Tucson: Some Basic Info

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Location / Description

Tucson is located in south-central Arizona along the banks of the Santa Cruz River where Interstate 10 & 19 meet.  It is situated in a high desert valley surrounded by 4 mountain ranges; the Santa Catalina to the north, the Rincons to the east, the Santa Ritas to the south and the Tucson Mountains to the west. Tucson is a bilingual community with a large Spanish-speaking minority.  It is the seat of the University of Arizona (U of A) which was founded in 1885.  We're also home to Pima Community College, which is near a number of Indian Reservations.  We are the gateway to Saguaro National Park, which is located on both sides of the city.

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Population: 885,400 people (1999 census

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Elevation: 2,389 above sea level

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Tucson's Weather and Climate

Tucson is one of the sunniest cities in the United States, with 3,800 hours of sunshine a year.  Tucson's average yearly rainfall is about 11 inches.  Expect a few occasional brief, but intense thunder storms in the summer time, because we're set in a desert valley.  Annual snowfall is low in Tucson proper, although there is enough for skiing in the nearby mountains.

Low humidity and universal air-conditioning make even high summer tempera-tures bearable, with an average high of 98F and an evening low of 70F.  From March-April and October-November Tucson's temperatures are at their most pleasant, with average highs of 80F in April and 84F in October.  Winter (Novem-ber thru March) has an average high of 65F and evening lows of 38F.