Rita Ranch is a masterplanned community located in southeastern

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. It is home to the Vail School District. It borders the small towns of

Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...

and Corona de Tucson. Many military families from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base live in the area. The population was estimated at 18,925 in 2007.

History

Rita Ranch is part of Esmond Station Area Development Plan created in 1986 by the City of Tucson. It was so named that in reference to the historical Esmond Train Station, which was located near the current neighborhoods of Rita Ranch. Between 1890 and 1910, the nation's growing railway system had finally reached the city of Tucson in the Arizona territory. The Southern Pacific Railroad was the first route. In the early 1900s, a rail line was established to connect Tucson to El Paso, Texas. This set of lines ran through present day Rita Ranch, and many of the undeveloped areas still have deteriorating railroad tracks that can be found today. East of the present day intersection of Houghton Road and Old Vail Road, about half a mile down the old Esmond Station Road, lie the remains of Esmond (once called Papago) and its dilapidated train depot, Esmond Station. On January 28, 1903, at 3:30 am, the eastbound Crescent City Express (No. 8) collided head-on with the westbound Pacific Coast Express (No. 7) at the present day intersection of Rita Road and Houghton, killing 14 people in what became known as the Esmond Train Wreck.

References

External links

Rita Ranch Neighborhood Association

Rita Ranch & Vail Community Info

Rita Ranch & Vail Community Forum (Serving the community since 2006)
{{Coord, 32.1161977, -110.7718469, display=title Neighborhoods in Tucson, Arizona