Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Yuma County,

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 ...

, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona,

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

, which consists of Yuma County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the 2020 estimated population of the Yuma MSA is 203,247. According to Guinness World Records, Yuma is the "Sunniest City on Earth," promising "sunshine and warm weather at least 91% of the year." Anywhere from 70,000 to over 85,000 out-of-state visitors make Yuma their winter residence. Yuma's weather also makes it an agricultural powerhouse, growing over 175 types of crops, the largest of which is lettuce. Yuma County provides 90% of all leafy vegetables grown from November to March in the United States. Yuma is also known for its large military population due to several military bases, including the Marine Corps Air Station. Yuma is in the state's southwest corner, in the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Ariz ...

Yuma Desert The Yuma Desert is a lower-elevation section of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and the northwest of Mexico. It lies in the Salton basin. The desert contains areas of sparse vegetation and has notable areas of sand dunes. With ...

sub-region.

History

The area's first settlers for thousands of years were Native American cultures and historic tribes. Their descendants now occupy the Cocopah and

Quechan The Quechan (or Yuma) ( Quechan: ''Kwatsáan'' 'those who descended') are a Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California just north of the Mexican border. Despite th ...

reservations. In 1540, Spanish colonial expeditions under

Hernando de Alarcón Hernando de Alarcón (born 1500) was a Spanish explorer and navigator of the 16th century, noted for having led an early expedition to the Baja California Peninsula, during which he became one of the first Europeans to ascend the Colorado River ...

and Melchior Díaz visited the area and immediately recognized the natural crossing of the Colorado River as an ideal spot for a city. The

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

narrows to slightly under wide in one area. Military expeditions that crossed the Colorado River at the

Yuma Crossing Yuma Crossing is a site in Arizona and California that is significant for its association with transportation and communication across the Colorado River. It connected New Spain and Las Californias in the Spanish Colonial period in and also durin ...

include

Juan Bautista de Anza Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as one of the founding fa ...

(1774), the

Mormon Battalion The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in United States military history in federal service, recruited solely from one religious body and having a religious title as the unit designation. The volunteers served from July 1846 to July ...

(1848) and the

California Column The California Column was a force of Union volunteers sent to Arizona and New Mexico during the American Civil War. The command marched over from California through Arizona and New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and as far east as El Paso, ...

(1862). During and after the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

to the late 1870s, the Yuma Crossing was known for its ferry crossings for the

Southern Emigrant Trail :''The Southern Emigrant Trail should not be confused with the Applegate Trail, which is part of the Northern Emigrant Trails.'' Southern Emigrant Trail, also known as the Gila Trail, the Kearny Trail, Southern Trail and the Butterfield Stage ...

. This was considered the gateway to California, as it was one of the few natural spots where travelers could cross the otherwise very wide Colorado River.

First settlements

Following the United States establishing

Fort Yuma Fort Yuma was a fort in California located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department o ...

, two towns developed one mile downriver. The one on the California side was called Jaeger City, named after the owner of Jaeger's Ferry, which crossed the river there. It was for a time the larger of the two, with the

Butterfield Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially the Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service i ...

office and station, two blacksmiths, a hotel, two stores, and other dwellings., p.15 The other was called Colorado City. Developed on the south side of the river in what is now Arizona by speculator

Charles Poston Charles Debrille Poston (April 20, 1825 – June 24, 1902) was an American explorer, prospector, author, politician, and civil servant. He is referred to as the "Father of Arizona" due to his efforts lobbying for creation of the territory. ...

, it was the site of the custom house. When started, it was just north of the border between Mexican-ruled Sonora, Mexico and California. After the Gadsden Purchase by the United States, the town bordered on the

Territory of New Mexico The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becoming ...

. This area was designated as the

Territory of Arizona The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

in 1863. The Colorado City site at the time was duly registered in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

; both banks of the Colorado River just below its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

with the Gila were recognized as being within the jurisdiction of California. The

county of San Diego San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...

collected taxes from there for many years. From 1853 a smaller settlement, Arizona City, grew up on the high ground across from the fort and was organized under the name of its post office in 1858. It had adobe dwellings, two stores and two saloons. Colorado City and Jaeger City were almost completely destroyed by the Great Flood of 1862 and had to be rebuilt on higher ground. At that time Colorado City became part of Arizona City. It took the name Yuma in 1873.

