-summer and late summer are characterized by higher humidity, cloudy skies and frequent rain.
The monsoon
can begin any time from mid-June to late July, with an average start date around July 3. It typically continues through August and sometimes into September. During the monsoon, the humidity
is much higher than the rest of the year. It begins with clouds building up from the south in the early afternoon followed by intense thunderstorms and rainfall, which can cause flash floods. The evening sky at this time of year is often pierced with dramatic lightning strikes. Large areas of the city do not have storm sewers, so monsoon rains flood the main thoroughfares, usually for no longer than a few hours. A few underpasses in Tucson have "feet of water" scales painted on their supports to discourage fording by automobiles during a rainstorm. Arizona traffic code Title 28-910, the so-called "Stupid Motorist Law", was instituted in 1995 to discourage people from entering flooded roadways. If the road is flooded and a barricade is in place, motorists who drive around the barricade can be charged up to $2000 for costs involved in rescuing them. Despite all warnings and precautions, however, three Tucson drivers have drowned between 2004 and 2010.
The weather in the fall
is much like that during spring: dry, with cool nights and warm to hot days. Temperatures above 100 degrees occur into early October. Average daytime highs of 84 °F (28 °C), with overnight lows of 55 °F (13 °C), are typical in the fall, with mean daily temperatures falling more rapidly from October to December.
Winter
s in Tucson are mild relative to other parts of the United States. Daytime highs in the winter range between 64 °F (17.8 °C) and 75 °F (23.9 °C), with overnight lows between 30 °F (-1.1 °C) and 44 °F (6.7 °C). Tucson typically averages one hard freeze per winter season, with temperatures dipping to the mid or low-20s, but this is typically limited to only a very few nights. Although rare, snow has been known to fall in Tucson, usually a light dusting that melts within a day.
Early spring
is characterized by gradually rising temperatures and several weeks of vivid wildflower blooms beginning in late February and into March. Daytime average highs range from 72 °F (23 °C) in March to 88 °F (31 °C) in May with average overnight lows in March of 45 °F (7 °C) and in May of 59 °F (15 °C).
At the University of Arizona
, where records have been kept since 1894, the record maximum temperature was 115 °F (46.1 °C) on June 19, 1960, and July 28, 1995, and the record minimum temperature was 6 °F (-14.4 °C) on January 7, 1913. There are an average of 150.1 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 26.4 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. Average annual precipitation is 11.15 in (283.2 mm) . There is an average of 49 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1905 with 24.17 in (613.9 mm) and the driest year was 1924 with 5.07 in (128.8 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 7.56 in (192 mm) in July 1984. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 4.16 in (105.7 mm) on October 1, 1983. Annual snowfall averages 0.7 in (1.8 cm). The most snow in one year was 7.2 in (18.3 cm) in 1987. The most snow in one month was 6 in (15.2 cm) in January 1898 and March 1922.
At the airport, where records have been kept since 1930, the record maximum temperature was 117 °F (47.2 °C) on June 26, 1990, and the record minimum temperature was 16 °F (-8.9 °C) on January 4, 1949. There is an average of 145.0 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 16.9 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. Average annual precipitation is 11.59 inches (294.4 mm). Measurable precipitation falls on an average of 53 days. The wettest year was 1983 with 21.86 inches (555.2 mm) of precipitation, and the driest year was 1953 with 5.34 inches (135.6 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 7.93 inches (201.4 mm) in August 1955. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 3.93 inches (99.8 mm) on July 29, 1958. Snow at the airport averages only 1.1 inches (2.8 cm) annually. The most snow received in one year was 8.3 inches (21.1 cm) and the most snow in one month was 6.8 inches (17.3 cm) in December 1971.
to construct a 14.5 MW PV field on the northwest side of the base.
Global Solar Energy, which is located at the University of Arizona's science and technology park, is one of the planet's largest CIGS solar fields at 750 kilowatts.
Perhaps the biggest sustainability problem is potable water supply. Household water use comprises the principal consumption of the water supply, with agriculture a close second. Like golf courses, agricultural lands are turning toward reclaimed water. Mining and other industrial water uses combined accounted for about a 15 percent of water use in 1997. Massive drawing down of groundwater resources over the last 100 years has occurred, visible as ground subsidence
in some residential areas.
To prevent further loss of groundwater, Tucson has been involved in water conservation and groundwater preservation effort, shifting away from its reliance on a series of Tucson area wells in favor of conservation, consumption-based pricing for residential and commercial water use, and new wells in the more sustainable Avra Valley aquifer, northwest of the city. An allocation from the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct
(CAP), which passes more than 300 miles (480 km) across the desert from the Colorado River
, has been incorporated into the city's water supply, annually providing over 20 million gallons of "recharged" water which is pumped into the ground to replenish water pumped out. Since 2001, CAP water has allowed the city to remove or turn off over 80 wells.
In 1881, water was pumped from a well on the banks of the Santa Cruz River and flowed by gravity through pipes into the distribution system.
Tucson currently draws water from two main sources: Central Arizona Project (CAP) water and groundwater
. In 1992, Tucson Water delivered CAP water to some customers that was referred to as being unacceptable due to discoloration, bad odor and flavor, as well as problems it caused some customers' plumbing and appliances. Tucson's city water currently consists of CAP water mixed with groundwater.
In an effort to conserve water, Tucson is recharging groundwater supplies by running part of its share of CAP water into various open portions of local rivers to seep into their aquifer. Additional study is scheduled to determine the amount of water that is lost through evaporation from the open areas, especially during the summer.
Source:
As of the census of 2010, there were 520,116 people, 229,762 households, and 112,455 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,500.1 inhabitants per square mile (965.3/km²). There were 209,609 housing units at an average density of 1,076.7 per square mile (415.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.2% White, 5.0% Black or African-American, 2.7% Native American
, 2.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 16.9% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.6% of the population.
There were 192,891 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the inner-city, the population has 24.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,981, and the median income for a family was $37,344. Males had a median income of $28,548 versus $23,086 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,322. About 13.7% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
53% to 47% in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
, and Barack Obama
54% to 46% in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
. In the latter year, Pima was the only county to vote against Arizona's gay marriage ban.
In general, Tucson and Pima County support the Democratic Party
, as opposed the state's largest metropolitan area, Phoenix, which usually supports the Republican Party
. The Tucson area is divided into two federal Congressional districts (the seventh and eighth of Arizona), one that in 2000 contained a vast majority of Democratic voters and the other a bare majority of Republicans. The city center is in the 7th District, represented by Raul Grijalva
, a Democrat, since 2003, while the more affluent residential areas to the north and east are in the 8th District, represented by Gabrielle Giffords
, also a Democrat, since 2007.
The United States Postal Service
operates post offices in Tucson. The Tucson Main Post Office is located at 1501 South Cherrybell Stravenue
.
Both the council members and the mayor serve four-year terms, and none face term limits. Council members are nominated by their wards via a ward-level primary held in September. The top vote-earners from each party then compete at-large for their ward's seat on the November ballot. In other words, on election day
the whole city votes on all the council races up for that year. Council elections are severed: Wards 1, 2, and 4 (as well as the mayor) are up for election in the same year (most recently 2011), while Wards 3, 5, and 6 share another year (most recently 2009).
Tucson is known for being a trailblazer in voluntary partial publicly-financed campaigns
. Since 1985, both mayoral and council candidates have been eligible to receive matching public funds from the city. To become eligible, council candidates must receive 200 donations of $10 or more (300 for a mayoral candidate). Candidates must then agree to spending limits equal to 33¢ for every registered Tucson voter, or $79,222 in 2005 (the corresponding figures for mayor are 64¢ per registered voter, or $142,271 in 2003). In return, candidates receive matching funds from the city at a 1:1 ratio of public money to private donations. The only other limitation is that candidates may not exceed 75% of the limit by the date of the primary. Many cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, have copied this system, albeit with more complex spending and matching formulas.
Robert E. Walkup (R) was elected mayor on November 2, 1999, re-elected for a second term on November 4, 2003 and again for a third term on November 6, 2007. He was preceded by George Miller
(D), 1991–1999; Tom Volgy (D), 1987–1991; Lew(is) Murphy (R), 1971–1987; and Jim Corbett
(D), 1967–1971.
, which is currently the second largest employer in the city. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
, located on the southeastern edge of the city, also provides many jobs for Tucson residents. Its presence, as well as the presence of the US Army Intelligence Center (Fort Huachuca
, the largest employer in the region in nearby Sierra Vista), has led to the development of a significant number of high-tech industries, including government contractors, in the area. Today, there are more than 1,200 businesses employing more than 50,000 people in the high-tech industries of Southern Arizona.
The City of Tucson, Pima County, the State of Arizona and the private sector have all made commitments to create a growing, healthy economy with advanced technology industry sectors as its foundation. Raytheon
Missile Systems, Texas Instruments
, IBM
, Intuit Inc.
, Universal Avionics
, Sunquest Information Systems
, Sanofi-Aventis
, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., and Bombardier Aerospace
all have a significant presence in Tucson. Roughly 150 Tucson companies are involved in the design and manufacture of optics
and optoelectronics
systems, earning Tucson the nickname "Optics Valley".
Tourism is another major industry in Tucson, bringing in $2 billion-a-year and over 3.5 million visitors annually due to Tucson's numerous resorts, hotels, and attractions.
One of the major annual attractions is the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and the associated shows, all held generally in the first two weeks of February. These associated shows (such as gems, jewelry, beads, fossils) are held throughout the city, with 43 different shows in 2010. This makes Tucson the largest such show in the world.
In addition to vacationers, a significant number of winter residents, or "snowbirds
", are attracted by Tucson's mild winters and contribute to the local economy. Snowbirds often purchase second home
s in Tucson and nearby areas, contributing significantly to the property tax base. Other snowbirds and "perpetual traveler
s" can be seen in large numbers arriving in autumn in large RVs
towing small cars. These "snowbirds" often stay until the end of baseball's Spring Training, as a number of Major League Baseball
teams hold practice games in the area.
In general there are also a number of middle-class and upper-class Sonora
ns, who travel from Mexico to Tucson to purchase goods that are not readily available in Mexico.
is held every year in February for two weeks. It is one of the largest gem
and mineral
shows in the world, and features many of the finest mineral specimens. There is no single location for display of minerals, but rather close to fifty locations spread across town.
91.3-FM, is a major partner, broadcasting from the Plaza Stage throughout the weekend. In addition, there are numerous workshops, events for children, sing-alongs, and a popular singer/songwriter contest. Musicians typically play 30-minute sets, supported by professional audio staff volunteers. A variety of food and crafts are available at the festival, as well as local micro-brews. All proceeds from sales go to fund future festivals.
These days the street fair has grown into a large corporate event, with most tables owned by outside merchants. It hosts mostly traveling craftsmen selling various arts such as pottery, paintings, wood working, metal decorations, candles, and many others.
Another popular event held in February, which is early spring in Tucson, is the Fiesta de los Vaqueros, or rodeo
week. While at its heart the Fiesta is a sporting event, it includes what is billed as "the world's largest non-mechanized parade". The Rodeo Parade is a popular event as most schools give two rodeo days off instead of Presidents Day. The exception to this is Presidio High, which doesn't get either. Western wear is seen throughout the city as corporate dress codes are cast aside during the Fiesta. The Fiesta de los Vaqueros marks the beginning of the rodeo season in the United States.
(Day of the Dead), it combines elements of African, Anglo, Celtic, and Latin American culture. At sundown, thousands of people garbed in myriad costumes, mostly of the deceased, gather near the corner of Fourth Avenue and University Boulevard: Epic Cafe. In 2009, the Tucson Police Department estimated that over 20,000 people participated in this event. The non-profit festal culture organization Many Mouths One Stomach organizes this event to acknowledge, mourn and celebrate deceased loved ones, and the "grand mystery" of death. Starting in 2006, the All Souls Procession became a multiple day series of events-12 different events and activities happen several days before the Procession, Grand Finale and Dance of the Dead all on a Sunday Night. The date of the 21st Annual All Souls Procession Weekend is Sunday November 7, 2010
Shops in Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon offer such items as jewelry and other gifts, pizza, and delicious fresh-fruit pies. The legacy of the Aspen Fire
can be seen in charred trees, rebuilt homes, and melted beads incorporated into a sidewalk.
Fourth Avenue, located near the University of Arizona
, is home to many shops, restaurants, and bars, and hosts the annual 4th Avenue Street Fair every December and March. University Boulevard, leading directly to the UA Main Gate, is also the center of numerous bars, retail shops, and restaurants most commonly frequented by the large student population of the UA.
El Tiradito
is a religious shrine in the downtown area. The Shrine dates back to the early days of Tucson. It's based on a love story of revenge and murder. People stop by the Shrine to light a candle for someone in need, a place for people to go give hope.
The Biosphere 2
, is a 3.14 acre educational facility, designed to mimic a tropical or sub-tropical climate-controlled environment.
, publisher of poetry books in trade and book arts editions. The University of Arizona Poetry Center
is one of the leading academic sites for poetry in the nation, and, in addition to its sizable poetry library, it presents readings, conferences, and workshops.
, which performs in the Temple of Music and Art, a mirror image of the Pasadena Playhouse
; and Arizona Onstage Productions
, a not-for-profit theater company devoted to musical theater. In 2004, the NY based Nederlander Organization
also opened a local operation. Broadway in Tucson
presents the touring reproductions of many Broadway style events at the Tucson Music Hall.
include the Tucson Symphony Orchestra
, founded in 1929; and Arizona Opera
, founded as the Tucson Opera Company in 1971. The Tucson Pops Orchestra
plays outdoor concerts in the spring and fall.
Mariachi
music is popular and influential in Tucson, and the city is home to a large number of Mariachi musicians and singers. Mariachi is celebrated annually at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. There is also a yearly Norteño
Festival in the enclave city of South Tucson.
Tucson has a small but committed independent music scene, nearly all of which is concentrated in the city's downtown area. Bob Log III
, Flagrante Delicto, God of the Sea, Calexico, Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta Giant Sand
, Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades
, Murs, The Bled
, Salvador Duran
, Linda Ronstadt
and Tucson's official troubadour Ted Ramirez
are among the prominent musical artists based in Tucson. Local performers also receive some airplay (and occasionally play live) on the community radio station KXCI
. The Tucson Area Music Awards, or TAMMIES, are an annual event.
sports teams, most notably the men's basketball and women's softball teams, are often the subject of national attention as well as strong local interest. The men's basketball team, formerly coached by Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson
and currently coached by Sean Miller, has made 25 straight NCAA Tournaments
and won the 1997 National Championship. Arizona's Softball team has reached the NCAA National Championship game 12 times and has won 8 times, most recently in 2007. The university's swim teams
have gained international recognition, with swimmers coming from as far as Japan and Africa to train with the coach Frank Busch who has also worked with the U.S. Olympic swim team for a number of years. Both men and women's swim teams recently won the NCAA National Championships. The University of Arizona's Softball team has in the past won the NCAA National Championships, pitched by local heroine Jennie Finch
. The Arizona Icecats hockey team, a University of Arizona club team play at the Tucson Convention Center. Leo Golembiewski (Head Coach and General Manager) had led them to rank nationally virtually every year, and they have won their Division a number of times. Over 70,000 attended their games in 2011.
