Tucson, << TOO son or too SON >> (pop. 542,629; met. area pop. 1,043,433), is an urban center that lies in southern Arizona. It ranks second to Phoenix among Arizona’s largest cities. Tucson’s warm, dry, sunny climate makes it a popular health and winter resort area and retirement center.
Tucson lies in a large basin of the Sonoran Desert surrounded by mountains. The downtown center is close to Interstate 10 and near the Santa Cruz River, which often dries up during periods of little rainfall.
Tucson is the home of the University of Arizona. Cultural and historical institutions in the city include the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, the Arizona Historical Society, and—at the university—the Arizona State Museum. The nearby Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum features animals and plants of the Sonoran Desert in their natural surroundings. Kitt Peak, southwest of Tucson, is the site of one of the world’s largest solar telescopes. A noted Spanish colonial landmark in the Tucson area is the San Xavier del Bac Mission, called the “White Dove of the Desert.” The mission is on the San Xavier Indian Reservation.
The city’s major employers include Raytheon Missiles & Defense, which produces missile and missile defense systems for the armed forces; the University of Arizona; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base; and the federal, state, and local governments. Other industries include tourism, electronics manufacturing, and copper production.
Pima Indians and Tohono O’odham (Desert People), also known as Papago Indians, lived in what is now the Tucson area before European explorers arrived there. In 1776, Juan Bautista de Anza established Tucson as a military outpost for the part of the Spanish territory in America that was called New Spain. In 1853, the city became part of the United States as a result of the Gadsden Purchase (see Gadsden Purchase). From 1867 to 1877, it was the capital of the Arizona Territory.
Tucson’s population boomed from 1950 to 1965, increasing from 45,454 to 234,600. A large number of the new residents had been stationed in the area with the armed services during World War II (1939-1945). Tucson has continued to grow rapidly.
Tucson is the seat of Pima County. It has a council-manager government.
See also Tucson shooting of 2011.