Early development

From 1854, Colorado City was the major steamboat stop for traffic up and down the Colorado River. After the 1862 flood, it became part of Arizona City. The steamboats transported passengers and equipment for the various mines and military outposts along the Colorado; Colorado City was the terminus of wagon traffic up the Gila River into New Mexico Territory. They offloaded the cargo from ships at the mouth of the Colorado River at

Robinson's Landing Robinson's Landing was a location in Baja California, Mexico. It lay on the west bank of the Colorado River northwest of the north tip of Montague Island in the Colorado River Delta, 10 miles above the mouth of the river on the Gulf of California. ...

and from 1864 at

Port Isabel Port Isabel may refer to: Places *Port Isabel, Texas, USA; a city in Cameron County *Port Isabel, Sonora, Mexico; a former port (1864-1879) at the mouth of the Colorado River * Port Isabel Independent School District, Cameron County, Texas, USA *Po ...

. From 1864, the

Yuma Quartermaster Depot Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, formerly Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, and now one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. It is an List ...

, today a state historic park, supplied all forts in present-day Arizona, as well as large parts of Colorado and New Mexico. After Arizona became a separate territory, Yuma became the county seat for Yuma County in 1871, replacing

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

, the first seat. The

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

bridged the river in 1877, and acquired

George Alonzo Johnson George Alonzo Johnson (1824–1903) 49er, entrepreneur, and California politician. Johnson was born on August 16, 1824, in Palatine Bridge, New York. In 1849 as a sailor he heard of the discovery of gold and left New York drawn by the Califo ...

Colorado Steam Navigation Company Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

, the only steamboat company on the river. Yuma became the new base of navigation on the river, ending the need for Port Isabel, which was abandoned in 1879. The warehouses and shipyard there were moved to Yuma.

Geography

Yuma is near the borders of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to the west and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to the south, and just west of the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...

's confluence with the

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. The city is approximately from the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...

(Sea of Cortez), a branch of the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. According to the

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.07%) is water.

Climate

Yuma is noted for its weather extremes. Of any populated place in the contiguous United States, Yuma is the driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation, and has the highest number of days per year—175—with a daily maximum temperature of or higher. Yuma features a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''BWh''), with extremely hot summers and warm winters. Atmospheric humidity is usually very low, except during what are called " Gulf surges", when a maritime tropical air mass from the

is drawn northward, usually in connection with the

summer monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...

or the passage of a tropical storm to the south. The sun is said to shine during about 90% of the daylight hours, making Yuma one of the sunniest places in the world. The city receives the most recorded mean sunshine of anywhere on Earth, although the equipment used by the United States tends to provide higher sunshine estimates than the traditional Campbell–Stokes recorder. On average, Yuma receives of rain annually. Even in the wettest year of 2005, only fell. The driest year at Yuma Airport was 2007, with only recorded. On average, the wettest months of the year are during the monsoon months of August and September, and December, when moisture from winter storms arrives from the Pacific Ocean. June is the driest month, with drought virtually absolute. In 1995, Yuma recorded its all-time high temperature of . The lowest recorded temperature was in the Yuma-Mesa area in January 2007. The temperature fell to for approximately two hours, harming many crops grown in and around Yuma.

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

suffered the most, particularly the lemon crop. According to an Arizona Department of Agriculture report in February 2007, there was a 75% to 95% loss of crop and trees. On average (according to the 1991-2020 climate period), the temperature reaches freezing point in one year in fifteen, and there are 117 days per year during which the temperature reaches or exceeds , usually from April through October. During July and August, the temperature fails to reach on only one and two days on average, respectively. In 1997, the desert city sustained a full

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

after Hurricane Nora made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

at the mouth of the Colorado River and quickly moved due north along it. This rare event cut power to 12,000 customers in Yuma, and dropped of rain at

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Marine Corps Air Station Yuma or MCAS Yuma is a United States Marine Corps air station. It is the home of multiple squadrons of F-35B Lightning IIs of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1), Ma ...