Several levels of baseball are played in Tucson. The Tucson Electric Park
has been the spring training location for the Arizona Diamondbacks
(NL
), and the Chicago White Sox
(AL
). The Colorado Rockies
(NL
) used to practice at nearby Hi Corbett Field
. These teams, along with the twelve that practice in nearby Phoenix
, make up the Cactus League. The Tucson Padres began play at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2011, they are the AAA
affiliate of the San Diego Padres
. The Tucson Sidewinders
, a triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks
, won the Pacific Coast League
championship and unofficial AAA championship in 2006. The Sidewinders played in Tucson Electric Park
and were in the Pacific Conference South of the PCL. The Sidewinders were sold in 2007 and moved to Reno, Nevada
after the 2008 season. The United States Handball Association
Hall of Fame is located in Tucson. The Tucson Toros
are a professional baseball team that played in the PCL from 1969 to 1997 and won the PCL championship on two occasions, in 1991 and 1993. They are owned by Jay Zucker of Tucson Baseball, LLC. They were once a triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros
and are now members of the independent Golden Baseball League
, as of September 1, 2008 They will play their home games at Hi Corbett Field
.
The Tucson Thunder Kats
are an expansion indoor football team in the American Indoor Football Association that is set to join the league and begin playing in 2011. The Thunder Kats will play their home games at the Tucson Convention Center
. Women's football also has a stronghold in Tucson, as there are currently two teams in the area. The Tucson Monsoon are a member of the Independent Women's Football League
where they have played since their inception in 2006. Beginning in 2011, the Arizona She-Devils will begin play in Tucson as a member of the Women's Spring Football League
.
Tracks include Tucson Raceway Park
hosts NASCAR
-sanctioned auto racing events and is one of only two asphalt short tracks in Arizona. Rillito Downs is an in-town destination on weekends in January and February each year. This historic track held the first organized quarter horse races in the world, and they are still racing there. Unfortunately, the racetrack is threatened by development.
The city has more than 120 parks, including Reid Park Zoo
. There are five public golf courses located in Tucson. Several scenic parks and points of interest are also located nearby, including the Tucson Botanical Gardens
, Tohono Chul Park
, Saguaro National Park
, Sabino Canyon
, and Biosphere 2
(just north of the city, in the town of Oracle
).
Mt. Lemmon, 25 miles (40.2 km) north (by road) and over 6700 feet (2,042.2 m) above Tucson, is located in the Coronado National Forest
. Outdoor activities in the summer include hiking, birding, rock climbing, picnicking, camping, sky rides at Ski Valley, fishing and touring. In the winter, skiing and/or sledding is sometimes available at the southernmost ski resort in the continental United States. Summerhaven
, a community near the top of Mt. Lemmon, is also a popular destination.
The League of American Bicyclists
gave Tucson a gold rating for bicycle friendliness in late April, 2007. Tucson hosts the largest perimeter cycling event in the United States. The ride called "El Tour de Tucson
" happens in November on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. El Tour de Tucson
produced and promoted by Perimeter Bicycling
has as many as 10,000 participants from all over the world, annually. Tucson is one of only nine cities in the U.S. to receive a gold rating or higher for cycling friendliness from the League of American Bicyclists
. The city is known for its winter cycling opportunities. Both road and mountain biking are popular in and around Tucson with trail areas including Starr Pass and Fantasy Island.
. There are also several weekly newspapers, including the Tucson Weekly
(an "alternative" publication), Inside Tucson Business
, and the Explorer. The Downtown Tucsonan, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, "Lovin' Life News", DesertLeaf, and Zócalo Magazine are monthly publications covering arts, architecture, decor, fashion, entertainment, business, history, and other events. The Arizona Daily Wildcat
is the University of Arizona
's student newspaper
, and the Aztec News is the Pima Community College student newspaper
.
The Tucson metro area is served by many local television stations and is the 68th largest designated market area
(DMA) in the U.S. with 433,310 homes (0.39% of the total U.S.). The major television network
s serving Tucson are: KVOA
4 (NBC), KGUN
9 (ABC
), KOLD-TV
13 (CBS
), KMSB-TV
11 (Fox
), KTTU 18 (My Network TV), and KWBA
58 (The CW
). KUAT-TV
6 is a PBS
affiliate run by the University of Arizona (as is sister station KUAS 27).
(TUSD). TUSD has the second highest enrollment of any school district in Arizona, behind Mesa Unified School District in the Phoenix metropolitan area. There are many publicly funded charter schools with a specialized curriculum.
, which operates a network of bus routes. It was awarded Best Transit System
in 1988 and 2005 and serves the major part of the Tucson metropolitan area. Construction of a 3.9 miles (6.3 km) modern streetcar line is planned, as part of a Regional Transportation Authority plan approved by area voters in May 2006.
Old Pueblo Trolley
operates weekend heritage streetcar
service between the Fourth Avenue Business District and the University of Arizona
. The service extended south, into the downtown district, as part of the Fourth Avenue underpass reconstruction project.
is Tucson's public airport
and is located six miles (10 km) south of Tucson's central business district
. TIA is the second largest commercial airport in Arizona, providing nonstop flights to 17 destinations throughout the United States. Due to the active presence of the Arizona Air National Guard
at the site, the airport is much busier than most other airports that have the same level of civilian traffic.
Interstates 10
and 19 are the only two Interstate
highways in the metropolitan area. State highway 210 is a shorter freeway that links downtown with the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
. Tucson does not have a beltway system as other similarly-sized cities do.
Amtrak
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Tucson
three times weekly in both directions, operating its Sunset Limited
between Orlando, Florida
and Los Angeles, California
and Texas Eagle
between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Cyclists are common in Tucson due to compatible climate, extensive commuter bike routes, off-road mountain biking trails, and bike facilities throughout the city. The Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee (TPCBAC) was established to serve in an advisory capacity to local governments on issues relating to bicycle recreation, transportation, and safety. Tucson was given a gold rating for bicycle friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists in late April 2006.
, Tuscany
, Italy Hermosillo
, Sonora
, Mexico Almaty
, Kazakhstan County Roscommon
, Ireland Liupanshui
, China Nouakchott
, Mauritania Pécs
, Hungary Segovia
, Castile and León
, Spain Sulaymaniyah
, Iraq Taichung City, Taiwan Trikala
, Greece João Pessoa
, Brazil
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Pima County, Arizona
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, United States. The city is located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and 60 miles (98 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
population at 1,020,200. In 2009, Tucson ranked as the 32nd largest city and 52nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. A major city in the Arizona Sun Corridor
Arizona Sun Corridor
The Arizona Sun Corridor, shortened Sun Corridor, is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Sun Corridor is equivalent to Indiana in size and population; unlike Indiana, it will add another Indiana's worth of residents by 2040...
, Tucson is the largest city in southern Arizona, the second largest in the state after Phoenix. It is also the largest city in the area of the Gadsden Purchase
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...
. Tucson is home to the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Roughly 150 Tucson companies are involved in the design and manufacture of optics and optoelectronics systems, earning Tucson the nickname Optics Valley
Optics Valley
Optics Valley is a nickname for a region in southern Arizona, centered on Tucson, that includes a concentration of optics companies, spawned by the optics work at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences...
.
Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley
Oro Valley, Arizona
Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, USA in Pima County. According to a July 2008 estimate, the population of the town is 43,223, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson,...
and Marana
Marana, Arizona
Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961...
northwest of the city, Sahuarita
Sahuarita, Arizona
Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles south of Tucson...
south of the city, and South Tucson
South Tucson, Arizona
South Tucson is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States and an enclave of the much larger city of Tucson. South Tucson is known for being heavily influenced by Hispanic, and especially Mexican, culture; restaurants and shops which sell traditional Mexican foods and other goods can be found...
in an enclave south of downtown. Communities in the vicinity of Tucson (some within or overlapping the city limits) include Casas Adobes
Casas Adobes, Arizona
Casas Adobes is a census-designated place located in the northern metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona . The population was 54,011 at the 2000 census...
, Catalina Foothills
Catalina Foothills, Arizona
Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census...
, Flowing Wells
Flowing Wells, Arizona
Flowing Wells is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 15,050 at the 2000 census.The Flowing Wells community was given an All-American City Award by the National Civic League in 2007.-Geography:...
, Tanque Verde
Tanque Verde, Arizona
Tanque Verde is a suburban census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States, northeast of Tucson. The population was 16,195 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, Tortilita, New Pascua, Sahuarita and Vail
Vail, Arizona
Vail is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 10,208 at the 2010 census. The area is known for the nearby Colossal Cave, a large cave system, and the Rincon Mountains District of Saguaro National Park, a top tourism spot within Arizona.Vail was...
. Towns outside the Tucson metro area include Benson
Benson, Arizona
-Transportation:Benson Airport is located 3 miles north west of the city.Benson is served by Interstate 10 to the north, which travels directly to downtown Tucson....
to the southeast, Catalina
Catalina, Arizona
Catalina is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,025 at the 2000 census. Catalina continues to experience increasing population growth, while attempting to maintain its rural character...
and Oracle
Oracle, Arizona
- Geology :Oracle and the surrounding area sit largely on a slab of granite called "Oracle granite" that is visible as red or grey-and-white speckled "boulders" rising over the scrub and grass. It is mostly porphyritic biotite Precambrian granite with large microcline phenocrysts, and has...
to the north, and Green Valley
Green Valley, Arizona
Green Valley is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 17,283 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Green Valley is located at ....
to the south.
The English name Tucson derives from the Spanish name of the city, Tucsón tukˈson, which was borrowed from the O'odham
O'odham language
O'odham is an Uto-Aztecan language of southern Arizona and northern Sonora where the Tohono O'odham and Pima reside. As of the year 2000, there were estimated to be approximately 9750 speakers in the United States and Mexico combined, although there may be more due to underreporting...
name tʃʊk ʂɔːn, meaning "(at the) base of the black [hill]", a reference to an adjacent volcanic mountain. Tucson is sometimes referred to as "The Old Pueblo".
History
Hohokam
Hohokam is one of the four major prehistoric archaeological Oasisamerica traditions of what is now the American Southwest. Many local residents put the accent on the first syllable . Variant spellings in current, official usage include Hobokam, Huhugam and Huhukam...
lived in the area from AD 600 to 1450 and are known for their vast irrigation canal systems as well as their red-on-brown pottery.
Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino visited the Santa Cruz River valley in 1692, and founded the Mission San Xavier del Bac
Mission San Xavier del Bac
Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation...
in 1700 about 7 miles (12 km) upstream from the site of the settlement of Tucson. A separate Convento settlement was founded downstream along the then flowing Santa Cruz River, near the base of what is now "A" mountain. The Spanish subsequently established a walled fortress, Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón, on August 20, 1775 (near the present downtown Pima County Courthouse
Pima County Courthouse
Pima County Courthouse is the former main county courthouse building in downtown Tucson, Arizona. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
). During the Spanish period of the presidio, attacks such as the Second Battle of Tucson
Second Battle of Tucson
The Second Battle of Tucson or the May Day Attack was a battle in Tucson, Arizona, and the neighboring pueblo. It occurred during the Mexican Apache Wars on May 1, 1782, between a small garrison of Spanish soldiers and hundreds of Apache warriors....
were repeatedly mounted by Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
s. Eventually the town came to be called "Tucson" and became a part of Mexico after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Tucson was captured
Capture of Tucson (1846)
The Capture of Tucson was a United States attack on the Mexican city of Tucson, Sonora, now the present day Tucson, Arizona. The would be combatants were provisional Mexican Army troops and the American Mormon Battalion. Tucson fell in December of 1846 without resistance.-Capture:The...
by the Mormon Battalion
Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular...
during the Mexican-American War, but later returned to Mexican control. Tucson was not included in the Mexican Cession
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
– it was following the Gadsden Purchase
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...
in 1853 that Tucson became a part of the United States of America, although the American military did not formally take over control of the community until March 1856. In 1857 Tucson became a stage station on the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
The San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line, also known as the Jackass Mail, was the earliest overland stagecoach and mail operation from the eastern United States to California. It was the creation of organized and financed by James E. Birch the head of the California Stage Company. Birch was awarded the...
and in 1858 became 3rd division headquarters of the Butterfield Overland Mail
Butterfield Overland Mail
The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
until the line shut down in March 1861. The Overland Mail Corporation
San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
The San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line, also known as the Jackass Mail, was the earliest overland stagecoach and mail operation from the eastern United States to California. It was the creation of organized and financed by James E. Birch the head of the California Stage Company. Birch was awarded the...
attempted to continue operations, however following the Bascom Affair
Bascom Affair
The Bascom Affair is considered to be the key event in triggering the 1860s Apache War. The Apache Wars were fought during the nineteenth century between the U.S. military and many tribes in what is now the southwestern United States...
, devastating Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
attacks on the stations and coaches ended operations in August 1861.
From August 1861, until mid-1862, Tucson was the western capital of the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory (CSA)
The Territory of Arizona was a territory claimed by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, between 1861 and 1865. It consisted of the portion of the New Mexico Territory south of the 34th parallel north including parts of the modern states of New Mexico and Arizona. Its...
, the eastern capital being Mesilla
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,180 at the 2000 census...
