Yuma, Arizona, United States

🇺🇸 Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Yuma County. More than 85,000 retirees make Yuma their winter residence. Yuma is Arizona's warmest winter city and the sunniest year round place in the USA. The wonderfully temperate winter climate with temperatures in the low 70's makes this a popular destination for snowbirds. Yuma has an average temperature of 80 degrees during the fall and winter months making this the perfect climate to spend a few months dodging rain and snow elsewhere. 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 south-west corner, in the Sonoran Desert, Yuma Desert 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 reservations.

In 1540, Spanish colonial expeditions under Hernando de Alarcón and Melchior Díaz visited the area and immediately recognised the natural crossing of the Colorado River as an ideal spot for a city. The Colorado River narrows to slightly under 1,000 feet (300 m) wide in one area. Military expeditions that crossed the Colorado River at the Yuma Crossing include Juan Bautista de Anza (1774), the Mormon Battalion (1848) and the California Column (1862).

During and after the California Gold Rush to the late 1870s, the Yuma Crossing was known for its ferry crossings for the Southern Emigrant Trail. 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, 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 office and station, two blacksmiths, a hotel, two stores, and other dwellings.

The other was called Colorado City. Developed on the south side of the river in what is now Arizona by speculator Charles Poston, 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. This area was designated as the Territory of Arizona in 1863. The Colorado City site at the time was duly registered in San Diego; both banks of the Colorado River just below its confluence with the Gila were recognised as being within the jurisdiction of California. The county of San Diego 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 and from 1864 at Port Isabel. From 1864, the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, 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, the first seat.

The Southern Pacific Railroad bridged the river in 1877, and acquired George Alonzo Johnson's Colorado Steam Navigation Company, 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 to the west and Mexico to the south, and just west of the Gila River's confluence with the Colorado. The city is approximately 60 miles (100 km) from the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), a branch of the Pacific.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 106.7 square miles (276 km²), of which 106.6 square miles (276 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (0.07%) is water.

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".

Economy: Top employers According to a recent Financial Report, the top employers in the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2018 were: 1 Marine Corps Air Station Yuma; 2 Yuma Union High School District; 3 U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground; 4 Yuma Regional Medical Center; 5 Yuma County; 6 Yuma Elementary School District; 7 City of Yuma; 8 TRAX; 9 United States Border Patrol; 10 Arizona Western College; Other large employers include Bose, Dole Fresh Vegetables and Shaw Industries.

Arts and culture Yuma contains the historical Yuma Territorial Prison, the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park (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' centre for the Yuma Community.

Near Yuma are the Kofa Mountain Range and wildlife refuge, Martinez and Mittry Lakes, and the Algodones Dunes.

The city is the location of the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, which conducts an annual air show and many large-scale military exercises. There is also the Yuma Proving Ground, 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 Colorado River 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. This is known as the "Iceberg Drop".

Sport Yuma has a soccer-specific stadium, Desert Sun Stadium, which hosted Frontera United of the United Premier Soccer League 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 San Diego Padres used the field as a spring training facility from 1969 until 1993 and a Japanese baseball team, the Yakult Swallows, 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, and travels throughout Arizona, California and Nevada, as well as playing home games in Yuma.

Government The city of Yuma operates as a charter city 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 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 recognised 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.

City Administrator The City Council appoints a city administrator 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 has five public high schools: Yuma Union High School, Kofa High School, Cibola High School, Gila Ridge High School, Vista Alternative High School; and the private Yuma Catholic High School and Calvary Baptist School. Yuma also has three charter high schools: 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 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 operates an ASU Local site, and the University of Arizona has a facility adjacent to the campus.

Yuma is served by the Yuma County Library District which consists of a Main Library and several branches, including sites in Somerton, Wellton, Fortuna Foothills, and San Luis. A new main state-of-the-art library is now open.

Media • Yuma Sun newspaper • KECY-TV FOX, ABC, CW and Telemundo Affiliate • KYMA-DT NBC and CBS Affiliate • KCFY 88.1 KCFY Christian Radio • KAWC-FM 88.9 FM Public Radio (Arizona Western College) • KYRM 91.9 FM Radio Manantial • KLJZ 93.1 FM Adult Contemporary Radio • KTTI 95.1 FM Country Radio • XHMIX 98.3 FM Top 40 Radio • KQSR 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 1400 AM Country Radio

Transport • Yuma County Area Transit • Yuma International Airport • Yuma Station (Amtrak) • Greyhound Lines, which utilizes a stop at 1245 South Castle Dome Avenue. • FlixBus, which utilizes a stop at 2931 East Gilla Ridge Road. • Camel Express to Quartzsite, Arizona • Interstate 8 ◦ Business Loop 8 • U.S. Route 95 • Arizona State Route 195.