San Luis is a city in Yuma County,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, United States. The population was 35,257 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area. San Luis, located in the southwest corner of the state directly adjacent to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

's Federal Highway 2 at San Luis Rio Colorado, was the second fastest-growing city or town in Arizona from 1990 to 2000. According to 2022 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 35,770.

History

The city was established in 1930 with the opening of a border-crossing station. In the last twenty years it has registered an accelerated population increase, going from 1,946 inhabitants in 1980, to approximately 20,000 in the year 2005. The city annexed over of land between 2006 and 2012, thereby increasing the availability of land for residential, commercial and industrial growth in the eastern part of town where the new commercial port of entry will be constructed.

Geography

San Luis is located adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border, opposite San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. The lowest point in Arizona (70 feet/21 meters) is located on the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

in San Luis, where it flows out of Arizona and into

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.11%) is water. The Gulf of Santa Clara is located south of San Luis and sits on the northernmost point of the

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

, at its confluence with the Colorado River.

Economy

Retail trade, agriculture and manufacturing form a large portion of the local economy. Another significant segment is the light industry located on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. San Luis is an excellent site for labor-intensive manufacturing and assembly plants. San Luis is contiguous with the neighboring San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. The is the main transportation crossing between the two cities, connecting US Highway 95, Mexican Federal Highway 2, and Sonora State Highway 40. Together they share the .

Top employers

According to the City's 2014 ''Comprehensive Annual Financial Report'', the top employers in San Luis are:

Scenic attractions

Visitor attractions within a 30-minute drive of San Luis include the old Territorial Prison, Fort Yuma and the 16th century Fort Thomas Mission. Laguna, Imperial and Morelos Dams and the California sand dunes are also nearby. Fishing, water skiing and swimming at lakes along the Colorado River attract residents of the area and tourists alike. Located across the border is San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 15,322 people, 6,525 households and 2,876 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 796.3 people per square mile. There were 3,325 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.2

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 2.8% from two or more races. 98.7% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 5,953 households, out of which 71.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 7.1% were non-families. 3.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.20 and the average family size was 4.33. In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.6% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 13.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 126.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 144.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,637 and the median income for a family was $22,368. Males had a median income of $20,770 versus $14,149 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $5,377. About 36.3% of families and 35.8% 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 ...

, including 38.5% of those under age 18 and 44.3% of those age 65 or over.

Prison

The Arizona State Prison Complex – Yuma is located on the corner of Avenue B and Juan Sanchez Boulevard, in San Luis. ASPC-Yuma provides housing to an average population of 2,279 convicted male felons. ASPC–Yuma is also a major employer in Yuma County, employing 755 full-time employees. Moreover, it is a provider of inmate work crews utilized by members of local, state and community organizations. Among other duties, ASPC-Yuma has a Wildland Fire Crew that consists of one sergeant, two correctional officers and twenty inmates that assists in fighting fires throughout Arizona. San Luis Detention Facility was opened in 2007. The facility is owned by the San Luis Detention Facility Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the city, and is operated by LaSalle Corrections. The facility is located on the eastern edge of the city near the Arizona State Prison Complex. It has 464 beds to hold detainees, primarily for violations of immigration laws, from federal authorities. Approximately 80 full-time employees are employed by the facility.

Climate

Education

The city of San Luis is served by Gadsden Elementary School District #32, Somerton Elementary School District, and Yuma Union High School District #70. Harvest Preparatory Academy and PPEP TEC High Schools operate charter schools in San Luis. Arizona Western College operates a campus in San Luis. The Gadsden Elementary School District elementary schools are: Rio Colorado Elementary, Arizona Desert Elementary, Ed Pastor Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, and Desert View Elementary, San Luis Middle School and Southwest Jr. High. All the Gadsden elementary schools in San Luis are Performing Plus Schools as identified by the state of Arizona rating system. The Somerton School District operates Sun Valley Elementary School in eastern San Luis and buses some students to schools outside of town. San Luis High School, part of the Yuma Union High School District, serves over 2,000 high school students from the Gadsden Elementary District. Harvest Preparatory Academy opened its doors in August 2009. Students in the 7th and 8th grades enroll in college courses through Arizona Western College with many students successfully completing college pre-calculus in the eighth grade. Gadsden students also attend various universities throughout the country during the summer in cooperation with Johns Hopkins University. In 2011, over 140 students qualified for university courses. In 2010, Gadsden students earned over $200,000 in college scholarships. In 2011, 21 students in 5th and 6th grades also qualified for summer university coursework. Gadsden Elementary School District serves over 5,000 pre-school through eighth students and is known for its marching band, jazz band and mariachi. The district has been recognized for 7th and 8th grade students taking the college level ACT college entrance examination. Arizona State University provides undergraduate and graduate education certification and degree program in partnership with Gadsden Elementary School District at Southwest Junior High.

Government

The city of San Luis uses a Council-Manager form of government, where the seven-member council appoints a city manager, city attorney, city engineer, city magistrate, chief of police and fire chief. From 1996 to 2006, the city was in a plagued by a wave of recalls. The City had six different mayors in a 10-year period and went through almost two dozen council members during that time. In January 2012, the city made national news when Alejandrina Cabrera, a city council candidate, was banned from running for office because it was claimed that she was not proficient enough in English. Yuma County Superior Judge John Nelson issued an order on January 25 stating that Cabrera's name be stricken from the ballot. Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla had filed a lawsuit requesting that the court determine Cabrera's qualification to run for office based on her English skills. Cabrera had previously launched two unsuccessful recall campaigns against Escamilla, after the council raised utility rates. She claimed that the lawsuit was politically motivated. The issue was of national importance because it was reminiscent of

Jim Crow Laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...

enacted in the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

between 1876 and 1965.