. In 1862 the California Column
California Column
The California Column, a force of Union volunteers, marched from April to August 1862 over 900 miles from California, across the southern New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and then into western Texas during the American Civil War. At the time, this was the longest trek through desert terrain...
drove the Confederate forces out of Arizona. Tucson and all of what is now Arizona was part of New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
until 1863, when it became part of the new Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. From 1867 to 1877, Tucson was the capital of Arizona Territory. From 1877 to 1878, the Tucson area suffered from a rash of stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
robberies. Most notably, however, were the two robberies committed by masked road-agent William Whitney Brazelton. Brazelton held-up two stages in the summer of 1878 near Point of Mountain Station approximately seventeen miles northwest of Tucson. John Clum
John Clum
John Philip Clum was an Indian agent for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in the Arizona Territory. He implemented a limited form of self-government on the reservation that was so successful that other reservations were closed and their residents moved to San Carlos. Clum later became the...
of Tombstone fame was one of the passengers held-up and Brazelton would eventually be tracked down and killed on Monday August 19, 1878 in a mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
bosque
Bosque
Bosque is the name for areas of gallery forest found along the riparian flood plains of stream and river banks in the southwestern United States...
along the Santa Cruz River three miles south of Tucson by Pima County Sheriff Charles A. Shibell
Charles A. Shibell
Charles A. Shibell was a teamster, miner, hotel owner, customs inspector, recorder, and Pima County, Arizona County Sheriff and a contemporary of Wyatt Earp and his brothers...
and his citizen's posse. Brazelton had been suspected of highway robbery not only in the Tucson area, but also in the Prescott
Prescott
Prescott is of English origin; habitational name from any of the places so called, in southwestern Lancashire , Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, and Devon, all of which are named from Old English preost ‘priest’ + cot ‘cottage’, ‘dwelling’...
region and Silver City
Silver City
-Places:United States*Silver City, California*Silver City, Gulf County, Florida*Silver City, Idaho, a ghost town*Silver City, Iowa*Silver City, Michigan*Silver City, Mississippi*Silver City, New Mexico*Silver City, North Carolina*Silver City, Nevada...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
area as well. Brazelton's crimes prompted John J. Valentine, Sr.
John J. Valentine, Sr.
John Joseph Valentine, Sr. was an American expressman. He was the first president of Wells Fargo & Company who had not been a banker and served from 1892 until his death in 1901.-Early life:...
of Wells, Fargo & Co. to send special agent and future Pima County sheriff Bob Paul to investigate. Fort Lowell, then east of Tucson, was established to help protect settlers from Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
attacks. In 1882, Frank Stilwell
Frank Stilwell
Frank C. Stilwell was an outlaw Cowboy who murdered at least two men in Cochise County during 1877-1882. For four months he was a deputy sheriff in Tombstone, Arizona Territory for Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan...
was implicated in the murder of Morgan Earp
Morgan Earp
Morgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually...
by Cowboy
The Cowboys (Cochise County)
The Cowboys were a loosely associated group of outlaw cowboys in Pima and Cochise County, Arizona Territory in the late 19th century. They were cattle rustlers and robbers who rode across the border into Mexico and rounded up cattle that they then sold in the United States...
Pete Spence
Pete Spence
Pete Spence , suspected of robbery in 1878 in Goliad County, Texas, changed his name from Elliot Larkin Ferguson. He was later a suspect in a stagecoach robbery outside Bisbee, Arizona and was known for his association with outlaw Cowboys Frank and Tom McLaury and Ike and Billy Clanton of...
's wife, Marietta, at the coroner's inquest on Morgan Earp's shooting. The coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's jury concluded that Spence, Stilwell, Frederick Bode, and Florentino "Indian Charlie" Cruz were the prime suspects in the assassination of Morgan Earp.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
gathered a few friends he could trust and accompanied Virgil Earp
Virgil Earp
Virgil Walter Earp fought in the Civil War. He was U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the Arizona Territory. Two months after the shootout in Tombstone, outlaw Cowboys ambushed Virgil on the streets of...
and his family as they traveled to Benson for a train ride to California. They found Stilwell lying in wait for Virgil in the Tucson train station and killed him on the train tracks. After killing Stilwell, Wyatt deputized others and rode on a vendetta
Earp vendetta ride
The Earp Vendetta Ride, lasting from March 20 to April 15, 1882, was a manhunt for outlaw Cowboys led by newly appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp. He was searching for men he held responsible for maiming his brother Virgil, the Tombstone Marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal, and assassinating his...
, killing three more Cowboys over the next few days before leaving the state.
In 1885, the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, was founded as a land-grant college on over-grazed ranch land between Tucson and Fort Lowell.
By 1900, 7,531 people lived in the city. The population increased gradually to 13,913 in 1910. At about this time, the U.S. Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
had begun construction on the present Veterans Hospital. Many veterans who had been gassed in World War I and were in need of respiratory therapy
Respiratory therapy
Respiratory therapy is a healthcare profession in which specialists work with patients suffering from either acute or chronic respiratory problems. These specialists are termed Respiratory Therapists in most places internationally but may also be referred to as Respiratory Scientists or...
began coming to Tucson after the war, due to the clean dry air. Over the following years the city continued to grow, with the population increasing to 20,292 in 1920 and 36,818 in 1940. In 2006 the population of Pima County
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, in which Tucson is located, passed one million while the City of Tucson's population was 535,000.
In 1912, when Arizona statehood became reality, the total number of different flags that had flown over Tucson now numbered five, American, Spanish, Mexican, Confederate, and the State of Arizona.
Geography
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Tucson has a total area of 195.1 square miles (505.3 km²), of which 194.7 square miles (504.3 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) (0.22%) is water.
The Tucson skyline is dominated by mountains in every direction. Close in to the city are the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
to the north, the Rincon Mountains
Rincon Mountains
The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
to the east, and the Tucson Mountains
Tucson Mountains
The Tucson Mountains are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains, including Wasson Peak, are one of four notable mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
, closest of all, on the west side. Farther from the city proper, but still commanding the southern sky are the Santa Rita Mountains
Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
. And farthest of all, generally not visible from most of the city, are the Tortolita Mountain Range
Tortolita Mountains
The Tortolita Mountains are a minor mountain range located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, USA. With a peak elevation of 4,652 feet , the Tortolita Mountains are situated at the northern boundaries of Oro Valley and Marana, two suburbs of Tucson...
to the northwest. The highest point in the area is Mount Wrightson
Mount Wrightson
Mount Wrightson is the highest point in the area around Tucson, Arizona, United States at an elevation of 9,453 feet . Mount Wrightson is located in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson in the Coronado National Forest. It was named for William Wrightson, who was a miner and entrepreneur...
found in the Santa Rita Mountains
Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
at 9453 feet (2,881.3 m) above sea level. Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of...
is popularly thought to be higher, looming much closer over the city, but misses Mt. Wrightson's peak by 297 feet (90.5 m).
The city's elevation is 2,643 ft (728 m) above sea level (as measured at the Tucson International Airport). Tucson is situated on an alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
in the Sonoran desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
, surrounded by five minor ranges of mountains: the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
and the Tortolita Mountains
Tortolita Mountains
The Tortolita Mountains are a minor mountain range located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, USA. With a peak elevation of 4,652 feet , the Tortolita Mountains are situated at the northern boundaries of Oro Valley and Marana, two suburbs of Tucson...
to the north, the Santa Rita Mountains
Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
to the south, the Rincon Mountains
Rincon Mountains
The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
to the east, and the Tucson Mountains
Tucson Mountains
The Tucson Mountains are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains, including Wasson Peak, are one of four notable mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
to the west. The high point of the Santa Catalina Mountains is 9157 feet (2,791.1 m) Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of...
, the southernmost ski destination in the continental U.S., while the Tucson Mountains include 4687 feet (1,428.6 m) Wasson Peak. The highest point in the area is Mount Wrightson, found in the Santa Rita Mountains at 9453 feet (2,881.3 m) above sea level.
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (98 km) north of the United States - Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200. In 2009, Tucson ranked as the 32nd largest city and 52nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. A major city in the Arizona Sun Corridor, Tucson is the largest city in southern Arizona, the second largest in the state after Phoenix. It is also the largest city in the area of the Gadsden Purchase.
Interstate 10, which runs southeast to northwest through town, connects Tucson to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to the northwest on the way to its western terminus in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, and to Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
and El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
toward its eastern terminus in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. I-19 runs south from Tucson toward Nogales
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
and the U.S.-Mexico border. I-19 is the only Interstate highway that uses "kilometer posts" instead of "mileposts", although the speed limits are marked in miles per hour instead of kilometers per hour.
Downtown and Central Tucson
Similar to many other cities in the Western U.S., Tucson was developed on a grid planGrid plan
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
starting in the late 19th century, with the city center at Stone Avenue and Broadway Boulevard. While this intersection was initially near the geographic center
Centroid
In geometry, the centroid, geometric center, or barycenter of a plane figure or two-dimensional shape X is the intersection of all straight lines that divide X into two parts of equal moment about the line. Informally, it is the "average" of all points of X...
of Tucson, that center has shifted as the city has expanded far to the east, development to the west being effectively blocked by the Tucson Mountains. An expansive city covering substantial area, Tucson has many distinct neighborhoods.
Tucson Convention Center
The Tucson Convention Center , previously named the Tucson Community Center, is a large multi-purpose convention center located in downtown Tucson, Arizona...
, or TCC, include:
- El Presidio, Tucson's oldest neighborhood
- Barrio Histórico, also known as Barrio Libre
- Armory ParkArmory Park Historic Residential DistrictArmory Park Historic Residential District is a historic district in Tucson, Arizona. It was listed on the NRHP in 1976 and the district boundaries were increased in 1996.-References:...
, directly south of downtown - Barrio Anita, named for an early settler and located between Granada Avenue and Interstate 10Interstate 10 in ArizonaIn the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
- Barrio Tiburón, now known as the Fourth Avenue arts district – designated in territorial times as a red-light districtRed-light districtA red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
- Barrio El Jardín, named for an early recreational site, Levin's Gardens
- Barrio El Hoyo, named for a lake that was part of the gardens. Before the TCC was built, El Hoyo (Spanish for pit or hole) referred to this part of the city, which was inhabited mainly by Mexican-American citizens and Mexican immigrants.
- Barrio Santa RosaBarrio Santa Rosa (Tucson, Arizona)The Barrio Santa Rosa is a neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona that is also a historic district listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
, dating from the 1890s, now listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
Other historical neighborhoods near downtown include:
- Feldman's, named for an early resident photographer (with the streets "Helen" and "Mabel" named for his daughters)
- Menlo Park, situated west of downtown, adjacent to "A Mountain" more correctly called Sentinel PeakSentinel Peak (Arizona)Sentinel Peak, more commonly known as "A" Mountain, is a prominent ridgein the Tucson Mountains west of Tucson, Arizona.Sentinel Peak rises 2,897 feet into the air to the west of the Santa Cruz River. The underground ridge of rock, running to the east, once forced groundwater to the surface...
- Iron Horse, east of Fourth Avenue and north of the railroad tracks, named for its proximity
- West University, located between the University of Arizona and downtown
- Pie Allen, located west and south of the university near Tucson High School and named for a local entrepreneur and early mayor of Tucson
- Sam Hughes, located east of the University of Arizona and named after an instigator/hero of the Camp Grant MassacreCamp Grant MassacreThe Camp Grant Massacre, on April 30, 1871, was an attack on Pinal and Aravaipa Apaches who surrendered to the United States Army at Camp Grant, Arizona, along the San Pedro River. The massacre led to a series of battles and campaigns fought between the Americans, the Apache, and their Yavapai...
At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, downtown Tucson is undergoing a revitalization effort by city planners and the business community. The primary project is Rio Nuevo, a large retail and community center that has been stalled in planning for more than ten years. Downtown is generally regarded as the area bordered by 17th Street to the south, I-10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
to the west, and 6th Street to the north, and Toole Avenue and the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) railroad tracks, site of the historic train depot and "Locomotive #1673", built in 1900. Downtown is divided into the Presidio District, the Barrio Viejo, and the Congress Street Arts and Entertainment District. Some authorities include the 4th Avenue shopping district, which is set just northeast of the rest of downtown and connected by an underpass beneath the UPRR tracks.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Fox Theater designed in 1929, the Rialto Theatre opened in 1920, and St. Augustine Cathedral
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
completed in 1896. Included on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
is the old Pima County Courthouse, designed by Roy W. Place in 1928. The El Charro Café, Tucson's oldest restaurant, also operates its main location downtown.
Josias Joesler
Josias Thomas Joesler was a Swiss-American Tucson, Arizona architect.Born in 1895 in Zurich. Joesler’s architectural legacy would come to articulate the romantic revival Tucson style of the first half of the 20th century....
at the intersection of Broadway Boulevard and Country Club Road. The 4th Avenue Shopping District between downtown and the University and the Lost Barrio just East of downtown also have many unique and popular stores. Local retail business in Central Tucson is densely concentrated along Fourth Avenue and the Main Gate Square on University Boulevard near the UA campus. The El Con Mall
El Con Mall
El Con Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in the city of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Originally opened in 1960 as an outdoor shopping center, it is the oldest shopping mall in the Tucson area. It features J. C. Penney, Ross Dress For Less, Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Century Theatres and...
is also located in the eastern part of midtown.
The University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, chartered in 1885, is located in midtown and includes Arizona Stadium
Arizona Stadium
Arizona Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is the home field of the Arizona Wildcats of the Pacific-12 Conference, and its current seating capacity is 57,803....
and McKale Center
McKale Center
McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located at 1756 E University Blvd on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large...
. Historic Tucson High School (designed by Roy Place in 1924) featured in the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love, the Arizona Inn (built in 1930), and the Tucson Botanic Gardens are also located in Central Tucson.
Tucson's largest park, Reid Park is located in midtown and includes Reid Park Zoo
Reid Park Zoo
The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967, is a city-owned and operated non-profit zoo in Tucson, Arizona. The zoo features more than 500 animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation director at the time.-Exhibits:...
and Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field is a baseball stadium located in Tucson, Arizona. The stadium holds approximately 9,500 people. It was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies, and is currently home to the Tucson Toros...
. Speedway Boulevard, a major east-west arterial road in central Tucson, was named the "ugliest street in America" by Life magazine
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
in the early 1970s, quoting Tucson Mayor James Corbett
Jim Corbett (politician)
James N. Corbett Jr. was an Arizona politician. He was born in Los Angeles, California.Corbett, whose Uncle, J. Knox Corbett also served as a Tucson mayor, was mayor from 1967 to 1971, and began his 20-year-career as the elected clerk of the court in 1979.Corbett served as a Coast Guard officer...
. Despite this, Speedway Boulevard was awarded "Street of the Year" by Arizona Highways in the late 1990s.
Central Tucson is bicycle-friendly
Bicycle-friendly
The term bicycle-friendly describes policies and practices which may help some people feel more comfortable about traveling by bicycle with other traffic...
. To the east of the University of Arizona, Third Street is bike-only except for local traffic and passes by the historic homes of the Sam Hughes neighborhood. To the west, E. University Boulevard leads to the Fourth Avenue Shopping District. To the North, N. Mountain Avenue has a full bike-only lane for half of the 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the Rillito River Park bike and walk multi-use path. To the south, N. Highland Avenue leads to the Barraza-Aviation Parkway bicycle path.
Southern Tucson
The South side of the city of Tucson is generally considered to be the area of approximately 25 square miles (65 square kilometers) north of Los Reales Road, south of 22nd Street, east of I-19, west of Davis Monthan Air Force Base and southwest of Aviation Parkway. Much of Tucson's Mexican-American population live on the south side. The Tucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located six miles south of the central business district of Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and is the second largest and busiest airport in Arizona, after Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.- Overview...
and Tucson Electric Park
Tucson Electric Park
Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium is a baseball stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox formerly utilized the park for Cactus League games each March and had their minor league complexes on-site...
are also located here.
