Yuma, Arizona
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Yuma is a city located in Yuma county, Arizona, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,515. The city is the county seat of Yuma CountyTemplate:GR.
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Geography
AZMap-doton-Yuma.png
Location of Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is located at 32°41'32" North, 114°36'55" West (32.692148, -114.615389)Template:GR.
Yuma, AZ is close to the border with California in the West and Mexico in the South. Yuma is just west of the Gila and Colorado River confluence.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 276.4 km² (106.7 mi²). 276.2 km² (106.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.07% water.
History
Initially there were several tribes of Native Americans here in Yuma.
- Quechan Indians have a reservation here, across the Colorado River north of downtown Yuma.
- Cocopah Indians also have a reservation, in three separate parts. One is WNW of the city, right on the Colorado River where it borders Arizona, California and Mexico; one further south along the river; and one south of Yuma.
In 1540 expeditions under Hernando de Alarcon and Melchior Diaz visited here and immediately saw the natural crossing of the Colorado River was an ideal spot for a city.
From the 1850s through the 1870s, the Yuma Crossing was known for its steamboat crossing, and spot for them to stop on the way up and down the river. The steamboats transported passengers and equipment for the various mines and military outposts. Yuma served as the gateway to the new western territory of California, as it was one of the few natural spots to cross the (at that point in time) very wide Colorado River. The Southern Pacific Railroad bridged the river in 1870 and helped continue Yuma as a major hub in the desert southwest. Yuma became the county seat for the area in 1864.
In 1997, the desert city sustained a full tropical storm after Hurricane Nora made landfall at the mouth of the Colorado River and quickly moved due north along it. The extraordinarily rare event cut power to 12,000 customers in Yuma, and dropped 3.59 inches or over 90mm of rain at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
Demographics
Yuma is now considered a MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), making Yuma one of only 3 in Arizona. There are 160,000 people in the Yuma MSA. This number rose by fifty percent between 1990 and 2000.
Over 85,000 winter-visitors make Yuma their annual winter residence, making Yuma one of the premiere winter visitor spots in North America.
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 77,515 people, 26,649 households, and 19,613 families residing in the city. The population density is 280.6/km² (726.8/mi²). There are 34,475 housing units at an average density of 124.8/km² (323.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.33% White, 3.21% Black or African American, 1.51% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 21.36% from other races, and 3.90% from two or more races. 45.67% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 26,649 households out of which 38.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% are married couples living together, 13.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% are non-families. 21.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.79 and the average family size is 3.27.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,374, and the median income for a family is $39,693. Males have a median income of $29,465 versus $23,847 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,730. 14.7% of the population and 12.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Sites of Interest
Inside of Yuma, AZ is the historical Yuma Territorial Prison, the Yuma Crossing Historic Park, and the great downtown area. Around Yuma, AZ is the Kofa Mountain Range and wildlife refuge, Martinez and Mittry lakes as well as the Sand Dunes, which draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.
There are many hunting opportunities in Yuma, as uninhabited areas of the county offer a home for a variety of game. A popular game animal is the javelina, a pig-like animal which inhabits the desert.
| Regions of Arizona | 
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|---|---|
| North Central Arizona | Northern Arizona | Phoenix metropolitan area | Southern Arizona | |
| Largest cities | |
| Apache Junction | Avondale | Bullhead City | Casas Adobes | Catalina Foothills | Chandler | Flagstaff | Gilbert | Glendale | Lake Havasu City | Mesa | Nogales | Payson | Peoria | Phoenix | Prescott | Scottsdale | Sierra Vista | Sun City | Surprise | Tempe | Tombstone | Tucson | Yuma | |
| Counties | |
| Apache | Cochise | Coconino | Gila | Graham | Greenlee | La Paz | Maricopa | Mohave | Navajo | Pima | Pinal | Santa Cruz | Yavapai | Yuma |
External links
- Template:Mapit-US-cityscale
- MCAS Yuma Offical Website (http://www.yuma.usmc.mil)de:Yuma (Arizona)