Tucson, Arizona
| |
| File:Tucson city seal.jpg | |
| City flag | City seal |
| City nickname: "The Old Pueblo" | |
 Location in Pima County and Arizona | |
| County | Pima County, Arizona |
| Area - Total - Water |
505.3 km² (195.1 mi²) 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) 0.22% |
| Population - Total (2000) - Metropolitan - Density |
486,699 843,746 965.3/km² |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC–7 |
| Location | 32°12′52″N 110°55′5″W / 32.21444°N 110.91806°W |
| Mayor | Bob Walkup |
| City website | |
Tucson (pronounced /ˈtusɑn/) is a city and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 486,699, with a metropolitan area population of 843,746. A July 1, 2004 Census estimate put the city's population at 521,605, and the metropolitan population at 931,210. The population of metropolitan Tucson is expected to exceed 1 million by 2010. In 2004 Tucson ranked as the 32nd largest city, and 55th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. It is the largest city in southern Arizona, and the second largest in the state after Phoenix. Two United States Navy vessels have also been named USS Tucson in honor of the city.
Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley and Marana northwest of the city, and South Tucson and Sahuarita south of the city. Other communities near Tucson include Catalina, Green Valley, Flowing Wells, Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes, Vail, and Tanque Verde.
The name Tucson comes via Spanish from the O'odham, Cuk Ṣon (pronounced [ʧʊk ʂɔn]; roughly, "chuk shon"), meaning "Black Base," a reference to the mostly volcanic mountains on the west side of the city. The most notable of these foothills is Sentinel Peak, better known as "A Mountain" because it sports a large letter A in honor of the University of Arizona. Tucson is sometimes referred to as "The Old Pueblo."
Variations in the pronunciation of the city's name are fairly common, as the vowel in the second syllable is often indistinct or omitted altogether (as in /ˈtusn̩/). A comical, intentional mispronunciation of /ˈtʌksn̩/ is also occasionally encountered. The city is often misspelled as "Tuscon" by non-locals, and local residents may pronounce it this way in jest.
History
Tucson was originally inhabited around 7000 BC by early Paleo-Indians, and later replaced by groups designated by archaeologists as the Hohokam. As such, Tucson is at the longest continuously inhabited location in the United States. Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino visited the area in 1692, and founded the Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1700. The Spanish established a presidio (fort) in 1776 and the town came to be called "Tucson." Tucson became a part of Mexico after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Following the Gadsden purchase in 1853, Tucson became a part of the United States of America. From August 1861, until mid-1862, Tucson was the capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona. Until 1863, Tucson and all of Arizona was part of the New Mexico Territory. From 1867 to 1889, Tucson was the capital of the Arizona Territory. The University of Arizona, located in Tucson, was founded in 1885.
Tucson's early neighborhoods (some of which are covered by the Tucson Community Center) include Barrio Anita, named for an early settler; El Jardin, named for an early recreational site, Levin's Gardens; and El Ollo, named for a lake that was part of the gardens.
Geography
Tucson is located at 32°12′52″N 110°55′5″W / 32.21444°N 110.91806°W (32.214476, -110.918192)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 505.3 km² (195.1 mi²). 504.2 km² (194.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.22% water.
Its elevation is 2,389 ft (728 m) above sea level. Tucson is bounded by four sets of mountains: the Santa Catalina 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 city is located on the Santa Cruz River, although for most of the year it is a dry river bed that floods when the rains come.
Tucson is located along I-10, which runs to Phoenix and Los Angeles in the northwest, and through El Paso, Texas to Jacksonville, Florida in the east. I-19 also runs to the south towards Nogales and the U.S.-Mexico border including Huasabas.
Climate
Tucson has four seasons: summer (subdivided by "monsoon season"), winter, fall, and spring. Summer in Tucson is typically from May to September or early October; it is characterized by low humidity and daytime high temperatures that exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Tucsonans jokingly describe the first day of 100-degree weather as when "the ice cracks on the Santa Cruz River," a riverbed that is dry most of the year.