Western Tucson
A combination of urbanUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
and suburban development, the West Side is generally defined as the area west of I-10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
. Western Tucson encompasses the banks of the Santa Cruz River and the foothills of the Tucson Mountains
Tucson Mountains
The Tucson Mountains are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains, including Wasson Peak, are one of four notable mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
, and includes the International Wildlife Museum, Sentinel Peak
Sentinel Peak (Arizona)
Sentinel Peak, more commonly known as "A" Mountain, is a prominent ridgein the Tucson Mountains west of Tucson, Arizona.Sentinel Peak rises 2,897 feet into the air to the west of the Santa Cruz River. The underground ridge of rock, running to the east, once forced groundwater to the surface...
and the Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa
JW Marriott Hotels
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, namesake of John Willard Marriott, Founder, Chairman & CEO of is a luxury hotel chain. Found in major cities as well as vacation destinations world-wide, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts are becoming known in the hospitality industry for their practical approach to luxury...
. Moving past the Tucson Mountains you are in the area commonly referred to as "west of" Tucson. A large undulating plain extending into the Altar Valley, rural residential development predominates, but here you will also find major attractions including Saguaro National Park West
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park, located in southern Arizona, is part of the United States National Park System.-Overview:The park is divided into two sections, called districts, lying approximately east and west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. The total area in 2010 was of which is...
, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a museum and zoo founded in 1952 and located in Tucson, Arizona. It contains a museum and two miles of walking paths on of this property, and is one of the most visited attractions in Tucson...
, and the Old Tucson Studios
Old Tucson Studios
Old Tucson Studios is a movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona, it has been used for the filming of several movies and television westerns since then,...
movie set/theme park.
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Starting in about 1910, a yearly tradition developed for freshmen to whitewash the "A", which was visible for miles. However, at the beginning of the Iraq War, anti-war activists painted it black. This was followed by a paint scuffle where the "A" was painted various colors until the city council intervened. It is now red, white and blue except when it is white or another color decided by a biennial election. Because of the three-color paint scheme often used, the shape of the A can be vague and indistinguishable from the rest of the peak. The top of Sentinel Peak, which is accessible by road, offers an outstanding scenic view of the city looking eastward. A parking lot located near the summit of Sentinel Peak was formerly a popular place to watch sunsets or view the city lights at night.
Northern Tucson
North Tucson includes the urban neighborhoods of Amphitheater and Flowing WellsFlowing Wells, Arizona
Flowing Wells is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 15,050 at the 2000 census.The Flowing Wells community was given an All-American City Award by the National Civic League in 2007.-Geography:...
. Usually considered the area north of Fort Lowell Road, north Tucson includes some of Tucson's primary commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
zones (Tucson Mall
Tucson Mall
Tucson Mall is the largest shopping mall in Tucson, Arizona. Tucson Mall features over 200 stores and two levels of indoor shopping. The mall is owned and managed by General Growth Properties. It is anchored by Forever 21, J. C. Penney, Macy's , Dillard's, and Sears.-Anchors and...
and the Oracle Road Corridor). Many of the city's most upscale boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries are also located on the north side including St. Philip's Plaza. The Plaza is directly adjacent to the historic St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church (built in 1936).
Also on the north side is the suburban community of Catalina Foothills
Catalina Foothills, Arizona
Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census...
, located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
just north of the city limits. This community includes among the area's most expensive homes, sometimes multi-million dollar estates. The Foothills area is generally defined as north of River Road, east of Oracle Road, and west of Sabino Creek
Sabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon is a significant canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, USA. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents and visitors of Southern Arizona, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Minutes away from the...
. Some of the Tucson area's major resorts are located in the Catalina Foothills, including the Hacienda Del Sol, Westin La Paloma Resort
Westin Hotels
Westin Hotels & Resorts are an upscale hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. As of 2011, Westin operated over 160 hotels in 37 countries.-History:...
, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
Loews Hotels
-About Loews HotelsHotels:Loews Hotels currently owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the United States and Canada:-United States locations:*Loews Annapolis Hotel - Annapolis, Maryland*Loews Atlanta Hotel - Atlanta, Georgia...
and Canyon Ranch Resort. La Encantada, an upscale outdoor shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, is also in the Foothills.
The DeGrazia Gallery of the Sun
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District was the artistic manifestation and architectural constructed of Ettore DeGrazia. The property is a series of buildings scattered throughout a natural desert setting. Built in Tucson near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline the property is now a...
near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline Drive. Built by artist Ted DeGrazia
Ettore DeGrazia
Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia was an American impressionist, western-pop painter, sculptor, and lithographer. Self-described as "the world's most reproduced artist", DeGrazia is known for his pastel images of Native American children of the American Southwest and other Western scenes.Born to an Italian...
starting in 1951, the 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and features an eclectic chapel, an art gallery and a free museum.
The expansive area northwest of the city limits is diverse, ranging from the rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
communities of Catalina
Catalina, Arizona
Catalina is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,025 at the 2000 census. Catalina continues to experience increasing population growth, while attempting to maintain its rural character...
and parts of the town of Marana
Marana, Arizona
Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961...
, the small suburb of Picture Rocks
Picture Rocks, Arizona
Picture Rocks is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 8,139 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Picture Rocks is located at ....
, the affluent town of Oro Valley
Oro Valley, Arizona
Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, USA in Pima County. According to a July 2008 estimate, the population of the town is 43,223, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson,...
in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
, and residential areas in the northeastern foothills of the Tucson Mountains
Tucson Mountains
The Tucson Mountains are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains, including Wasson Peak, are one of four notable mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
. Continental Ranch (Marana), Dove Mountain (Marana), and Rancho Vistoso (Oro Valley) are all masterplanned communities located in the Northwest, where thousands of residents live.
The community of Casas Adobes
Casas Adobes, Arizona
Casas Adobes is a census-designated place located in the northern metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona . The population was 54,011 at the 2000 census...
is also on the Northwest Side, with the distinction of being Tucson's first suburb, established in the late 1940s. Casas Adobes is centered on the historic Casas Adobes Plaza
Casas Adobes Plaza
Casas Adobes Plaza is an upscale shopping mall located at the southwest corner of North Oracle Road and East Ina Road in Casas Adobes, Arizona , just northwest of Tucson....
(built in 1948). Casas Adobes is also home to Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul Park is a nature preserve in Casas Adobes, a suburb of Tucson, Arizona, United States.- Park History :In the 1920s, the entire northwest section of Tucson was considered ideal for growing frost-sensitive citrus and date palms. Maurice Reid owned property from Orange Grove Road to Ina...
(a nature preserve) near the intersection of North Oracle Road and West Ina Road. The attempted assassination
2011 Tucson shooting
On January 8, 2011, a mass shooting occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen people were shot, six of them fatally, with one other person injured at the scene during an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with members of her constituency in a Casas Adobes Safeway...
of Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
, and the murders of chief judge for the U.S. District Court for Arizona
United States District Court for the District of Arizona
The United States District Court for the District of Arizona is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Arizona. Court is held in the cities of Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, and Prescott. The district was created on June 20, 1910, by 36 Stat. 557...
, John Roll and five other people on January 8, 2011 occurred at the La Toscana Village in Casas Adobes. The Foothills Mall is also located on the northwest side in Casas Adobes.
Many of the Tucson area's golf courses and resorts are located in this area, including the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
in Oro Valley, the Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa, and Westward Look Resort. The Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain, the second Ritz Carlton Resort in Arizona, which also includes a golf course, opened in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains
Tortolita Mountains
The Tortolita Mountains are a minor mountain range located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, USA. With a peak elevation of 4,652 feet , the Tortolita Mountains are situated at the northern boundaries of Oro Valley and Marana, two suburbs of Tucson...
in northeast Marana in 2009. Catalina State Park
Catalina State Park
Catalina State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, located adjacent to the Coronado National Forest in the western slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. Catalina State Park has an average elevation of , but varies dramatically with high ridges and low creek beds. The park...
and Tortolita Mountain Park
Tortolita Mountains
The Tortolita Mountains are a minor mountain range located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, USA. With a peak elevation of 4,652 feet , the Tortolita Mountains are situated at the northern boundaries of Oro Valley and Marana, two suburbs of Tucson...
are also located in the Northwest area.
Eastern Tucson
East Tucson is relatively new compared to other parts of the city, developed between the 1950s and the 1970s, with developments such as Desert Palms ParkDesert Palms Park, Tucson
Desert Palms Park is a neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona. It is located in the east side of the city, between 8900-9100 east and 1300-1800 north. It is bordered by Speedway Boulevard to the South and Wrightstown Road to the North...
. It is generally classified as the area of the city east of Swan Road, with above-average real estate values relative to the rest of the city. The area includes urban and suburban development near the Rincon Mountains
Rincon Mountains
The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
. East Tucson includes Saguaro National Park East
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park, located in southern Arizona, is part of the United States National Park System.-Overview:The park is divided into two sections, called districts, lying approximately east and west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. The total area in 2010 was of which is...
. Tucson's "Restaurant Row" is also located on the east side, along with a significant corporate and financial
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
presence. Restaurant Row is sandwiched by three of Tucson's storied Neighborhoods: Harold Bell Wright Estates, named after the famous author's ranch which occupied some of that area prior to the depression; the Tucson Country Club, and the Dorado Country Club. Tucson's largest office building is 5151 East Broadway in east Tucson, completed in 1975. Park Place
Park Place (Tucson, Arizona)
Park Place is a large indoor shopping mall located on the East Side of Tucson, Arizona, USA.-History:Park Place originally opened as Park Mall circa 1970, but was renovated beginning in 1998 and renamed Park Place. The mall is named after Sears Park, which was previously located at the same site...
, a recently renovated shopping center, is also located there.
Near the intersection of Craycroft and Ft. Lowell Road are the remnants of the Historic Fort Lowell. This area has become one of Tucson's iconic neighborhoods. The Fort abandoned at the end of the 19th century was rediscovered by a trio of artists in the 1930s. The Bolsius family Pete, Nan and Charles Bolsius
Charles Bolsius
Charles William Bolsius was born in 's-Hertogenbosch, Holland on 23 June 1907. He studied art formally in Europe moving to New Mexico in the early 1930s...
purchased and renovated surviving adobe buildings of the Fort – transforming them into spectacular artistic southwestern architectural examples. Their woodwork, plaster treatment and sense of proportion drew on their Dutch heritage and New Mexican experience. This rural pocket in the middle of the city is listed on the National register of Historic Places. Each year in February the neighborhood celebrates its history in the City Landmark it owns and restored the San Pedro Chapel.
Situated between the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
and the Rincon Mountains
Rincon Mountains
The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
near Redington Pass
Redington Pass
Redington Pass is a high mountain pass between the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Rincons in northeast Pima County, Arizona. It is located just east of Tucson...
northeast of the city limits is the affluent community of Tanque Verde
Tanque Verde, Arizona
Tanque Verde is a suburban census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States, northeast of Tucson. The population was 16,195 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. The Arizona National Golf Club, Forty-Niners Country Club, and the historic Tanque Verde Guest Ranch are also in northeast Tucson.
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
. The area is considered to be south of Golf Links Road. It is the home of Santa Rita High School, Chuck Ford Park (Lakeside Park), Lakeside Lake
Lakeside Lake
Lakeside Lake is located at Chuck Ford-Lakeside Park in east Tucson, Arizona, United States, on the northwest corner of Stella Road and Sarnoff Drive.-Fish species:*Rainbow trout*Largemouth bass*Crappie*Sunfish*Channel catfish*Carp...
, Lincoln Park (upper and lower), The Lakecrest Neighborhoods, and Pima Community College East Campus. The Atterbury Wash with its access to excellent bird watching is also located in the Southeast Tucson area. The suburban community of Rita Ranch
Rita Ranch
Rita Ranch is a masterplanned community located in southeastern Tucson, Arizona. It is home to the Vail School District, one of the top public school districts in Arizona. It borders the small towns of Vail and Corona de Tucson. Many military families from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base live in the...
houses many of the military families from Davis-Monthan, and is near the southeastern-most expansion of the current city limits. Close by Rita Ranch and also within the city limits lies Civano, a planned development meant to showcase ecologically sound building practices and lifestyles. While the houses certainly meet that goal, other aspects of the development have been less successful.
Mount Lemmon
Mount LemmonMount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of...
, the highest peak of the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
, reaches an elevation of 9157 feet (2,791.1 m) above sea level. The mountain is named after 19th Century botanist Sara Lemmon. She was the first documented European to ascend to the peak and was purportedly guided by local Tohono O'odham
Tohono O'odham
The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...
up through Babad Do'ag (the O'odham name for the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
). Lemmon botanized extensively along the way, including collecting the plant Tagetes
Tagetes
Tagetes is a genus of 56 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants in the sunflower family . The genus is native to North and South America, but some species have become naturalized around the world. One species, T...
lemmoni which is now called the Mount Lemmon marigold.
Near the top of Mt. Lemmon is the town of Summerhaven. This is one of Tucson's biggest vacation spots. While it can be hiked, most people use Catalina Highway, which stretches 25 miles (40.2 km). In Summerhaven, visitors will find log houses, shops, and a rather large gift shop. Also, there is another road that leads to Mount Lemmon, where one will find a ski area.
Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, which is located at a Steward Observatory
Steward Observatory
The University of Arizona's Steward Observatorys main office is located on the University's campus and is closely tied to the Department of Astronomy. Established in 1916 by its first director, Andrew Ellicott Douglass, and a $60,000 bequest made by Lavinia Steward in memory of her late husband...
site known as 'Sky Island', sits 9152 feet (2,789.5 m) in altitude on the summit of Mt. Lemmon. As one of the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
's 27 unique Sky Islands
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
, this science learning facility is open to the public.
Climate and environmental issues
Tucson has hot summers and temperate winters. However, Tucson is almost always cooler and wetter than PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
because of its higher elevation.
Tucson has a desert climate
Desert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Bwh), with two major seasons, summer and winter; plus three minor seasons: fall, spring, and the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
. Though Tucson receives more precipitation than most other locations with desert climates, it still qualifies due to its high evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies...
in spite of receiving 11.8 inches (299.7 mm) of precipitation per year; in other words, it experiences a high net loss of water. A similar scenario is seen in Alice Springs, Australia which averages 11 inches (279.4 mm) a year, but has a desert climate.
Media reports heat related deaths increasing among illegal immigrants in and around Tucson. Heatstroke related deaths have been recorded since 1999 in the Pima County Area.
Summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
is characterized by daytime temperatures that exceed 100 °F (37 °C) and overnight temperatures between 66 °F (19 °C) and 85 °F (29 °C). Early summer is characterized by low humidity and clear skies; mid-summer and late summer are characterized by higher humidity, cloudy skies and frequent rain.
The monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
can begin any time from mid-June to late July, with an average start date around July 3. It typically continues through August and sometimes into September. During the monsoon, the humidity
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
is much higher than the rest of the year. It begins with clouds building up from the south in the early afternoon followed by intense thunderstorms and rainfall, which can cause flash floods. The evening sky at this time of year is often pierced with dramatic lightning strikes. Large areas of the city do not have storm sewers, so monsoon rains flood the main thoroughfares, usually for no longer than a few hours. A few underpasses in Tucson have "feet of water" scales painted on their supports to discourage fording by automobiles during a rainstorm. Arizona traffic code Title 28-910, the so-called "Stupid Motorist Law", was instituted in 1995 to discourage people from entering flooded roadways. If the road is flooded and a barricade is in place, motorists who drive around the barricade can be charged up to $2000 for costs involved in rescuing them. Despite all warnings and precautions, however, three Tucson drivers have drowned between 2004 and 2010.
The weather in the fall
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
is much like that during spring: dry, with cool nights and warm to hot days. Temperatures above 100 degrees occur into early October. Average daytime highs of 84 °F (28 °C), with overnight lows of 55 °F (13 °C), are typical in the fall, with mean daily temperatures falling more rapidly from October to December.
Winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
s in Tucson are mild relative to other parts of the United States. Daytime highs in the winter range between 64 °F (17.8 °C) and 75 °F (23.9 °C), with overnight lows between 30 °F (-1.1 °C) and 44 °F (6.7 °C). Tucson typically averages one hard freeze per winter season, with temperatures dipping to the mid or low-20s, but this is typically limited to only a very few nights. Although rare, snow has been known to fall in Tucson, usually a light dusting that melts within a day.
Early spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
is characterized by gradually rising temperatures and several weeks of vivid wildflower blooms beginning in late February and into March. Daytime average highs range from 72 °F (23 °C) in March to 88 °F (31 °C) in May with average overnight lows in March of 45 °F (7 °C) and in May of 59 °F (15 °C).
At the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, where records have been kept since 1894, the record maximum temperature was 115 °F (46.1 °C) on June 19, 1960, and July 28, 1995, and the record minimum temperature was 6 °F (-14.4 °C) on January 7, 1913. There are an average of 150.1 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 26.4 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. Average annual precipitation is 11.15 in (283.2 mm) . There is an average of 49 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1905 with 24.17 in (613.9 mm) and the driest year was 1924 with 5.07 in (128.8 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 7.56 in (192 mm) in July 1984. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 4.16 in (105.7 mm) on October 1, 1983. Annual snowfall averages 0.7 in (1.8 cm). The most snow in one year was 7.2 in (18.3 cm) in 1987. The most snow in one month was 6 in (15.2 cm) in January 1898 and March 1922.
At the airport, where records have been kept since 1930, the record maximum temperature was 117 °F (47.2 °C) on June 26, 1990, and the record minimum temperature was 16 °F (-8.9 °C) on January 4, 1949. There is an average of 145.0 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 16.9 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. Average annual precipitation is 11.59 inches (294.4 mm). Measurable precipitation falls on an average of 53 days. The wettest year was 1983 with 21.86 inches (555.2 mm) of precipitation, and the driest year was 1953 with 5.34 inches (135.6 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 7.93 inches (201.4 mm) in August 1955. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 3.93 inches (99.8 mm) on July 29, 1958. Snow at the airport averages only 1.1 inches (2.8 cm) annually. The most snow received in one year was 8.3 inches (21.1 cm) and the most snow in one month was 6.8 inches (17.3 cm) in December 1971.
Environmental sustainability
Davis-Monthan AFB is locally leading the way with a 3.3 Megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array and a 2.7 MW rooftop-mounted PV array, both of which are located in the Base Housing area. The base will soon have the largest solar-generating capacity in the Defense Department after awarding a contract on September 10, 2010 to SunEdisonSunEdison
Sun Edison LLC owns and operates power plants in North America and provides solar-generated energy to commercial, government, and utility customers. The company provides solar energy services, which include renewable power, monitoring, marketing, renewable portfolio standards, and solar tariff...
to construct a 14.5 MW PV field on the northwest side of the base.
Global Solar Energy, which is located at the University of Arizona's science and technology park, is one of the planet's largest CIGS solar fields at 750 kilowatts.
Perhaps the biggest sustainability problem is potable water supply. Household water use comprises the principal consumption of the water supply, with agriculture a close second. Like golf courses, agricultural lands are turning toward reclaimed water. Mining and other industrial water uses combined accounted for about a 15 percent of water use in 1997. Massive drawing down of groundwater resources over the last 100 years has occurred, visible as ground subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
in some residential areas.
To prevent further loss of groundwater, Tucson has been involved in water conservation and groundwater preservation effort, shifting away from its reliance on a series of Tucson area wells in favor of conservation, consumption-based pricing for residential and commercial water use, and new wells in the more sustainable Avra Valley aquifer, northwest of the city. An allocation from the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct
Central Arizona Project Aqueduct
The Central Arizona Project is a 336 mi diversion canal in Arizona in the United States. The aqueduct diverts water from the Colorado River from Lake Havasu City near Parker into central and southern Arizona. The CAP is the largest and most expensive aqueduct system ever constructed in the...
(CAP), which passes more than 300 miles (480 km) across the desert from the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, has been incorporated into the city's water supply, annually providing over 20 million gallons of "recharged" water which is pumped into the ground to replenish water pumped out. Since 2001, CAP water has allowed the city to remove or turn off over 80 wells.
Water
More than 100 years ago, the Santa Cruz River flowed nearly year-round through Tucson. This supply of water has slowly disappeared, causing Tucson to seek alternative sources.In 1881, water was pumped from a well on the banks of the Santa Cruz River and flowed by gravity through pipes into the distribution system.
Tucson currently draws water from two main sources: Central Arizona Project (CAP) water and groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
. In 1992, Tucson Water delivered CAP water to some customers that was referred to as being unacceptable due to discoloration, bad odor and flavor, as well as problems it caused some customers' plumbing and appliances. Tucson's city water currently consists of CAP water mixed with groundwater.
In an effort to conserve water, Tucson is recharging groundwater supplies by running part of its share of CAP water into various open portions of local rivers to seep into their aquifer. Additional study is scheduled to determine the amount of water that is lost through evaporation from the open areas, especially during the summer.
Demographics
According to the 2010 American Census Bureau, the racial composition of Tucson was as follows:- WhiteWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
: 69.7% (Non-Hispanic WhitesNon-Hispanic WhitesNon-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
: 47.2%) - Black or African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
: 5.0% - Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
: 2.7% - AsianAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
: 2.9% - Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderPacific Islander AmericanPacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
: 0.2% - Some other race: 17.8%
- Two or more racesMultiracial AmericanMultiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
: 3.4%
- Hispanic or LatinoHispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
(of any race): 41.6%; Mexican AmericanMexican AmericanMexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
s made up 36.1% of the city's population.
Source:
As of the census of 2010, there were 520,116 people, 229,762 households, and 112,455 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,500.1 inhabitants per square mile (965.3/km²). There were 209,609 housing units at an average density of 1,076.7 per square mile (415.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.2% White, 5.0% Black or African-American, 2.7% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 2.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 16.9% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.6% of the population.
There were 192,891 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the inner-city, the population has 24.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,981, and the median income for a family was $37,344. Males had a median income of $28,548 versus $23,086 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,322. About 13.7% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Politics and government
Pima County supported John KerryJohn Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
53% to 47% in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
54% to 46% in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. In the latter year, Pima was the only county to vote against Arizona's gay marriage ban.
In general, Tucson and Pima County support the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, as opposed the state's largest metropolitan area, Phoenix, which usually supports the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The Tucson area is divided into two federal Congressional districts (the seventh and eighth of Arizona), one that in 2000 contained a vast majority of Democratic voters and the other a bare majority of Republicans. The city center is in the 7th District, represented by Raul Grijalva
Raul Grijalva
Raúl M. Grijalva is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes half of metro Tucson, all of Yuma and Nogales, and some peripheral parts of metro Phoenix.-Early life, education and career:...
, a Democrat, since 2003, while the more affluent residential areas to the north and east are in the 8th District, represented by Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
, also a Democrat, since 2007.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates post offices in Tucson. The Tucson Main Post Office is located at 1501 South Cherrybell Stravenue
Stravenue
A stravenue is a type of road particular to Tucson, Arizona. The United States Postal Service officially supports the suffix STRA for stravenues...
.
City government
Tucson follows the "weak mayor" model of the council-manager form of local government. The 6-member city council holds exclusive legislative authority, and shares executive authority with the mayor, who is elected by the voters independently of the council. An appointed city manager, meanwhile, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city.Both the council members and the mayor serve four-year terms, and none face term limits. Council members are nominated by their wards via a ward-level primary held in September. The top vote-earners from each party then compete at-large for their ward's seat on the November ballot. In other words, on election day
Election Day (politics)
Election Day refers to the day when general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate, while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday...
the whole city votes on all the council races up for that year. Council elections are severed: Wards 1, 2, and 4 (as well as the mayor) are up for election in the same year (most recently 2011), while Wards 3, 5, and 6 share another year (most recently 2009).
Tucson is known for being a trailblazer in voluntary partial publicly-financed campaigns
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
. Since 1985, both mayoral and council candidates have been eligible to receive matching public funds from the city. To become eligible, council candidates must receive 200 donations of $10 or more (300 for a mayoral candidate). Candidates must then agree to spending limits equal to 33¢ for every registered Tucson voter, or $79,222 in 2005 (the corresponding figures for mayor are 64¢ per registered voter, or $142,271 in 2003). In return, candidates receive matching funds from the city at a 1:1 ratio of public money to private donations. The only other limitation is that candidates may not exceed 75% of the limit by the date of the primary. Many cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, have copied this system, albeit with more complex spending and matching formulas.
Robert E. Walkup (R) was elected mayor on November 2, 1999, re-elected for a second term on November 4, 2003 and again for a third term on November 6, 2007. He was preceded by George Miller
George Miller (Arizona politician)
George Miller is an American politician who served as the Mayor of Tucson, Arizona from 1991 until December 6, 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D), 1991–1999; Tom Volgy (D), 1987–1991; Lew(is) Murphy (R), 1971–1987; and Jim Corbett
Jim Corbett (politician)
James N. Corbett Jr. was an Arizona politician. He was born in Los Angeles, California.Corbett, whose Uncle, J. Knox Corbett also served as a Tucson mayor, was mayor from 1967 to 1971, and began his 20-year-career as the elected clerk of the court in 1979.Corbett served as a Coast Guard officer...
(D), 1967–1971.
Economy
Much of Tucson's economic development has been centered on the development of the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, which is currently the second largest employer in the city. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, located on the southeastern edge of the city, also provides many jobs for Tucson residents. Its presence, as well as the presence of the US Army Intelligence Center (Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the "Buffalo...
, the largest employer in the region in nearby Sierra Vista), has led to the development of a significant number of high-tech industries, including government contractors, in the area. Today, there are more than 1,200 businesses employing more than 50,000 people in the high-tech industries of Southern Arizona.
The City of Tucson, Pima County, the State of Arizona and the private sector have all made commitments to create a growing, healthy economy with advanced technology industry sectors as its foundation. Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
Missile Systems, Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. is an American software company that develops financial and tax preparation software and related services for small businesses, accountants and individuals...
, Universal Avionics
Universal Avionics
Universal Avionics Systems Corporation is an international company headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. It primarily focuses on Flight Management Systems and cockpit instrument displays for private, business, and commercial aircraft. Universal Avionics has offices in Arizona, Kansas, Washington,...
, Sunquest Information Systems
Sunquest Information Systems
Sunquest Information Systems, Inc. is a leading company in laboratory and diagnostic information solutions with more than 1,400 hospitals and commercial laboratories using its solutions worldwide...
, Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi S.A. is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, the world's fourth-largest by prescription sales. Sanofi engages in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products for sale principally in the prescription market, but the...
, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., and Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
all have a significant presence in Tucson. Roughly 150 Tucson companies are involved in the design and manufacture of optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
and optoelectronics
Optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices that source, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, light often includes invisible forms of radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet and infrared, in addition to visible light...
systems, earning Tucson the nickname "Optics Valley".
Tourism is another major industry in Tucson, bringing in $2 billion-a-year and over 3.5 million visitors annually due to Tucson's numerous resorts, hotels, and attractions.
One of the major annual attractions is the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and the associated shows, all held generally in the first two weeks of February. These associated shows (such as gems, jewelry, beads, fossils) are held throughout the city, with 43 different shows in 2010. This makes Tucson the largest such show in the world.
In addition to vacationers, a significant number of winter residents, or "snowbirds
Snowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
", are attracted by Tucson's mild winters and contribute to the local economy. Snowbirds often purchase second home
Vacation property
Vacation property is a niche in the real estate market dealing with residences used for holiday vacations . In the United Kingdom this type of property is usually termed a holiday home, in Australia, a holiday house/home, or weekender, in New Zealand, a bach or crib...
s in Tucson and nearby areas, contributing significantly to the property tax base. Other snowbirds and "perpetual traveler
Perpetual traveler
The term perpetual traveller refers to both a lifestyle and a philosophy.- Background :...
s" can be seen in large numbers arriving in autumn in large RVs
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
towing small cars. These "snowbirds" often stay until the end of baseball's Spring Training, as a number of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams hold practice games in the area.
In general there are also a number of middle-class and upper-class Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
ns, who travel from Mexico to Tucson to purchase goods that are not readily available in Mexico.
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
The Tucson Gem & Mineral ShowTucson Gem & Mineral Show
The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase is one of the premier gem and mineral shows in the world. The event takes place annually in late January and February at approximately 40 to 49 different locations across the city of Tucson, Arizona. Most of the shows are open to the public, except for...
is held every year in February for two weeks. It is one of the largest gem
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
and mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
shows in the world, and features many of the finest mineral specimens. There is no single location for display of minerals, but rather close to fifty locations spread across town.
Tucson Folk Festival
For the past 25 years the Tucson Folk Festival has taken place the first Saturday and Sunday of May in downtown Tucson's El Presidio Park. In addition to nationally known headline acts each evening, the Festival highlights over 100 local and regional musicians on five stages in one of the largest free festivals in the country. All stages are within easy walking distance. Organized by the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, volunteers make this festival possible. Arizona's only community radio station KXCIKXCI
KXCI is a "community radio" radio station that serves Tucson, Arizona. KXCI broadcasts on the frequency of 91.3 MHz. Programs include talk shows, music shows and call-in shows...
