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2 History 3 Demographics 4 Sites of Interest |
Geography
Yuma is located at 32°41'32" North, 114°36'55" West (32.692148, -114.615389)1.
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.
Initially there were several tribes of Native Americans here in Yuma.
From the 1850's through the 1870's, the Yuma Crossing was known for it's steamboat crossing, and spot for them to stop on the way up and down the river. The steamboats transported passangers 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.
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 census2 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 people living in poverty, 20.3% are under the age of 18 and 7.8% are 65 or older.
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 is also lots of Hunting opportunities here, as the county offers a variety of game.History
* Quechan Indians have a reservation here, that extends north of Yuma, AZ.
* Cocopah Indians also have a reservation here one right on the colorado river where it borders California and Mexico, and one further south from Yuma, AZ.
In 1540 Hernando de Alarcon visited here and immediately saw the natural crossing of the Colorado River was an ideal spot for a city.Demographics
Yuma is now considered a MSA(Metropolitan Statistical Area), making yuma one of only 3 in Arizona. Yuma is now known to have over 160,000 people in this MSA. Sites of Interest