The period of late summer known locally as "monsoon season" (with a few Tucsonans calling the storms "chubascos") typically begins in July, but can begin anytime from June to August. During monsoon season the temperatures are a few degrees lower than during the drier summer, but the humidity is much higher than the rest of the year. This period begins with clouds building up over the Santa Catalina Mountains in the early afternoon followed by intense thunderstorms and rainfall, which rapidly flood normally dry washes. Large areas of the city do not have storm sewers, so monsoon rains flood the main thoroughfares (often constructed in a "vee" shape to conduct water), but usually only for a few hours. At this time of year, motorists are warned to avoid normally dry creekbeds as cars can be swamped or washed away. The evening sky at this time of year is often pierced with dramatic lightning strikes, especially nearby Kitt Peak observatory. Summer rainstorms in the Sonoran desert are indeed spectacular and the smell of the desert creosote after a hard rain is unforgettable.
Fall typically lasts from mid-September to November or December. It is much like summer, and similarly dry, but temperatures tend to be marginally lower, with 100-degree days remaining the norm as late as October.
Tucson experiences mild winters relative to other parts of the United States, but the city's winter storms are, along with monsoon season, when the city gets most of its precipitation. Daytime highs in the winter usually are in the mid to upper 60's while dropping into the 40's overnight. The city's economy benefits from a large influx of "snowbird" visitors during the winter months, due to its mild climate. At this time of year, Tucson resembles an Airstream convention and cars with out-of-state license plates are commonplace, making the driving even worse than the rest of the year.
Spring usually begins in late February or March, and is characterized by rising temperatures and, if there has been sufficient rainfall, several weeks of vivid wildflower blooms, and attendant pollen affecting many Tucsonans who come to the desert because of respiratory problems. When dried by the scorching summer heat, the heavy spring growth provides abundant fuel for wildfires, often set by lightning or lost hikers.
People and culture
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 486,699 people, 192,891 households, and 112,455 families residing in the city. The population density is 965.3/km² (2,500.1/mi²). There are 209,609 housing units at an average density of 415.7/km² (1,076.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 70.15% White, 4.33% Black or African American, 2.27% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 16.85% from other races, and 3.79% from two or more races. 35.72% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The Native American inhabitants in the area include Tohono O'odham, living in the city, on the nearby San Xavier reservation, and in the Tohono O'odham Nation, who may be descendants of the prehistoric inhabitants, as well as 6,800 Yaqui, living in the city (largely in the Old Pascua and Barrio Libre neighborhoods), on the nearby Pascua Yaqui reservation, and in the Yoem Pueblo in the town of Marana, most of whom trace their local ancestry back to arrivals in the late 1800s fleeing persecution in Mexico.
There are 192,891 households out of which 29.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% are married couples living together, 13.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% are non-families. 32.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.42 and the average family size is 3.12.
In the city the population is spread out with 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $30,981, and the median income for a family is $37,344. Males have a median income of $28,548 versus $23,086 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,322. 18.4% of the population and 13.7% of families are below the poverty line. 23.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Because of its arid climate, Tucson has been a historic destination for people with health problems such as arthritis and respiratory illnesses such as tuberculosis. Tucson Medical Center, in fact, was founded as a TB clinic. Many former soldiers who had been gassed during World War I, including Belgian composer Camille van Hulse, came to Tucson in the 1920s in hopes that the dry climate would aid their recovery. The longstanding presence of so many health-seekers has made Tucson extremely health-conscious, and it was in the vanguard in such actions as banning smoking in restaurants.
Annual cultural events and fairs
The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is held every year in February for three weeks. It is one of the largest and most well-known gem and mineral shows in the world, and it features many of the finest mineral specimens available. There is no single location for display of minerals, but rather dozens of locations spread across town: many big hotels and most motels are occupied for the occasion, with professionals displaying their specimens in such locations as hotel bedrooms, lobbies, tents, and lawns. The show has an estimated attendance of more than 35,000 people from over twenty countries. Attendees frequently include the general public, experts, beginning collectors, museum employees, dealers, retailers, and researchers. Many museums and universities, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Sorbonne, have displayed materials at the show.
There are also two Fourth Avenue Street Fairs, in December and March, 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 and the Food 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. The fairs now draw 200,000 to 350,000 people.
Media
There are two major daily newspapers in Tucson: the Arizona Daily Star, a morning daily, and the Tucson Citizen, which publishes weekday afternoons and on Saturdays. The Tucson Citizen is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Arizona, established in 1870 as the Arizona Citizen. In 2005, the Star was sold by the Pulitzer family to Lee Enterprises. The Citizen is owned by Gannett. The newspapers participate in a "Joint Operating Agreement" in which non-news, advertising, production and distribution operations are run by Tucson Newspapers Inc., founded in 1940.