91.3-FM, is a major partner, broadcasting from the Plaza Stage throughout the weekend. In addition, there are numerous workshops, events for children, sing-alongs, and a popular singer/songwriter contest. Musicians typically play 30-minute sets, supported by professional audio staff volunteers. A variety of food and crafts are available at the festival, as well as local micro-brews. All proceeds from sales go to fund future festivals.
Fourth Avenue Street Fair
There are two Fourth Avenue Street Fairs, in December and late March/early April, staged between 9th Street and University Boulevard, that feature arts and crafts booths, food vendors and street performers. The fairs began in 1970 when Fourth Avenue, which at the time had half a dozen thrift shops, several New Age bookshops and the Food Conspiracy Co-Op, was a gathering place for hippies, and a few merchants put tables in front of their stores to attract customers before the holidays.These days the street fair has grown into a large corporate event, with most tables owned by outside merchants. It hosts mostly traveling craftsmen selling various arts such as pottery, paintings, wood working, metal decorations, candles, and many others.
TAWN Fall Festival
For over twenty years, the Tucson Area Wiccan-Pagan Network (TAWN) has hosted Fall Fest, an all-day autumn celebration for the Pagan community. Generally held on the weekend nearest to the Wiccan holiday of Mabon (the autumn equinox) and usually held in the open air, Fall Fest often draws hundreds of participants from many pagan religions, some traveling from as far away as Phoenix or even other states.The Tucson Rodeo (Fiesta de los Vaqueros)
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
week. While at its heart the Fiesta is a sporting event, it includes what is billed as "the world's largest non-mechanized parade". The Rodeo Parade is a popular event as most schools give two rodeo days off instead of Presidents Day. The exception to this is Presidio High, which doesn't get either. Western wear is seen throughout the city as corporate dress codes are cast aside during the Fiesta. The Fiesta de los Vaqueros marks the beginning of the rodeo season in the United States.
Tucson Meet Yourself
Every October for the past 30 years, Tucson Meet Yourself has presented the faces of Tucson's many ethnic groups. For one weekend, dancing, singing, artwork, and food from more than 30 different ethnicities are featured in the downtown area. All performers are from Tucson and the surrounding area, in keeping with the idea of "meeting yourself."All Souls Procession Weekend
All Souls Procession is one of the largest festivals in Tucson. Celebrated since 1990, it is held on the first Sunday in November. Modeled on the Mexican holiday Dia de los MuertosDay of the Dead
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality...
(Day of the Dead), it combines elements of African, Anglo, Celtic, and Latin American culture. At sundown, thousands of people garbed in myriad costumes, mostly of the deceased, gather near the corner of Fourth Avenue and University Boulevard: Epic Cafe. In 2009, the Tucson Police Department estimated that over 20,000 people participated in this event. The non-profit festal culture organization Many Mouths One Stomach organizes this event to acknowledge, mourn and celebrate deceased loved ones, and the "grand mystery" of death. Starting in 2006, the All Souls Procession became a multiple day series of events-12 different events and activities happen several days before the Procession, Grand Finale and Dance of the Dead all on a Sunday Night. The date of the 21st Annual All Souls Procession Weekend is Sunday November 7, 2010
Cultural and other attractions
Cultural and other attractions include:- Arizona Historical SocietyArizona Historical SocietyThe Arizona Historical Society is a non-profit organization whose goal is to collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate the history of Arizona, the West, and Northern Mexico as it pertains to Arizona. It does this through 4 regional divisions. Each division has a representative museum...
- Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil ShowcaseTucson Gem & Mineral ShowThe Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase is one of the premier gem and mineral shows in the world. The event takes place annually in late January and February at approximately 40 to 49 different locations across the city of Tucson, Arizona. Most of the shows are open to the public, except for...
is held annually in Tucson, and is the largest gem and mineral show in the United States. - The Fremont House is an original adobe house in the Tucson Community Center that was saved while one of Tucson's earliest barrios was razed as urban renewal.
- Fort Lowell MuseumFort LowellFort Lowell was a United States Army post active from 1873 to 1891 on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. Fort Lowell was the successor to Camp Lowell, an earlier Army installation. The Army chose a location just south of the confluence of the Tanque Verde and Pantano creeks, at the point where they...
- Mission San Xavier del BacMission San Xavier del BacMission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation...
- Old Tucson StudiosOld Tucson StudiosOld Tucson Studios is a movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona, it has been used for the filming of several movies and television westerns since then,...
, built as a set for the movie ArizonaArizona (1940 film)Arizona is a 1940 American Western film starring Jean Arthur, William Holden and Warren William. It was directed by Wesley Ruggles.Victor Young was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Music Score, while Lionel Banks and Robert Peterson were considered for the Academy Award for Best Art...
, is a movie studioMovie studioA movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
and theme park for classic Westerns. - The Tucson Museum of Art was established as part of an art school, the Art Center, which was founded by local Tucson artists including Rose CabatRose CabatRose Cabat was born in 1914 in the Bronx, NY.Rose Cabat is an American studio ceramicist, classified as part of the Mid-Century modern movement, living in Arizona, who is best known for her innovative glazes upon small porcelain pots called 'feelies' often in the shape of onions and figs, and...
- The University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
Art Museum includes works by Franz KlineFranz KlineFranz Jozef Kline was an American painter mainly associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement centered around New York in the 1940s and 1950s. He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and attended Girard College, an academy in Philadelphia for fatherless boys...
, Jackson PollockJackson PollockPaul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
and Mark RothkoMark RothkoMark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
as part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, a tribute to a young man who was killed in a boating accident. The museum also includes the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European works from the 14th to 19th centuries and the C. Leonard Pfeiffer Collection of American paintings. - Center for Creative PhotographyCenter for Creative PhotographyThe Center for Creative Photography , established in 1975 and located on the University of Arizona campus, is a research facility and archival repository containing the full archives of over sixty of the most famous American photographers including those of Edward Weston, Harry Callahan and Garry...
, a leading museum with many works by major artists such as Ansel AdamsAnsel AdamsAnsel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
and Edward WestonEdward WestonEdward Henry Weston was a 20th century American photographer. He has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers…" and "one of the masters of 20th century photography." Over the course of his forty-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of...
. - International Wildlife Museum, which is five miles (8 km) west of Interstate 10Interstate 10Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
, maintains an exhibition of over four-hundred different species from around the globe. - The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is an iconic Tucson landmark in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
- Arizona-Sonora Desert MuseumArizona-Sonora Desert MuseumThe Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a museum and zoo founded in 1952 and located in Tucson, Arizona. It contains a museum and two miles of walking paths on of this property, and is one of the most visited attractions in Tucson...
is a combined zoo, museum, and botanical garden, devoted to indigenous animals and plants of the Sonoran DesertSonoran DesertThe Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
. - Titan Missile MuseumTitan Missile MuseumThe Titan Missile Museum, also known as Air Force Facility Missile Site 8 or as Titan II ICBM Site 571-7, is a former ICBM missile site located at 1580 West Duval Mine Road, Sahuarita, Arizona. It is located about 15 miles south of Tucson...
is located about 25 miles (40 km) south of the city on I-19. This is a Cold War era TitanTitan (rocket family)Titan was a family of U.S. expendable rockets used between 1959 and 2005. A total of 368 rockets of this family were launched, including all the Project Gemini manned flights of the mid-1960s...
nuclear missile silo (billed as the only remaining intact post-Cold War Titan missile silo) turned tourist stop. - Pima County FairPima County FairThe Pima County Fair is a fun fair that happens every year outside Tucson, Arizona for one week during the month of April.-Concert Lineup :...
- Trail Dust TownTrail Dust TownTrail Dust Town is a historical outdoor shopping center located in Tucson, Arizona.Although Trail Dust Town operates as a for-profit shopping mall, on its grounds exists a great number of historical artifacts, including an Allan Herschell merry-go-round, the Fiesta del Presidio carousel, which was...
is an outdoor shopping mall and restaurant complex that was built from the remains of a 1950 western movie set. - Museum of the Horse Soldier
- Jewish Heritage Center Tucson
Shops in Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon offer such items as jewelry and other gifts, pizza, and delicious fresh-fruit pies. The legacy of the Aspen Fire
Aspen Fire
The Aspen Fire burned from June 17, 2003 for about a month on Mount Lemmon, part of the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, and in the surrounding area...
can be seen in charred trees, rebuilt homes, and melted beads incorporated into a sidewalk.
Fourth Avenue, located near the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, is home to many shops, restaurants, and bars, and hosts the annual 4th Avenue Street Fair every December and March. University Boulevard, leading directly to the UA Main Gate, is also the center of numerous bars, retail shops, and restaurants most commonly frequented by the large student population of the UA.
El Tiradito
El Tiradito
El Tiradito is a shrine and popular local spot in the Old Barrio area of downtown Tucson, Arizona. The shrine consists of the crumbling remains of a brick building, with a large metal rack for candles and desert plants now occupying the interior...
is a religious shrine in the downtown area. The Shrine dates back to the early days of Tucson. It's based on a love story of revenge and murder. People stop by the Shrine to light a candle for someone in need, a place for people to go give hope.
The Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 is a structure originally built to be an artificial, materially-closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona by Space Biosphere Ventures, a joint venture whose principal officers were John P. Allen, inventor and Executive Director, and Margret Augustine, CEO...
, is a 3.14 acre educational facility, designed to mimic a tropical or sub-tropical climate-controlled environment.
Literary arts
The number of accomplished and awarded writers (poets, novelists, dramatists, nonfiction writers) in Tucson is too numerous to mention. Some are associated with the University of Arizona, but many are independent writers who have chosen to make Tucson their home. The city is also rich in literary organizations, particularly active in publishing and presenting contemporary innovative poetry in various ways. Among them are Chax PressChax Press
Chax Press is a publisher of experimental and avant-garde poetry run by bookmaker and poet Charles Alexander. The press publishes trade paperback and handmade fine arts editions...
, publisher of poetry books in trade and book arts editions. The University of Arizona Poetry Center
University of Arizona Poetry Center
The is among the nation’s finest and most extensive collections of contemporary poetry. It is the largest such collection which is "open shelf."-History of the Collection and the Center:...
is one of the leading academic sites for poetry in the nation, and, in addition to its sizable poetry library, it presents readings, conferences, and workshops.
Performing arts
Theater groups include the Arizona Theatre CompanyArizona Theatre Company
The Arizona Theatre Company is a professional regional theatre company operating in both Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. The company has been known as the official "State Theatre of Arizona" since 1978...
, which performs in the Temple of Music and Art, a mirror image of the Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
; and Arizona Onstage Productions
Arizona Onstage Productions
Arizona Onstage Productions is a non-profit theater company in Tucson, Arizona. The company was founded by former touring actor Kevin Johnson and is mainly known for producing unusual, thought-provoking and often controversial musicals...
, a not-for-profit theater company devoted to musical theater. In 2004, the NY based Nederlander Organization
Nederlander Organization
The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander and based in Detroit, Michigan, is one of the largest operators of legitimate theatres and music venuesin the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on the Detroit Opera House in 1912. The building was demolished in...
also opened a local operation. Broadway in Tucson
Broadway in Tucson
Broadway in Tucson/A Nederlander Presentation is part of the nationally recognized Nederlander Producing Company of America. The Nederlander organization was awarded a contract by the City of Tucson in 2003 to present a series of Broadway musicals and special events downtown at the Tucson Music...
presents the touring reproductions of many Broadway style events at the Tucson Music Hall.
Music
Musical groupsMusic of Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona has a strong, growing independent music culture that focuses on locally-grown and locally-derived musical genres. The city is home to musical organizations that seek to nurture artists from the local music scene as well as introduce the community to other musical styles from beyond...
include the Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Tucson Symphony Orchestra
The Tucson Symphony Orchestra, or TSO, is the primary professional orchestra of Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1928, when the season consisted of just two concerts, the TSO is the oldest continuously running performing arts organization in the Southwest...
, founded in 1929; and Arizona Opera
Arizona Opera
Arizona Opera is an opera company which operates in both Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.Arizona Opera was established in 1971 as the Tucson Opera Company, under founding general director James P. Sullivan, and presented its first production, of Rossini's The Barber of Seville, in 1972. By 1976 the...
, founded as the Tucson Opera Company in 1971. The Tucson Pops Orchestra
Pops orchestra
A pops orchestra is an orchestra that plays popular music and show tunes as well as well-known classical works. Pops orchestras are generally organised in large cities and are distinct from the more "highbrow" symphony or philharmonic orchestras which also may exist in the same city...
plays outdoor concerts in the spring and fall.
Mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
music is popular and influential in Tucson, and the city is home to a large number of Mariachi musicians and singers. Mariachi is celebrated annually at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. There is also a yearly Norteño
Norteño (music)
Norteño , also norteña or conjunto, is a genre of Mexican music. The accordion and the bajo sexto are norteño's most characteristic instruments. The norteño genre is popular in both Mexico and the United States, especially among the Mexican community...
Festival in the enclave city of South Tucson.
Tucson has a small but committed independent music scene, nearly all of which is concentrated in the city's downtown area. Bob Log III
Bob Log III
Bob Log III is an American slide guitar one-man band. During performances, he plays old Silvertone archtop guitars, wears a full body human cannonball suit, and a pilot's helmet wired to a telephone receiver, which allows him to devote his hands and feet to guitar and drums. The spectacle has been...
, Flagrante Delicto, God of the Sea, Calexico, Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta Giant Sand
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original Giant Sandworms, a reference to the creatures in the Dune books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album...
, Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades
Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades
Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades is a band that was formed in 1997 in Tucson, Arizona. Combining various influences from swing music, ska, rockabilly music and rock Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades attracted a local following throughout the Southwest of The United States. Best associated...
, Murs, The Bled
The Bled
The Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...
, Salvador Duran
Salvador Durán
Salvador Durán Sánchez is a Mexican race car driver currently racing in the NACAR Corona Series and formerly Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship with the Interwetten.com team....
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
and Tucson's official troubadour Ted Ramirez
Ted Ramirez
Ted Ramírez is Tucson's official troubadour as proclaimed by Tucson's Mayor and Council on December 17, 2001. The event was well attended and most notably by, Arizona folk music legends Travis Edmonson and Dolan Ellis...
are among the prominent musical artists based in Tucson. Local performers also receive some airplay (and occasionally play live) on the community radio station KXCI
KXCI
KXCI is a "community radio" radio station that serves Tucson, Arizona. KXCI broadcasts on the frequency of 91.3 MHz. Programs include talk shows, music shows and call-in shows...
. The Tucson Area Music Awards, or TAMMIES, are an annual event.