. The last time a hurricane had hit near Yuma was in mid-August 1977, when similar rainfalls were recorded. Snow in Yuma has only been recorded on December 12, 1932, when a light coating of snow covered the city for the first and only time in its history. A few flakes fell in January 1937 and December 1967, mixed with rain.

Demographics

Yuma first appeared on the 1860 U.S. Census as the village of "Arizonia" (Arizona City) in what was then Arizona County, New Mexico Territory (see

Arizona City (Yuma, Arizona) Arizona City or Arizona is the name of the original settlement at the Yuma Crossing, in what is now Yuma, Arizona. From 1853 a small settlement, Arizona City, grew up on the high ground across from Fort Yuma, first as the adobe residence of Mrs. ...

for details). It returned as Arizona City in 1870 and then became Yuma in 1873. On April 12, 1902, the village of Yuma was incorporated as a town. It formally incorporated as a city on April 7, 1914. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 93,064 people. There were 38,626 housing units in Yuma city, 79.5% of which were occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 68.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 3.2%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.8% Native American, 1.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 4.5% from two or more races. 54.8% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. As of the

of 2000, there were 77,515 people, 26,649 households, and 19,613 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 34,475 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.3%

, 3.2%

, 1.5% Native American, 1.5%

, 0.2%

, 21.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.9% from two or more races. 45.7% of the population were

of any race. There were 26,649 households, out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27. In the city, the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. According to the 2006 American Community Survey estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $39,885, and the median income for a family was $41,588. Males had a median income of $35,440 versus $27,035 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,393. About 14.1% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over. High unemployment remains an issue in Yuma. Citing April 2014 data, the

Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...

ranked Yuma as having the highest unemployment rate in the United States at 23.8 percent, above the 21.6 percent in

El Centro, California El Centro ( Spanish for "The Center") is a city and county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the largest city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban ar ...

. Yuma's agricultural workforce, which adjusts to the picking season, is cited by the Arizona Department of Commerce as the reason for the apparent high unemployment.

Economy

The Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area has the highest unemployment rate in the United States as of 2018 at 20.9%. A large percentage of the work force is employed seasonally in agriculture, contributing to apparent unemployment. Yuma is colloquially referred to as the "Winter Lettuce Capital of the World".

Top employers

According to the city's 2019 ''Comprehensive Annual Financial Report'', the top employers in the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2018 were: Other large employers include

Bose Bose may refer to: * Bose (crater), a lunar crater * ''Bose'' (film), a 2004 Indian Tamil film starring Srikanth and Sneha * Bose (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Bose, Italy, a ''frazioni'' in Magnano, Province of Biella ...

Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubušk ...

Fresh Vegetables and

Shaw Industries Shaw Industries Group, Inc. is one of the world's largest carpet manufacturers with more tha$6 billion in annual revenueand approximately 22,000 employees worldwide.Prem C. Jain, ''Buffett Beyond Value: Why Warren Buffett Looks to Growth and Mana ...

Arts and culture

Yuma contains the historical

Yuma Territorial Prison The Yuma Territorial Prison is a former prison located in Yuma, Arizona, United States. Opened on July 1, 1876, and shut down on September 15, 1909. It is one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places ...

, the

Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, formerly Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, and now one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. It is an A ...

(formerly known as the Yuma Crossing Historic Park), and a historic downtown area. Yuma is an ''Arizona Main Street City.'' Because of budget cutbacks at the state level, Arizona State Parks no longer operates the Territorial Prison and Quartermaster Depot. They are now operated by the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area and the City of Yuma. The Yuma Visitors' Bureau oversees the Welcome Center at the Quartermaster Depot and is the official visitors' center for the Yuma Community. Near Yuma are the Kofa Mountain Range and wildlife refuge, Martinez and Mittry Lakes, and the

Algodones Dunes The Algodones Dunes is a large sand dune field, or erg, located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of California, near the border with Arizona and the Mexican state of Baja California. The field is approximately long by wide and ex ...

