Yuma

Located where the Yuma and Gila valleys of southern Arizona converge, Yuma is a fast-growing community offering the very best of the Southwest - from urban attractions and arts to the rugged and beautiful landscapes of the desert and scenic nearby rivers, Yuma stands alone.

The city, which was named for the original inhabitants, the Yumas, is located in the Southwestern corner of Arizona near the borders of California, Sonora, Mexico, and Baja California, Mexico. Yuma is also an Arizona Main Street community, providing business assistance in organization, design, promotion, and economic restructuring in the historic downtown.

The cool waters of the Colorado River wind along the west side of town, forming the border between Arizona and California. Yuma is Arizona's warmest winter city and the sunniest year round place in the US, with an annual average of 4,133 hours of sunshine. Yuma has a classic low desert climate with extremely low relative humidity and very high summer temperatures. Stores, shops, restaurants theaters and homes are air-conditioned year round. The mild weather that graces Yuma in the winter months and the sunny, temperate summertime makes Yuma an ideal destination for RVers and campers alike.

Designated as a National Heritage Area in October 2000, the Yuma community played a vital role in the West's development and consequent history. The downtown area offers a wealth of historical and cultural attractions to explore. Favorite downtown attractions include the Century House Museum, St. Thomas Mission, Yuma Territorial Prison, the Yuma Crossing Historic Park, and First Air Travel/Yuma Landing.

Throughout the year events and entertainment relating to Yuma's rich history are enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Whether it's the Gunfight at the Okie Dokie Corral, where Yuma's own orneriest, cantankerous, wild west reenactors shot up Yuma Prison for a day of Old West gunsmoke and gunfights, or the Annual Yuma Birding & Nature Festival, featuring a bat watch, dunes ecology, desert bighorn sheep, nature photography, Mexico adventures, Yuma West Wetlands, desert bighorn sheep search, venomous creatures, and more, there's always something to do in Yuma!

Yuma is also home to a wide variety of wildlife and outdoor recreation. The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1939 and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge encompasses 665,400 acres of pristine desert that is home to the desert bighorn sheep and the California palm, the only native palm in Arizona. Martinez and Mittry lakes, as well as the Algodones Dunes, draw tens of thousands of visitors every year. Yuma is also a favorite location for fishermen, hunters, and golfers.

There's a very good reason why America's third-fastest growing metropolitan area is also lauded by Money Magazine as one of the top places to live. The thing is – from RV'ers to motorcylists to hikers and luxury travelers -- that reason is something different for every explorer.

Golfers know why Golf Magazine ranks Yuma number 6 on its list of the best golfing cities in the nation. Outdoor enthusiasts, from river rafters to water skiers, know that Yuma's mild winters and temperate summers add up to more time spent in their favorite pursuits.

History buffs know that, if they close their eyes and just listen awhile, they might hear the creaking of a swinging saloon door, lively piano music from the brothel down the street or the ghostly sounds of a long-ago gunfight.

Whatever the season, whatever the reason, visitors to Yuma can capture with ease that special, elusive moment they'll savor long after the suitcases have been unpacked.