Media

Newspapers

''Bajo el Sol'' is a major weekly newspaper in the town, published every Friday. The parent company of the ''Bajo el Sol'', Freedom Publishers, Inc., also publishes ''The Yuma Sun'', ''The Super Shopper'' and ''New Homes''. ''The Yuma Sun'' is also a daily publication available in San Luis, as well as ''San Luis AZ News'', a local weekly publication that has informed the community for over 20 years. ''Diario Noticias'' is a daily publication from San Luis Rio Colorado that covers news from around the region and is also available.

Television

San Luis is served by these bilingual Yuma area/

Imperial Valley The Imperial Valley ( or ''Valle Imperial'') of Southern California lies in Imperial and Riverside counties, with an urban area centered on the city of El Centro. The Valley is bordered by the Colorado River to the east and, in part, the S ...

American TV stations: * KVYE Channel 7 - (Univision) El Centro, subchannel

LATV LATV (; originally pronounced on-air as from 2007 to 2014 and, since 2014, serving as a backronym for its on-air slogan, "Latino Alternative Television") is an American bilingual broadcast television network, digital publisher and media company ...

. * KECY Channel 9 (FOX/ABC) - Yuma. *

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 maint ...

Channel 13 (NBC/CBS) - Yuma. * KYUM-LD Channel 15 (Spanish language religious) -

Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...

. * K19CX-D Channel 19 (PBS) ( KAET)

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. * KPAZ Channel 21 (TBN-religious)

Wickenburg, Arizona Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa and Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,474 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and was estimated to be 7,920 in 2022. H ...

. * KESE-LD Channel 35 (Telemundo) - Yuma. * KAJB Channels 36/54 (Telefutura) - El Centro. Additionally by these Mexican TV Stations broadcast solely in Spanish: * XHAQ Channel 1.1 (Azteca Uno) -

Mexicali Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali, Cale ...

. * XHCTME Channel 3.1 (Imagen Television) -

. * XHBC Channel 4.1 (Televisa regional) -

. * XHMEX Channel 5.1 (Televisa XHGC) -

. * XHBM Channel 2.1 (Televisa XEW) -

. * XHEXT Channel 20.1 (TV Azteca 7) -

. * XHILA Channels 66.1 (CNI) -

. * XHMEE Channel 10.1 (Televisa XEQ) -

. * XHLRT Channels 2.1/5.1 (Televisa XEW/Televisa XHGC) - San Luis Rio Colorado. * XHRCS Channel 15.1 (Telemax) - San Luis Rio Colorado.

Radio

San Luis is served by these bilingual Yuma, Area/

American Radio stations: * KCFY 88.1 FM - Family Friendly -

. * KAWC 88.9 FM - Colorado River Public Media -

. * KYRM 91.9 FM - Manantial FM -

. * KLJZ 93.1 FM - Z93 -

. * KTTI 95.1 FM - Today’s Best Country -

. * KUKY 95.9 FM - Radio Amigo - Wellton, Arizona. * XHMIX 98.3 FM - Power 98 Jams - California Medios - La Rumorosa. * KYMZ 99.9 FM - KYMZ 99.9 - Somerton, Arizona. * KQSR 100.9 FM - 100.9 The River -

. * KCEC 104.5 FM - La Campesina - Wellton, Arizona. * KBLU 560 AM - News Talk Radio -

. * KCYK 1400 AM - Outlaw Country -

. Additionally by these mexican radio stations broadcast solely in spanish: * XHCRS 88.5 FM - Radio Sonora - (Gobierno De Estado Sonora) - San Luis Río Colorado. * XHLPS 102.5 FM - Fuerza Latina - (Organización Impulsora De Radio) - San Luis Río Colorado. (With a transmitter away at Colonia Ladrillera in

Mexicali Municipality Mexicali Municipality is a Municipalities of Mexico, municipality () in the Mexican States of Mexico, state of Baja California. Its municipal seat () is located in the city of Mexicali. As of 2020, the municipality had a total population of 1,04 ...

, Baja California, Mexico since 2003) * XHSLR 107.9 FM - La Consentida - (Radio Grupo OIR) - San Luis Río Colorado. * XED 1050 AM - La Gran D - (Radio Cadena Enciso) -

Sports

San Luis has become the new home of an Arizona Winter League independent professional baseball franchise, the San Luis Atleticos, which began play in January 2009. The team represents not only their home city, but

as well.

Transportation

San Luis is served by Yuma County Area Transit, which connects with

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

in Yuma.

U.S. Route 95 U.S. Route 95 (US 95) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Highway in the western United States. It travels through the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, staying inland ...

connects the city to Yuma, as does Arizona State Route 195. The San Luis Port of Entry and the San Luis II Port of Entry for trucks and commercial vehicles connect the town to San Luis Río Colorado,

. Also several

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

companies operate within the city boundaries. Taxis are operated by individuals under company concession and under authority of the police department.

References

External links

City of San Luis Official Page
{{commonscat Cities in Arizona Cities in Yuma County, Arizona Mexico–United States border crossings Communities in the Lower Colorado River Valley Lowest points of U.S. states Populated places established in 1930