Sports
The University of Arizona WildcatsArizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
sports teams, most notably the men's basketball and women's softball teams, are often the subject of national attention as well as strong local interest. The men's basketball team, formerly coached by Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
and currently coached by Sean Miller, has made 25 straight NCAA Tournaments
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
and won the 1997 National Championship. Arizona's Softball team has reached the NCAA National Championship game 12 times and has won 8 times, most recently in 2007. The university's swim teams
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
have gained international recognition, with swimmers coming from as far as Japan and Africa to train with the coach Frank Busch who has also worked with the U.S. Olympic swim team for a number of years. Both men and women's swim teams recently won the NCAA National Championships. The University of Arizona's Softball team has in the past won the NCAA National Championships, pitched by local heroine Jennie Finch
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
. The Arizona Icecats hockey team, a University of Arizona club team play at the Tucson Convention Center. Leo Golembiewski (Head Coach and General Manager) had led them to rank nationally virtually every year, and they have won their Division a number of times. Over 70,000 attended their games in 2011.
Several levels of baseball are played in Tucson. The Tucson Electric Park
Tucson Electric Park
Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium is a baseball stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox formerly utilized the park for Cactus League games each March and had their minor league complexes on-site...
has been the spring training location for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
(NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
), and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
). The Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
(NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
) used to practice at nearby Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field is a baseball stadium located in Tucson, Arizona. The stadium holds approximately 9,500 people. It was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies, and is currently home to the Tucson Toros...
. These teams, along with the twelve that practice in nearby Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, make up the Cactus League. The Tucson Padres began play at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2011, they are the AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
affiliate of the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. The Tucson Sidewinders
Tucson Sidewinders
The Tucson Sidewinders were a minor league baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team, which played in the Pacific Coast League, was the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major-league club....
, a triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, won the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
championship and unofficial AAA championship in 2006. The Sidewinders played in Tucson Electric Park
Tucson Electric Park
Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium is a baseball stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox formerly utilized the park for Cactus League games each March and had their minor league complexes on-site...
and were in the Pacific Conference South of the PCL. The Sidewinders were sold in 2007 and moved to Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
after the 2008 season. The United States Handball Association
United States Handball Association
The United States Handball Association is the national governing body for American handball in the United States, a game played mostly in that country...
Hall of Fame is located in Tucson. The Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
are a professional baseball team that played in the PCL from 1969 to 1997 and won the PCL championship on two occasions, in 1991 and 1993. They are owned by Jay Zucker of Tucson Baseball, LLC. They were once a triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and are now members of the independent Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
, as of September 1, 2008 They will play their home games at Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field is a baseball stadium located in Tucson, Arizona. The stadium holds approximately 9,500 people. It was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies, and is currently home to the Tucson Toros...
.
The Tucson Thunder Kats
Tucson Thunder Kats
The Tucson Thunder Kats are a professional indoor football team that was planning to begin play in the American Indoor Football Association for the 2011 season. The organization has shut operations down until the 2012 season which could become indefinite...
are an expansion indoor football team in the American Indoor Football Association that is set to join the league and begin playing in 2011. The Thunder Kats will play their home games at the Tucson Convention Center
Tucson Convention Center
The Tucson Convention Center , previously named the Tucson Community Center, is a large multi-purpose convention center located in downtown Tucson, Arizona...
. Women's football also has a stronghold in Tucson, as there are currently two teams in the area. The Tucson Monsoon are a member of the Independent Women's Football League
Independent Women's Football League
The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world....
where they have played since their inception in 2006. Beginning in 2011, the Arizona She-Devils will begin play in Tucson as a member of the Women's Spring Football League
Women's Spring Football League
The Women's Spring Football League is a full contact Women's American football league which began play in 2010. Five teams played the WSFL's 2010 exhibition schedule, with twelve more joining for their first full season in 2011, and five more for 2012. Three of the league's original 5 have since...
.
Tracks include Tucson Raceway Park
Tucson Raceway Park
Tucson Raceway Park is a 3/8-mile paved oval racetrack located at the Pima County Fairgrounds, off Interstate 10 just south of Tucson, Arizona. It is one of only three paved ovals in the state of Arizona . The track is currently closed. -History:The track was built in 1968, originally as a clay oval...
hosts NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
-sanctioned auto racing events and is one of only two asphalt short tracks in Arizona. Rillito Downs is an in-town destination on weekends in January and February each year. This historic track held the first organized quarter horse races in the world, and they are still racing there. Unfortunately, the racetrack is threatened by development.
The city has more than 120 parks, including Reid Park Zoo
Reid Park Zoo
The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967, is a city-owned and operated non-profit zoo in Tucson, Arizona. The zoo features more than 500 animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation director at the time.-Exhibits:...
. There are five public golf courses located in Tucson. Several scenic parks and points of interest are also located nearby, including the Tucson Botanical Gardens
Tucson Botanical Gardens
The Tucson Botanical Gardens is a collection of 16 botanical gardens located at 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona, USA.Although the Garden property dates back to the 1930s, when it was the home of Bernice and Rutger Porter, the Tucson Botanical Gardens were founded in 1964 by horticulturist...
, Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul Park is a nature preserve in Casas Adobes, a suburb of Tucson, Arizona, United States.- Park History :In the 1920s, the entire northwest section of Tucson was considered ideal for growing frost-sensitive citrus and date palms. Maurice Reid owned property from Orange Grove Road to Ina...
, Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park, located in southern Arizona, is part of the United States National Park System.-Overview:The park is divided into two sections, called districts, lying approximately east and west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. The total area in 2010 was of which is...
, Sabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon is a significant canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, USA. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents and visitors of Southern Arizona, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Minutes away from the...
, and Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 is a structure originally built to be an artificial, materially-closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona by Space Biosphere Ventures, a joint venture whose principal officers were John P. Allen, inventor and Executive Director, and Margret Augustine, CEO...
(just north of the city, in the town of Oracle
Oracle, Arizona
- Geology :Oracle and the surrounding area sit largely on a slab of granite called "Oracle granite" that is visible as red or grey-and-white speckled "boulders" rising over the scrub and grass. It is mostly porphyritic biotite Precambrian granite with large microcline phenocrysts, and has...
).
Coronado National Forest
The Coronado National Forest includes an area of about 1.78 million acres spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico....
. Outdoor activities in the summer include hiking, birding, rock climbing, picnicking, camping, sky rides at Ski Valley, fishing and touring. In the winter, skiing and/or sledding is sometimes available at the southernmost ski resort in the continental United States. Summerhaven
Summerhaven, Arizona
Summerhaven is a small Census-designated place on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Summerhaven sits at an elevation of approximately 8,200 feet...
, a community near the top of Mt. Lemmon, is also a popular destination.
The League of American Bicyclists
League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists is a non-profit membership organization which promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation through advocacy and education....
gave Tucson a gold rating for bicycle friendliness in late April, 2007. Tucson hosts the largest perimeter cycling event in the United States. The ride called "El Tour de Tucson
El Tour de Tucson
El Tour de Tucson is one of the largest road bicycling events in the United States. The El Tour de Tucson was started in 1983 by cyclist Richard DeBernardis, current president of the Perimeter Bicycling Association of America. The ride takes place every November in Tucson, Arizona...
" happens in November on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. El Tour de Tucson
El Tour de Tucson
El Tour de Tucson is one of the largest road bicycling events in the United States. The El Tour de Tucson was started in 1983 by cyclist Richard DeBernardis, current president of the Perimeter Bicycling Association of America. The ride takes place every November in Tucson, Arizona...
produced and promoted by Perimeter Bicycling
Perimeter Bicycling
Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc. is a 5013 non-profit, tax exempt organization in Tucson, Arizona, responsible for the production and promotion of four major cycling events: El Tour de Tucson, El Tour de Phoenix, Cochise County Cycling Classic and Tour of the Tucson Mountains. Each...
has as many as 10,000 participants from all over the world, annually. Tucson is one of only nine cities in the U.S. to receive a gold rating or higher for cycling friendliness from the League of American Bicyclists
League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists is a non-profit membership organization which promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation through advocacy and education....
. The city is known for its winter cycling opportunities. Both road and mountain biking are popular in and around Tucson with trail areas including Starr Pass and Fantasy Island.
Media
There is one major daily newspaper in Tucson, the morning Arizona Daily StarArizona Daily Star
The Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
. There are also several weekly newspapers, including the Tucson Weekly
Tucson Weekly
The Tucson Weekly is an alternative newsweekly that was founded in 1984 by Douglas Biggers and Mark Goehring, and serves the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area of about 900,000 residents. The paper is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies...
(an "alternative" publication), Inside Tucson Business
Inside Tucson Business
Inside Tucson Business is a weekly newspaper published in Tucson that covers the business, financial, and economic news of Southern Arizona. It is owned by Wick Communications, which also owns the Tucson Weekly and The Daily Territorial. The paper's Web site also contains stories and listings from...
, and the Explorer. The Downtown Tucsonan, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, "Lovin' Life News", DesertLeaf, and Zócalo Magazine are monthly publications covering arts, architecture, decor, fashion, entertainment, business, history, and other events. The Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Arizona Daily Wildcat is a student newspaper serving the University of Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the Sage Green and Silver. Previous names include Arizona Weekly Life, University Life, Arizona Life and Arizona Wildcat. Its distribution is within the university and the Tucson, Arizona...
is the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
's student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
, and the Aztec News is the Pima Community College student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
.
The Tucson metro area is served by many local television stations and is the 68th largest designated market area
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
(DMA) in the U.S. with 433,310 homes (0.39% of the total U.S.). The major television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s serving Tucson are: KVOA
KVOA
KVOA is a full-service NBC-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 23 from its transmitter on Mount Bigelow, northeast of Tucson. Per FCC regulations, the station identifies itself on television tuners as channel 4 through PSIP...
4 (NBC), KGUN
KGUN
KGUN-TV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona, owned by Journal Broadcast Group, Inc.. It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 9 from Mount Bigelow, located northeast of Tucson...
9 (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
), KOLD-TV
KOLD-TV
KOLD-TV is a full-service television station in Tucson, Arizona. It is the CBS affiliate in Tucson, Arizona, and is owned by Raycom Media. The station broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 32; it also carries Me-TV on digital subchannel 13.2...
13 (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
), KMSB-TV
KMSB-TV
KMSB is the Fox-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona. The station broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 25 . Since it transmits from atop Mount Bigelow, there is no signal reception in the northern part of Tucson, Oro Valley and Marana....
11 (Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
), KTTU 18 (My Network TV), and KWBA
KWBA
KWBA-TV, virtual channel 58, is the affiliate of The CW network in Tucson, Arizona. The station broadcasts on digital channel 44, and is licensed to Sierra Vista, Arizona...
58 (The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
). KUAT-TV
KUAT-TV
KUAT-TV is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Owned by the Arizona Board of Regents and operated by the University of Arizona, it broadcasts from the facilities of Arizona Public Media, located on campus in the Modern Languages...
6 is a PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
affiliate run by the University of Arizona (as is sister station KUAS 27).
Post-secondary education
- University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
: established in 1885; the second largest university in the state in terms of enrollment with over 36,000 students. - Pima Community CollegePima Community CollegePima Community College is an American two-year institution of higher education in Pima County, Arizona serving the Tucson metropolitan area. The community college district consists of six campuses, four education centers, and several adult education learning centers. It provides traditional and...
has ten campuses. - Arizona State University, College of Public Programs, School of Social Work, Tucson Component has for over 30 years conferred Bachelor's of Social Work (BSW) and Master's of Social Work (MSW) degrees to those who have earned them at their Tucson Campus.
- Tucson College has one Tucson campus.
- Brown Mackie CollegeBrown Mackie CollegeBrown Mackie College is a collection of for-profit educational institutions for career preparation in the business, legal, health sciences, information technology, and creative fields. The system of schools has locations throughout the United States. The schools are owned by Education Management...
has one Tucson campus. - University of PhoenixUniversity of PhoenixThe University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
has four Tucson campuses. - The Art Institute of TucsonThe Art Institute of TucsonThe Art Institute of Tucson – is one of The Art Institutes, a system of more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts....
has one campus. - Prescott CollegePrescott CollegePrescott College is a private liberal arts college in Prescott, Arizona, founded in 1966. It is a non-profit organization which has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students, and an average student to faculty ratio of 7:1 in on-campus classrooms...
has a Tucson branch campus. - Northern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
has a Tucson branch campus. - Arizona School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine.
- The Art Center Design CollegeThe Art Center Design CollegeThe Art Center Design College is a private college based out of Tucson, Arizona with a branch campus located in Albuquerque, New Mexico....
has two Tucson campus
Public schools
Primarily, students of the Tucson area attend public schools in the Tucson Unified School DistrictTucson Unified School District
Tucson Unified School District is the largest school district of Tucson, Arizona in terms of enrollment. As of 2006 TUSD has more than 60,000 students and approximately 3,700 faculty members....
