City Town Info

Yuma, AZ


  • Overview
  • Almanac
  • People
  • Local
  • Schools
  • Comments

Yuma, Arizona

Introduction to Yuma, Arizona

The Arizona city of Yuma, county seat of Yuma County, lies in the extreme southwest corner of the state just a few miles from the borders of California and Mexico. Framed by rugged mountains, the city is situated just below the meeting point of the Colorado and Gila rivers. There are no big cities close to Yuma, the nearest being over three hours away. Phoenix is about 175 miles to the east and San Diego California about the same distance away in the opposite direction. Yuma is connected to both by Interstate I-8 which is one of two main arteries running through the city, the other being U.S. Route 95.

Having gone under the names of both Colorado City and Arizona City, Yuma was named for the Yuma Indians. The Yumas are actually a composite of three local tribes (the Quechans, Cocopahs, and Mohaves), who according to legend built fires in the belief that rain would come to the area (the native word "uma" translates to "fire"). Yuma today is a large agricultural community and has grown to be one of the state's most important cities. The military is also a prominent factor in the city owing to the dual presence of the Marine Corps Air Station and the Yuma Proving Grounds, an Army test site.

Yuma Points of Interest

A wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities awaits visitors to Yuma, which is also rich in historic and cultural sites. The historical Yuma Territorial Prison, which accepted its first inmate back in 1876, is now operated as a historical museum. The Yuma Crossing State Historic Park houses 6 restored and 6 replicated buildings commemorating the cultural and educational development of western history along its 9 acres of winding pathways. The Historic Yuma Theatre features original film screenings, community theater productions, and Saturday children's matinees, as well as jazz festivals, art symposiums, educational workshops, and many special events. The Yuma Ballet Theatre & Performing Arts Company stages a wide assortment of artistic presentations and fully staged dance concerts annually. The Fort Yuma-Quechan Museum, formerly part of one of the oldest military posts associated with the Arizona Territory, houses tribal relics of the Quechan Tribe. The Century House Museum, one of Yuma's oldest and most historic buildings, exhibits artifacts, photographs and furnishings of Arizona's territorial period. Fans of the visual arts will appreciate the Yuma Fine Arts Museum, recognized as one of the Southwest's major art museums. Yuma is also home to the Marine Corps Air Station, which stages an annual air show along with many large-scale military exercises. Gaming fans and occasional gamblers don't have to go far to visit a casino. There are two in the area: The Cocopah Casino and the Paradise Casino.

Yuma also celebrates a number of annual events and festivals. Some of these are:

  • Yuma Lettuce Days (January): a downtown event held in the midst of the growing season, celebrating the fact that over 90 percent of the country's winter vegetable crops are grown in the Yuma area.
  • Bluegrass in the Park (January): an outdoor event featuring bluegrass music held at the Yuma Crossing State Historic Park.
  • Yuma Square Dance Festival (February)
  • Midnight at the Oasis (March): a classic car and nostalgia festival.
  • Yuma County Science Festival (March): includes participation of students in grades 4 through 12.
  • Yuma Birding and Nature Festival (April): includes seminars, hikes, and natural history tours of Yuma and northern Mexico.
  • Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival (November): one of the premier hot-air balloon events in the country.
  • Children's Festival of the Arts (November)

Yuma sports fans were recently pleased to learn that a new professional baseball team will be in town as of early 2007. The Yuma Scorpions will be playing in a newly-formed instructional league administered by the independent Golden Baseball League (GBL). The league will play its games prior to the GBL summer season and will be staffed with the summer season's instructors and managers.

High Points

Yuma strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Arizona):

CategoryTrophy
Short Commute Times
(vs. Peers)
Top 7%Yuma Short Commute Times
Walking and Biking to Work
(vs. Peers)
Top 7%Yuma Walking and Biking to Work
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)
Top 13%Yuma Racial Diversity
Affordability of Property Taxes
(vs. Peers)
Top 17%Yuma Affordability of Property Taxes

Comparative Profile of Yuma, AZ

Comparing Yuma to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Arizona (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Children Under 5 Years Old97
Male Share of the Population97
Racial Diversity89
Senior Citizens76
Age of the Population24
Female Share of the Population24
Well-Paid Single Men26

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Average Household Size86
Portion of People Married86

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
People Above Poverty45
College Educated Adults36
People in Middle Class or Better35
Median Family Income26

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Short Commute Times109
Walking and Biking to Work108
Working at Home21
Public Transportation Use15

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing109
Affordability of Property Taxes94
Housing Recently Built85
Affordability of Rents84
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals79
People Living Alone45

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Property Crime46
Low Violent Crime23

Detailed pages on related topics: Yuma collegesYuma travelYuma mortgage and property.

You are visiting:
All StatesArizona > Yuma

Additional Details

Yuma CareersYuma Careers
Yuma career and employment information.
Yuma CollegesYuma Colleges
Yuma colleges and trade schools.
Yuma Hotels & TravelYuma Hotels & Travel
Yuma hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Yuma MortgageYuma Mortgage
Yuma property, mortgage, and real estate.

Career and College Resources on CityTownInfo

Real-World Career Reports

Career Stories from workers: daily activities, job tips, best/worst job aspects, training, etc.

Career Videos. Professional videos on 800+ jobs, featuring actual employees.

Daily Career & Education News from our staff. We're an approved Google News provider!

Career Reference and Data

Resource Center. A starting point for all CityTownInfo career and college resources.

Career Overviews of hundreds of careers: descriptions, salaries, forecasts, schools, more.

Top Cities for each career. Lists and maps; salaries by city.

Top Industries. Lists of major hiring industries by career, with salaries.

City Comparisons, showing most common jobs, highest paying, etc.

Original Career Articles and Studies

Best Careers Not Requiring Degrees: Good pay, job growth, low need for degrees.

Helpful Articles, many in "how-to" format; e.g., "How to Become a Chef".

Interactive College Search Tools

College Search Scout™. Search by degree, location, major, athletics, etc.

CollegeMatch™. Find school most similar to one of interest.

College Directories and Lists

These lists link to thousands of detailed school profiles.

Colleges by State. Nearly every college and trade school in the country.

Colleges Listed Alphabetically. About 7,000 colleges & trade schools, including online schools.

Exceptional Schools. Lists of the "best/most/highest/lowest" schools.

Places Similar to Yuma

We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Find places similar to Yuma

Additional Resources


Large City Map

Info for Yuma Government Officials

Are you an official in the Yuma government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.

Spread The Word

Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Yuma. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.


Copyright © 2004-2009, Moving Traffic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.