. The city is the location of the

, which conducts an annual air show and many large-scale military exercises. There is also the

Yuma Proving Ground Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is a United States Army series of environmentally specific test centers with its Yuma Test Center being one of the largest military installations in the world. It is subordinate to the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation ...

, an Army base that tests new military equipment. Yuma Proving Ground is also home to the Special Operations Free Fall School, which provides training in free-fall parachute operations to Special Forces units in all branches of service, as well as those of other nations. The

runs along the north and west side of town, serving as the border between Arizona and California. Yuma is an important station for trucking industry movement of goods between California, Arizona and Mexico. The Rialto movie theater once owned a Kilgen pipe organ, one of the most expensive pipe organs to have been made. Originally played as accompaniment to silent films, it has been moved to the Yuma Theatre. Every February residents and visitors enjoy the annual rodeo, the Yuma Jaycees Silver Spur Rodeo. A parade opens the events. Cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country compete in the festivities. The Yuma County Fair takes place annually in the spring at the fairgrounds in Yuma. On New Year's Eve 2018, the town of Yuma dropped a head of iceberg lettuce from the town's water tower, to symbolize the beginning of the new year, much like the ball drop in New York City's

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

. This is known as the "Iceberg Drop".

Sports

Yuma has a soccer-specific stadium,

Desert Sun Stadium Desert Sun Stadium is a converted soccer-specific stadium in Yuma, Arizona, originally built for baseball. It was the spring training home of the San Diego Padres from 1970 through 1993, the North American League's Yuma Scorpions minor league ...

, which hosted Frontera United of the

United Premier Soccer League The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...

from 2015 to 2017. Previously a baseball facility, Desert Sun Stadium was home to the Yuma Desert Rats of the North American League and site of home games of four teams for the

Arizona Winter League The Arizona Winter League was an independent instructional winter baseball league. Arizona Winter League games were all played at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona. The league was founded in 2007. It disbanded in 2013 due to parent league, th ...

. The

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

used the field as a spring training facility from 1969 until 1993 and a

Japanese baseball Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 and is Japan's most popular participatory and spectator sport. The first professional competitions emerged in the 1920s. The highest level of baseball in Japan is Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), which ...

team, the

Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...

, used the field for spring training from 1995 to 2015. Many local club sports exist in the area as well, including the Yuma Sidewinders Rugby Football Club. The rugby team participates in the Division III Arizona Men's

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

, and travels throughout Arizona, California and Nevada, as well as playing home games in Yuma.

Government

Organization

The city of Yuma operates as a

charter city In the United States, a charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than solely by general law. In states where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its orga ...

under the Charter of the City of Yuma. The elected government of the city is the City Council which follows the mayor–council government system and whose members include:

Mayor

The Mayor of the City of Yuma acts as the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of the city, and is elected for a period of four years. The mayor is elected from the city at large. The mayor has the following powers and responsibilities: act as an ex officio chairman of the city council (ensuring all ordinances thereof are enforced), call and preside over meetings, administer oaths and issue proclamations. The mayor is also recognized as the official head of the city by the courts and has the power to take command of the police and govern the city by proclamation during times of great danger.

City Council

The City of Yuma City Council is the governing body of the City of Yuma and is vested with all powers of legislation in municipal affairs. The council is composed of six council members elected from the city at large for four-year terms, as well as the Mayor of Yuma. A deputy mayor is also elected by the Council who shall act as Mayor during the temporary absence of the mayor. Karen Watts became the most recent Deputy Mayor in 2020. The current council members are Gary Knight, Leslie McClendon, Chris Morris, Ema Lea Shoop, Mike Shelton, and Karen Watts. The next election is the August 2022 Primary for the three city council seats that are currently held by Watts, Knight, and McClendon. Former Deputy Mayor Karen Watts announced her bid for Mayor in 2022.

City Administrator

The City Council appoints a

city administrator A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

who acts as the chief administrative officer of the city. The city administrator is directly responsible to the City Council for the administration of all city affairs placed in his charge by the City Charter, or by ordinances passed by the council. Some of the administrator's duties include: see that all laws and provisions of the City Charter are faithfully executed, prepare and submit the annual budget and capital program to the City Council and keep the City Council fully advised as to the financial condition and future needs of the city.