The Star refers to local residents as "Tucsonans" while the Citizen calls them "Tucsonians."
In 1981, Star reporters Clark Hallas and Robert B. Lowe won a Pulitzer Prize for their stories about recruiting violations by University of Arizona football coach Tony Mason.
The Tucson Weekly is an alternative weekly publication that is distributed free at numerous locations around Tucson. Other alternative weeklies have included the Frumious Bandersnatch, published in the 1960s by Hugh Holub; the Mountain Newsreal; and another weekly dating from the 1970s using the title Tucson Weekly.
Tucson is served by the major television networks: KVOA 4 (NBC), KGUN 9 (ABC), KOLD 13 (CBS), KMSB 11 (FOX), KTTU 18 (UPN), and KWBA 58 (WB). KUAT 6 is a PBS affiliate run by the University of Arizona.
Museums and art collections
There are several museums in the city.
The Arizona Historical Society, founded as the Pioneer Historical Society by early settlers, has a collection of artifacts reflecting the city's history--many focusing on the era before statehood was attained in 1912-- as well as a fine collection of original documents in its library, including many interviews with early residents.
The Historical Society also operates an original adobe house in the Tucson Community Center that was saved when one of Tucson's earliest barrios was razed as urban renewal. Originally named the Fremont House after Gov. John C. Fremont, who rented it for his daughter, it is now known as the Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House to more accurately reflect its Latin heritage.
The society also operates the Fort Lowell Museum, on the grounds of a military fort established in 1873 during the "Indian Wars" period and abandoned in 1891.
The Tucson Museum of Art, which has been around for 25 years, was established as part of an art school. It contains nearly 6,000 objects concentrating on the art of the Americas and its influences.
The museum also operates several historic buildings in the neighborhood, including La Casa Cordova, the J. Knox Corbett House, the Edward Nye Fish House and the Stevens/Duffield House.
The University of Arizona Art Museum includes works by Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko as part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, a tribute 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.
The UA campus also features the Center for Creative Photography, a leading museum with many works by major artists such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston.
The Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish mission, located 10 miles (16 km) south of the city. Old Tucson Studios (west of the Tucson Mountains) is a movie studio for classic Westerns, and now features a theme park.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a zoo devoted to Southwestern animals and plants, is located to the west of the Tucson Mountains. The Pima Air & Space Museum, featuring over 250 modern and historical aircraft, is located to the southeast of the city near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) is a facility where the federal government stores all of its out-of-service aircraft. Bus tours are conducted regularly from the Pima Air & Space Museum. There is also the Titan Missile Museum located about 25 miles (40 km) south of the city on I-19. This is a Cold War era Titan nuclear missile silo turned tourist stop.
Parks and outdoor attractions
The city is home to more than 120 parks, 26 pools (including 7 year-round pools), the Reid Park Zoo, 3 tennis centers, and 3 Urban Fishing lakes. There are also five golf courses located throughout the area. Several scenic parks and points of interest are also located nearby, including the Tucson Botanical Gardens, Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, and Biosphere 2 (just north of the city).
Fourth Avenue, located near the University of Arizona, is home to many shops, restaurants, and bars, and hosts the 4th Avenue Street Fair in December and March.
The University of Arizona campus has an arboretum and several museums.
Performing arts
Music groups include the Arizona Opera Company, founded as the Tucson Opera Company in 1971, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1921, the Tucson Boys Chorus, Southern Arizona Symphony and Civic Orchestra of Tucson.
Theater groups include the Arizona Theatre Company, which performs in the Temple of Music and Art, a mirror image of the Pasadena Playhouse; the Invisible Theatre; and the Gaslight Theatre, which performs melodramas.
Sports
There are no major league, professional sports in the city. Most residents follow the professional teams of the Phoenix area, as well as the University of Arizona Wildcats in the NCAA.
Tucson is home to the Tucson Electric Park, which is the spring training location of the Arizona Diamondbacks (NL), and the Chicago White Sox (AL). The Colorado Rockies (NL) practice at nearby Hi Corbett Field. These teams, along with the nine that practice in nearby Phoenix, make up the Cactus League.