(TUSD). TUSD has the second highest enrollment of any school district in Arizona, behind Mesa Unified School District in the Phoenix metropolitan area. There are many publicly funded charter schools with a specialized curriculum.
| Public Schools | |
|---|---|
| District | Area(s) served |
| Altar Valley School District | Located southwest of the city, primarily serving Three Points Three Points, Arizona Three Points is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 5,273 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Three Points is located at .... . |
| Amphitheater Public Schools Amphitheater Public Schools Amphitheater Public Schools, also known as Amphi or District 10, is the third largest public school district in Tucson, Arizona in terms of enrollment, with over 16,000 students... |
Serves segments of the North Side, Casas Adobes Casas Adobes, Arizona Casas Adobes is a census-designated place located in the northern metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona . The population was 54,011 at the 2000 census... , Catalina Foothills Catalina Foothills, Arizona Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census... , and the communities of Oro Valley Oro Valley, Arizona Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, USA in Pima County. According to a July 2008 estimate, the population of the town is 43,223, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson,... , eastern Tortolita Tortolita, Arizona Tortolita is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,740 at the 2000 census. Tortolita is situated between the booming towns of Oro Valley and Marana. These two incorporated communities continue to annex the community of Tortolita... and Catalina Catalina, Arizona Catalina is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,025 at the 2000 census. Catalina continues to experience increasing population growth, while attempting to maintain its rural character... northwest of the city. |
| Catalina Foothills School District | Serves segments of the upper Catalina Foothills Catalina Foothills, Arizona Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census... north of the city. |
| Continental School District | Serves the rural area south of Sahuarita Sahuarita, Arizona Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles south of Tucson... . |
| Flowing Wells Unified School District Flowing Wells Unified School District The Flowing Wells Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. It serves much of Flowing Wells.It serves some 6,000 students in ten schools. It was founded in 1889 as the Rillito School District and changed in 1928 due to an error in documentation in the Arizona... |
Serves segments of the North Side and the Northwest Side along I-10 Interstate 10 in Arizona In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:... . |
| Marana Unified School District Marana Unified School District Marana Unified School District is an Arizona school district comprising 17 schools in Pima County, Arizona. It has its headquarters in Marana.As of September 2004, MUSD had over 13,000 students and 1700 employees... |
Serves the town of Marana Marana, Arizona Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961... , Picture Rocks Picture Rocks, Arizona Picture Rocks is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 8,139 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Picture Rocks is located at .... , Avra Valley Avra Valley, Arizona Avra Valley is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 5,038 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Avra Valley is located at .... and western Tortolita Tortolita, Arizona Tortolita is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,740 at the 2000 census. Tortolita is situated between the booming towns of Oro Valley and Marana. These two incorporated communities continue to annex the community of Tortolita... northwest of the city. |
| Sahuarita Unified School District Sahuarita Unified School District The Sahuarita Unified School District is the school district serving Sahuarita and Green Valley, Arizona. The superintendent is Dr. Manuel Valenzuela. The district serves 5,200 students.-Elementary and middle schools:*Sahuarita Primary... |
Located south of the city and serves Sahuarita Sahuarita, Arizona Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles south of Tucson... and Arivaca Arivaca, Arizona Arivaca is an unincorporated community in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is located north of the Mexican border and northwest of the port of entry at Nogales. The European-American history of the area dates back at least to 1695, although the community was not founded until 1878.... . |
| Sunnyside Unified School District Sunnyside Unified School District Sunnyside Unified School District is a school district in Pima County, Arizona, USA. The district extends from Tucson south to Sahuarita and from Interstate 19 to Wilmot Road... |
Serves the far South Side and segments of the Southwest Side. |
| Tanque Verde Unified School District | Serves the far Northeast Side, including the community of Tanque Verde Tanque Verde, Arizona Tanque Verde is a suburban census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States, northeast of Tucson. The population was 16,195 at the 2000 census.- History :... . |
| Tucson Unified School District Tucson Unified School District Tucson Unified School District is the largest school district of Tucson, Arizona in terms of enrollment. As of 2006 TUSD has more than 60,000 students and approximately 3,700 faculty members.... |
Encompasses the central Tucson valley, including the lower Catalina Foothills Catalina Foothills, Arizona Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census... and segments of the Tanque Verde Valley Tanque Verde, Arizona Tanque Verde is a suburban census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States, northeast of Tucson. The population was 16,195 at the 2000 census.- History :... . As the largest school district in Tucson in terms of enrollment, TUSD has 115 schools serving grades K–12. |
| Vail School District | Serves the far Southeast Side, including the community of Vail Vail, Arizona Vail is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 10,208 at the 2010 census. The area is known for the nearby Colossal Cave, a large cave system, and the Rincon Mountains District of Saguaro National Park, a top tourism spot within Arizona.Vail was... . |
Charter schools
- Hermosa Montessori School, a nationally ranked, excelling school since 2003.
- La Paloma Academy, an independent, non-profit school that encourages students to learn the 6 pillars of character.
- Sonoran Science AcademySonoran Science AcademySonoran Science Academy is a tuition-free public charter school with several locations in Arizona. SSA, a college preparatory school, emphasizes, though is not limited to, science, math, and computer science...
, a nationally ranked college prep high school and an excelling school since 2003. - Academy of Math and Science, national Blue Ribbon elementary, middle and high school
- Math and Science Success Academy, elementary school, sister school of the Academy of Math and Science
- BASIS Charter School, a nationally ranked high school.
- Satori Charter School, an excelling school since 2005.
- Southern Arizona Community AcademySouthern Arizona Community AcademySouthern Arizona Community Academy is a charter high school located in Tucson, Arizona. It opened in the 1999-2000 school year. SACA's enrollment is between 180-240 students. Students may earn a high school diploma through an accelerated, career-focused program.- Educational model :Southern...
, an accelerated, self-paced high school. - Academy of Tucson, elementary, middle, and high school
Private schools
Tucson has several private schools:- Green Fields Country Day SchoolGreen Fields Country Day SchoolGreen Fields Country Day School is a private school in Tucson, Arizona. It provides services for elementary school, middle school, and high school students....
, Southern Arizona's oldest independent school - Tucson Hebrew AcademyTucson Hebrew AcademyTucson Hebrew Academy is a nationally accredited Jewish day school in Tucson, Arizona.. -History:The school was founded in 1973, and prior to 1994, it was located within Congregation Anshei Israel. The school is now located on the Volk Jewish Community Campus, which also houses the , and...
, which has been awarded Blue Ribbon School of Excellence status. - Fenster SchoolFenster SchoolThe Fenster School of Southern Arizona is a boarding school located in Tucson, Arizona. Fenster's structure and college-preparatory curriculum offers students an opportunity to take courses for high school as well as towards college credit.-Accreditation:...
, a boarding and day school - Pusch Ridge Christian AcademyPusch Ridge Christian AcademyPusch Ridge Christian Academy is a private school located in northwest Tucson, Arizona on a campus. Pusch Ridge Christian Academy is a ministry of Catalina Foothills Church, PCA. The school is a member of ACSI and NCA accredited...
, a faith-based,school for grades 6-12. - Desert Christian Schools (Arizona)Desert Christian Schools (Arizona)Desert Christian Schools is a private Christian school system in Tucson, Arizona. Offering grades K-12, it operates elementary, middle and high schools.-History:...
, a faith-based, for grades K-12. - Salpointe Catholic Catholic high school
- St. Gregory College Preparatory SchoolSt. Gregory College Preparatory SchoolSt. Gregory College Preparatory School is a middle and high school in Tucson, Arizona. Despite its name, it has no religious affiliation....
- Kino Learning Center, a school that serves grades K-12 and follows the Progressive Education philosophies of A. S. NeillA. S. NeillAlexander Sutherland Neill was a Scottish progressive educator, author and founder of Summerhill school, which remains open and continues to follow his educational philosophy to this day...
. - International School of Tucson, Independent school with an accelerated learning program and bi-lingual education for preschool through 5th grade, near the University of Arizona Campus.
- St. Michael's Parish Day School, which is highly regarded as one of the most economically advantaged schools in the valley.
- San Miguel High School Roman Catholic, College and Career preparatory high school, located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
- St.Cyril School of Alexandria,a school that serves grades K-8
- Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School
- Saint Augustine Catholic High School Catholic High School for grades 9-12
Public transit
Local public transit in Tucson is provided by Sun TranSun Tran
Sun Tran is the public transit system serving the city of Tucson, Arizona. Sun Tran traces its history to 1905, when the Tucson Rapid Transit Company assumed operations of the horse-drawn streetcar system in town, converting it to electric streetcars. By the 1930s, the streetcar lines were...
, which operates a network of bus routes. It was awarded Best Transit System
American Public Transportation Association
The American Public Transportation Association is a non-profit organization which serves as an advocate for the advancement of public transportation programs and initiatives in the United States. Since its founding in 1882, APTA has educated the public about the benefits of public transportation...
in 1988 and 2005 and serves the major part of the Tucson metropolitan area. Construction of a 3.9 miles (6.3 km) modern streetcar line is planned, as part of a Regional Transportation Authority plan approved by area voters in May 2006.
Old Pueblo Trolley
Old Pueblo Trolley
The Old Pueblo Trolley is a heritage streetcar system operating in Tucson in the U.S. state of Arizona.Service is provided Friday evenings, Saturday afternoons and evenings, and Sunday afternoons on over a mile of line recovered from Tucson's original street railway...
operates weekend heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
service between the Fourth Avenue Business District and the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. The service extended south, into the downtown district, as part of the Fourth Avenue underpass reconstruction project.
Other
Tucson International AirportTucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located six miles south of the central business district of Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and is the second largest and busiest airport in Arizona, after Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.- Overview...
is Tucson's public airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
and is located six miles (10 km) south of Tucson's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. TIA is the second largest commercial airport in Arizona, providing nonstop flights to 17 destinations throughout the United States. Due to the active presence of the Arizona Air National Guard
Arizona Air National Guard
The Arizona Air National Guard is the branch of the United States Air National Guard operating within the state of Arizona. It was founded by Barry Goldwater, and was integrated two years before President Truman's military integration order.-Units:...
at the site, the airport is much busier than most other airports that have the same level of civilian traffic.
Interstates 10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
and 19 are the only two Interstate
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
highways in the metropolitan area. State highway 210 is a shorter freeway that links downtown with the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
. Tucson does not have a beltway system as other similarly-sized cities do.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Tucson
Tucson (Amtrak station)
Amtrak serves the Tucson depot three times a week with the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle.The depot was built in 1907 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was designed by the SP's architect, Daniel J. Patterson who designed a number of depots during the same era, including the San Antonio Station....
three times weekly in both directions, operating its Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
between Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and Texas Eagle
Texas Eagle
The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. Trains run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, and continue to Los Angeles, California, 2728 miles total, three days a week...
between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Cyclists are common in Tucson due to compatible climate, extensive commuter bike routes, off-road mountain biking trails, and bike facilities throughout the city. The Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee (TPCBAC) was established to serve in an advisory capacity to local governments on issues relating to bicycle recreation, transportation, and safety. Tucson was given a gold rating for bicycle friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists in late April 2006.
Sister cities
FiesoleFiesole
Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy Hermosillo
Hermosillo
Hermosillo is a city and municipality located centrally in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the capital and main economic center for the state and region. It contains almost all of the state's manufacturing and has thirty percent of its population...
, Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, Mexico Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
, Kazakhstan County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland Liupanshui
Liupanshui
Liupanshui is a city whose urban area has 251,900 inhabitants in Western Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China. The population of its jurisdictional area has exceeded 2,830,000 as of 2006, and it is the second largest city in Guizhou...
, China Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
, Mauritania Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
, Hungary Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
, Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
, Spain Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah is a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq. It is the capital of Sulaymaniyah Governorate. Sulaymaniyah is surrounded by the Azmar Range, Goizja Range and the Qaiwan Range in the north east, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluje Hills in the west. The city has a semi-arid climate with...
, Iraq Taichung City, Taiwan Trikala
Trikala
Trikala is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece. It is the capital of the Trikala peripheral unit, and is located NW of Athens, NW, of Karditsa, E of Ioannina and Metsovo, S of Grevena, SW of Thessaloniki, and W of Larissa...
, Greece João Pessoa
João Pessoa
João Pessoa , is the capital city of the state of Paraíba, was founded in 1585 and sometimes called the city where the sun rises first, is a Brazilian city and the easternmost city in the Americas at 34º47'38"W, 7º9'28"S. Local residents call its easternmost point Ponta do Seixas. It is also...
, Brazil
See also
- List of people from Tucson, Arizona
- List of tallest buildings in Tucson
- Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Pima County, ArizonaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Pima County, ArizonaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pima County, Arizona.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pima County, Arizona, United States...
- Optics ValleyOptics ValleyOptics Valley is a nickname for a region in southern Arizona, centered on Tucson, that includes a concentration of optics companies, spawned by the optics work at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences...
- Tucson Garbage ProjectTucson Garbage ProjectThe Tucson Garbage Project is an archaeological and sociological study instituted in 1973 by Dr. William Rathje in the city of Tucson in the Southwestern American state of Arizona. This project is sometimes referred to outside of academic circles as the "garbology project".-History:Dr...
- 2011 Tucson shooting2011 Tucson shootingOn January 8, 2011, a mass shooting occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen people were shot, six of them fatally, with one other person injured at the scene during an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with members of her constituency in a Casas Adobes Safeway...
- Sons of TucsonSons of TucsonSons of Tucson is a comedy television series starring Tyler Labine, Frank Dolce, Matthew Levy and Benjamin Stockham. It premiered on Fox on March 11, 2010...
Further reading
- Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1888, History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530–1888. The History Company, San Francisco.
- Cooper, Evelyn S., 1995, Tucson in Focus: The Buehman Studio. Arizona Historical Society, Tucson. (ISBN 0-910037-35-3).
- Dobyns, Henry F., 1976, Spanish Colonial Tucson. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. (ISBN 0-8165-0546-2).
- Drachman, Roy P., 1999, From Cowtown to Desert Metropolis: Ninety Years of Arizona Memories. Whitewing Press, San Francisco. (ISBN 1-888965-02-9).
- Fontana, Bernard L., 1996, Biography of a Desert Church: The Story of Mission San Xavier del Bac. Smoke Signal, Tucson Corral of the Westerners.
- Hand, George, 1995, Whiskey, Six-Guns and Red-Light Ladies. High Lonesome Books, Silver City, New Mexico. (ISBN 0-944383-30-0).
- Hand, George, 1996, The Civil War in Apacheland. High Lonesome Books, Silver City, New Mexico. (ISBN 0-944383-36-X).
- Harte, John Bret, 2001, Tucson: Portrait of a Desert Pueblo. American Historical Press, Sun Valley, California. (ISBN 1-892724-25-1).
- Henry, Bonnie, 1992, Another Tucson. Arizona Daily Star, Tucson. (ISBN 0-9607758-2-X).
- Kalt III, William D., 2007, Tucson Was a Railroad Town., VTD Rail Publishing, Tucson. (ISBN 978-0-9719915-4-5).
- Logan, Michael F. Desert Cities: The Environmental History of Phoenix and Tucson. (2006). 240 pp.
- McIntyre, Allan J. and the Arizona Historical Society, 2008, The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta., Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina. (ISBN 978-0-7385-5633-8).
- Moisés, Rosalio, 2001, The Tall Candle: The Personal Chronicle of a Yaqui Indian. University of Nebraska Press. (ISBN 0-8032-0747-6).
- Painter, Muriel Thayer, 1971, A Yaqui Easter. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. (ISBN 0-8165-0168-8). Read online.
- Ronstadt, Edward E. (editor), 1993, Borderman: The Memoirs of Federico Jose Maria Ronstadt. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. (ISBN 0-8263-1462-7) Read online.
- Schellie, Don, 1968, Vast Domain of Blood: The Story of the Camp Grant Massacre. Westernlore Press, Tucson.
- Sheaffer, Jack and Steve Emerine, 1985, Jack Sheaffer's Tucson, 1945–1965. Arizona Daily Star, Tucson. (ISBN 0-9607758-1-1).
- Sheridan, Thomas E., 1983, Del Rancho al Barrio: The Mexican legacy of Tucson. Arizona Historical Society, Tucson.
- Sheridan, Thomas E., 1992, Los Tucsonenses: The Mexican Community in Tucson, 1854–1941. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. (ISBN 0-8165-1298-1).
- Sonnichsen, C. L., 1987, Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. (ISBN 0-8061-2042-8).
- Woosley, Anne I. and the Arizona Historical Society: 2008, Early Tucson. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina. (ISBN 0-7385-5646-7).
- www.amstucson.org