Education

The city is zoned to the

Yuma Union High School District Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) is a high school district headquartered in Yuma, Arizona. Feeder elementary school districts include Crane Elementary School District, Gadsden Elementary School District, Somerton Elementary School Distric ...

. Yuma has five public high schools:

Yuma Union High School Yuma High School (often referred to simply as Yuma High) is the oldest high school in Yuma, Arizona. History The school was established in 1909. Yuma High's mascot came when the original school building was destroyed by fire in 1910. The school ...

, Kofa High School, Cibola High School, Gila Ridge High School, Vista Alternative High School; and the private

Yuma Catholic High School Yuma Catholic High School (YCHS) in Yuma, Arizona, United States, is a private Catholic high school that provides a college preparatory education. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson. References {{authority control Catholi ...

and Calvary Baptist School. Yuma also has four charter high schools: AZTEC High School, Desert View Middle & High School, Harvest Preparatory Academy, and YPIC Charter High School. Yuma has two main elementary school districts, District One and Crane District, which include several schools as well as junior high schools. Yuma has four charter elementary school: AmeriSchools Academy North and South, Harvest Preparatory Academy, and Desert View Academy. Additionally, Yuma has six private elementary schools: Yuma Lutheran School, Yuma Adventist Christian School, Immaculate Conception School
St. Francis of Assisi School
Calvary Baptist School and Southwestern Christian School.

Arizona Western College Arizona Western College (AWC) is a public community college in Yuma, Arizona. It offers associate degrees, occupational certificates, and transfer degrees. AWC also offers classes in Dateland, La Paz, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton. Aca ...

is Yuma's community college, serving primarily as a choice for transfer students and those with shorter career goals. All three public state universities offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the AWC Yuma campus. Northern Arizona University has a branch campus,

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

operates an ASU Local site, and the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

has a facility adjacent to the campus. Yuma is served by the

Yuma County Library District The Yuma County Library District (YCLD) serves the population of Yuma County, Arizona. Today, the library district consists of a Main Library located in Yuma as well as 7 branch libraries, which are located in downtown Yuma, the Foothills, Some ...

which consists of a Main Library and several branches, including sites in

Somerton Somerton may refer to: Places Australia * Somerton, New South Wales * Somerton Park, South Australia, a seaside Adelaide suburb ** Somerton Man, unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead in 1948 on the Somerton Park beach * Somerton, Victoria ...

, Wellton,

Fortuna Foothills Fortuna Foothills is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population was 26,265 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area. Development of the area began in the 1960s, when lo ...

, and San Luis. A new main state-of-the-art library is now open.

Media

* ''

Yuma Sun The ''Yuma Sun'' is a newspaper in Yuma, Arizona, United States. It has a circulation of 18,799.KECY-TV KECY-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to El Centro, California, United States, serving the Yuma, Arizona–El Centro, California market as an affiliate of Fox, MyNetworkTV, ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by the News-Press ...

FOX, ABC, CW and Telemundo Affiliate *

KYMA-DT KYMA-DT (channels 11 and 13) is a television station licensed to Yuma, Arizona, United States, serving the Yuma, Arizona–El Centro, California market as an affiliate of CBS and NBC. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications, which maintains a ...

NBC and CBS Affiliate *

KCFY KCFY (88.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian hot AC format. Licensed to Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 cen ...

88.1 KCFY Christian Radio *

KAWC-FM KAWC-FM (88.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a News-Talk and Information programming, along with a few classical music and jazz programs. Licensed to Yuma, Arizona, United States, it serves the Yuma area. The station is currently owned b ...

88.9 FM Public Radio (Arizona Western College) * KYRM 91.9 FM Radio Manantial *

KLJZ KLJZ (93.1 FM broadcasting, FM, "Z93") is a commercial radio station in Yuma, Arizona, United States. KLJZ airs a hot adult contemporary format. History KVOY-FM was licensed in 1972 as a sister station of KCYK, KVOY (AM), changing its calls to K ...