The city does field a local minor league team, the Tucson Sidewinders, a triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Sidewinders play in Tucson Electric Park and are in the Pacific Conference South of the Pacific Coast League.
Auto racing is also popular, and NASCAR auto races can be found at the Tucson Raceway Park and Southwestern International Raceway.
The English Premiership soccer club Charlton Athletic also recently opened a youth academy in Tucson in May 2005.
Economy
Much of Tucson's economic development has been centered around the development of the University of Arizona, which is currently the 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 a US Army Intelligence Center, 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 over 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 high-tech industries as its foundation. Advanced technology companies like Raytheon Missile Systems, Texas Instruments, IBM, Intuit, Inc., America Online, Universal Avionics, Sunquest Information Systems, and Bombardier, all have a significant presence in Tucson.
Tucson is also home to an active film production industry, and many major motion pictures have been filmed in the area. Some popular movies filmed in Tucson include Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Arizona (1940), Bodies, Rest and Motion (1993), Boys on the Side (1995), C.C. and Company (1970), Can't Buy Me Love (1987), Dance with the Devil (1997), Flashpoint (1984), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), Hombre (1967), How the West Was Won (1962), Jesus' Son (1999), A Kiss Before Dying (1956), Lilies of the Field (1963), Major League (1989), The Postman (1997), Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1984), Rio Bravo (1959), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Romy and Michele: In the Beginning (2005), A Star is Born (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), Terminal Velocity (1994), The Three Amigos (1986), Thunder Alley (1985), and Tin Cup (1996).
Miscellany
- Speedway Boulevard, which begins on the far eastside and runs all the way to the Tucson Mountains, was named the "ugliest street in America" by Life Magazine in the early 1970s, quoting Tucson Mayor James Corbett, who distinguished his political career by biting a woman on the knee during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- The Beatles song Get Back features Tucson.
- Tumamoc Hill is higher than neighboring "A" Mountain.
See also
Sister cities
Tucson has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.: Almaty (Kazakhstan), Ciudad Obregon (Sonora, Mexico), County Roscommon (Ireland), Sulaymaniyah (Iraq), Segovia (Spain), Trikala (Greece), Pecs (Hungary), and Guadalajara (Mexico).
Additional reading
- John Bret Harte: Tucson: Portrait of a Desert Pueblo ; American Historical Press; ISBN 1892724251 (hardcover, reissued 2001).
- Bernard L. Fontana: Biography of a Desert Church: The Story of Mission San Xavier del Bac; Tucson Corral of the Westerners; ASIN B0006RHO88 (paperback, 1996)
- George Hand: The Civil War in Apacheland ; (Part 1 of George Hand's diary) High Lonesome Books; ISBN 094438336X (paperback, 1996).
- George Hand: Whiskey, Six-Guns and Red-Light Ladies; (Part 2 of George Hand's diary) High Lonesome Books; ISBN 0944383300 (paperback, 1995).
- Bonnie Henry: Another Tucson; Arizona Daily Star; ISBN 096077582X (hardcover, 1992).
- Rosalio Moisés: The Tall Candle: The Personal Chronicle of a Yaqui Indian ; University of Nebraska Press; ISBN 0803207476 (paperback, 2001).
- Muriel Thayer Painter: A Yaqui Easter; University of Arizona Press; (paperback, 1971) Read online.
- Federico Jose Maria Ronstadt: Borderman, the Memoirs of Federico Jose Maria Ronstadt; University of New Mexico Press. (hardback, 1993) Read online.
- Don Schellie: Vast Domain of Blood: The Story of the Camp Grant Massacre; Westernlore Press; ASIN B0006BW3N0 (paperback, 1968).
- Jack Sheaffer and Steve Emerine: Jack Sheaffer's Tucson, 1945-1965 Arizona Daily Star; ISBN 0960775811 (hardback, 1985).
- Thomas E. Sheridan: Del rancho al barrio: The Mexican legacy of Tucson; Arizona Historical Society (paperback, 1983)
- Thomas E. Sheridan: Los Tucsonenses: The Mexican Community in Tucson, 1854-1941; University of Arizona Press; ISBN 0816512981 (paperback, reissued 1992)
- C. L. Sonnichsen: Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City; The classic book on Tucson's history; University of Oklahoma Press; ISBN 0806120428 (paperback, reissued 1987)
External links
- Official Government Website
- Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Metropolitan Tucson Chamber of Commerce