93.1 FM Adult Contemporary Radio *

KTTI KTTI (95.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to serve Yuma, Arizona, United States and also serving El Centro, California. The station is owned by El Dorado Broadcasters LLC. It airs a country music format. History KALJ KALJ took to the air on N ...

95.1 FM Country Radio * XHMIX 98.3 FM Top 40 Radio *

KQSR KQSR (100.9 FM, "Mix 100.9") is a commercial hot adult contemporary music radio station in Yuma, Arizona also serving El Centro, California. The station used to be known as "The Jet" and aired a classic rock format. It adopted the slogan "Star ...

100.9 FM Adult Contemporary Radio * KCEC 104.5 FM Regional Mexican Radio * KBLU 560 AM Talk Radio * KOFA 1320 AM Public Radio (Arizona Western College) *

KCYK KCYK (1400 AM broadcasting, AM, "Outlaw Country 1400") is a radio station broadcasting a classic country music format. Licensed to serve the community of license, community of Yuma, Arizona, United States, the station is currently owned by Monste ...

1400 AM Country Radio

Transportation

Yuma County Area Transit The Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT) system is a public transportation system based in Yuma County, Arizona. Since 1990 the agency has grown from a new transit service offering paratransit to the current mix of fixed-route and demand-responsiv ...

Yuma International Airport Yuma International Airport is a joint use airport with civilian and military flight activity operated in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps via the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. The airfield is located south of the central business di ...

* Yuma Station (

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

) * Greyhound Lines, which utilizes a stop at 1245 S Castle Dome Avenue. * FlixBus, which utilizes a stop at 2931 E Gilla Ridge Road. * Camel Express to

Quartzsite, Arizona Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413. Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite which is at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 95 w ...

* Interstate 8 ** Business Loop 8 *

Arizona State Route 195 State Route 195 (SR 195) (nicknamed the Robert A. Vaughan Expressway by the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization in honor of their executive director at the time) is a State highway#United States, state highway in Yuma County, Arizona, Yuma ...

In popular culture

A number of movies have been shot in the Yuma area, including '' The Sheik'' (1921), ''

Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...

'' (1926), ''

'' (1939), ''

'' (1966), '' Gunga Din'' (1939), '' Flight of the Phoenix'' (1965), ''

Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...

'' (1983), '' Spaceballs'' (1987), and '' Jarhead'' (2005).

Dale Gribble Dale Alvin Gribble (born July 12, 1953) is a fictional character in the Fox animated series ''King of the Hill'', voiced by Johnny Hardwick. He is an exterminator, bounty hunter, owner of Daletech, chain smoker, gun fanatic, and paranoid belie ...

lied about owning Gribble and Sons Propane located in Yuma on the animated sitcom FOX sitcom ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...

''. The eponymous town is in the 1953

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

story

Three-Ten to Yuma "Three-Ten to Yuma" is a short story written by Elmore Leonard that was first published in ''Dime Western Magazine'', a 1950s pulp magazine, in March 1953. It is one of the very few Western stories to have been adapted to the screen twice, i ...

, as well as the 1957 film '' 3:10 to Yuma'' and its 2007 remake, which were both based on the story. It was also the setting of the 1971 film Yuma.

Notable people

* Alex Barrett (born 1994), American football player * Ryan Bedford, Olympic

speed skater Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. ...

Darrell Bevell Darrell Wayne Bevell (born January 6, 1970) is an American football coach, who currently serves as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Miami Dolphins. He previously served as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings fr ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

' Offensive Coordinator *

Charles Brinley Charles Brinley (November 15, 1880 – February 17, 1946) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 140 films between 1913 and 1939. He was born in Yuma, Arizona and died in Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, ...

, actor of the silent era * Cesar Chavez, Mexican American civil rights leader *

Tom Childs Tom Childs, Jr. (10 June 1870 – 5 February 1951) was an Arizona miner and rancher. Biography He was born in Arizona City (renamed Yuma), Arizona. His father was Tom Childs, Sr. His mother was Mary Thornberry. Thomas Childs, Sr. was a teams ...

, miner and rancher *

Curley Culp Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American football defensive lineman who was a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State Unive ...

, NFL player for

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

, member of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

Jason DeCorse Jason DeCorse (born January 16, 1974 in Yuma, Arizona) is of the Quechan, Quechan Indian nation and is currently living in Solana Beach, California. He is guitarist for the LA band The Icarus Line. In late 2007, he began performing and recording ...

, guitarist for

The Icarus Line The Icarus Line was an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1998 until 2015. Career 1998–2003 The Icarus Line's roots started from a high school rock group, Kanker Sores. Tragedy struck the band in 1997, when ...

Efrain Escudero Efraín Escudero (born January 15, 1986) is a Mexican mixed martial artist. He trains under Drew Fickett and competes in the 155 lb (70.3 kg) weight class. Efrain was the winner of season eight of Spike TV's reality show ''The Ultimate ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

All-American

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spor ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

fighter, and Ultimate Fighter Season 8 reality TV show champion * Edgar Garcia, current

, and former

and WEC fighter * Irving Garcia,

USL Pro The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

player for

Los Angeles Blues Orange County Soccer Club is an American soccer team based in the Orange County, California city of Irvine. Founded in 2010 as the Los Angeles Blues, the team currently plays in the second tier USL Championship. The team plays its home games ...

Kelvin Gastelum Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gastelum has competed for the UFC since he won '' The Ul ...

, Ultimate Fighter 17 reality TV show champion, and

fighter in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

division. * Bill Hudson, Alaska state legislator *

Ron Jessie Ron Ray Jessie (February 4, 1948 – January 13, 2006) was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. His best season came in 1976 with the Los Angeles Rams, ...

, NFL wide receiver for Los Angeles Rams * Robert Wilson Kennerly, retired politician and community leader *

Curtis Lee Curtis Edwin Lee (October 28, 1939 – January 8, 2015) was an American singer of the early 1960s, who was twice a beneficiary of Phil Spector's productions in 1961. These were " Pretty Little Angel Eyes" ( US #7) and " Under the Moon of Love" ...

, singer *

Jonathan Lines Jonathan Wilton Lines (born May 1970) is an American businessman and former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. Lines is the general manager of Lines & Lundgreen Roofing and Insulation Inc. Personal life Lines has 11 children. He is a membe ...

, businessman, former Chair of

Arizona Republican Party The Arizona Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Arizona. Its headquarters are in Phoenix. The party currently controls four of Arizona's nine U.S. House seats, both houses of the state legislature, and the governorship ...

* Jose Maria Redondo, entrepreneur and former mayor of Yuma * Mike Marshall, manager of

Yuma Scorpions Yuma can refer to: Places * Yuma Desert, desert in southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico ;United States * Yuma County, Arizona ** Yuma, Arizona ** Fortuna Foothills, Arizona ** Marine Corps Air Station Yuma ** United States Army Yuma Proving Ground ...

, won two

World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...

s with

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

* Bengie Molina, Major League Baseball catcher for the Texas Rangers; played shortstop for

in 1991 and 1992 * Bobby Pacho, 1930s professional

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

and

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

world title contender * Bob Porter, major league baseball player * DeForest Porter, mayor of Phoenix; Justice, Arizona Territory Supreme Court * John Shanssey, boxer, gambler, saloon owner, and Mayor of Yuma *

Cain Velasquez Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...

heavyweight champion, All-American collegiate wrestler *

Roger L. Worsley Roger Lewis Worsley (born March 22, 1937) is a retired college administrator, who from 1985 to 1995 was the president of Laredo Community College in Laredo, Texas, Laredo, Texas. He also from 1996 to 2005 served as the Chancellor (education), cha ...

, educator; lived in Yuma, 1959 to 1963 * Eduardo Franco (born 1994), actor

Notes

References

External links

City of Yuma Website

Yuma Convention and Visitors Bureau Website

* {{authority control County seats in Arizona Arizona placenames of Native American origin Populated places established in 1864 Weather extremes of Earth Cities in Arizona Metropolitan areas of Arizona Communities in the Lower Colorado River Valley Populated places in the Sonoran Desert Port cities and towns in Arizona Cities in Yuma County, Arizona Arizona populated places on the Colorado River