A desert city situated in the middle of four mountain ranges, Tucson is Arizona's second-largest city, with a population of 540,000. Originally settled over 4,000 years ago by the Hohokam Indians, Tucson has since lived under the flags of three nations -- Spain, Mexico and the U.S. “It has a real fusion of cultures that you don’t see in other parts of the state,” says Amethyst Hinton Sainz, a Tucson resident for more than 25 years and Realtor for NextHome Complete Realty. “There is a synthesis of Mexican and indigenous cultures with the Old West, pioneer spirit.”
A vibrant Downton Tucson today has a creative culinary scene with the University of Arizona at its core. The school, which has more than 45,000 undergraduates, is one of the town's largest employers. Other leading industries are aerospace and defense, including Raytheon and the Davis-Manthan Air Force Base.
With 350 days of sunny, mostly dry weather, residents can explore the outdoors at national and state parks, and play golf at the area's many golf courses, some of which host PGA Tour events. Tucson is the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and its culinary creativity is celebrated at events throughout the year, including the Savor Southern Arizona Culinary Festival in January and the Agave Heritage Festival in April.
Mission Garden at A Mountain recreates Tucson's agricultural past from 4,000 years ago.
Architecture in Barrio Santa Rosa reflects Hispanic roots with brick, and bright color pops.
Bear Canyon is known for its dense greenery, privacy, and horse acreage.
Dedicated in 1932, San Pedro Chapel in Old Fort Lowell was built by Mexican immigrants.
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City of gastronomy with expansive shopping opportunities
Restaurants vary from casual American fare to fine dining and cantinas, with meals as colorful as the décor. Indigenous peoples’ skill in desert and monsoon farming led to ingredients like tepary beans and mesquite flour finding their way into modern menus. Chiltepin peppers, native to Mexico and the American Southwest, are a key ingredient in many Tucson specialties. The nation’s oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant, El Charro Café, is downtown. Tia Monica Flin is credited with creating the original recipe for chimichangas, a dish accidentally made when she dropped a burrito into a pan of oil and nearly uttered Spanish profanity. Her quick thinking in the presence of her nieces and nephews resulted in a cry of “chimichanga” instead.
Fourth Avenue and the nearby downtown areas of Congress Street and Broadway Boulevard are lined with locally owned businesses ranging from bookstores to boutiques. In the northern area of Ward 3 , the Tucson Mall has over 150 stores and restaurants, and La Encantada has popular national brands. El Con Mall’s shopping center, with big box stores, is centrally located near the Miramonte community. Supermarkets dot shopping centers across Tucson.
UNESCO designated Tucson as a World City of Gastronomy in 2015.
Established in 1922, El Charro is one of Tucson's most historic restaurants.
Historic 4th Avenue is minutes from Feldman's, and draws locals and tourists from all over.
La Encantada Mall Mall is tucked in Tucson's Catalina Foothills with scenic views.
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Joesler homes and other notable architectural styles
Though architectural styles like Sonoran, Pueblo Revival and Spanish Colonial are common in Tucson, each part of the city has a distinct vibe. “Tucson is a very complex place. The University of Arizona is prominent in central Tucson; there is a lot of new construction, some high rises and multi-use properties, but they’re mixed in with midcentury moderns and Craftsman bungalows,” Hinton Sainz says. “In Northeast Tucson , it’s hillier, and people have access to Mount Lemmon. The Tanque Verde area has some established properties that are large enough to keep horses along with new development on smaller lots.”
According to the Tucson Association of Realtors, homes closer to the foothills, such as in RillitoBend , sell faster on average and have higher median listing prices than homes just east of downtown. The city’s median sales price for a home is around $350,000, below the nationwide median of about $400,000. Prices can range from $65,000 to $1.5 million.
Architect Josias Joesler designed around 400 buildings in the early 20th century; his work is renowned today for using southwestern building techniques and patios, serving as a point of inspiration for many modern Tucson architects.
Jefferson Park features unique homes in a variety of styles from the early 1920's.
Many EL GHEKO yards have large saguaro cacti in them.
Rancho Del Lago has a mix of Southwestern-inspired designs and colors.
Older brick homes offer large lots in Bear Canyon.
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Celebrating creativity and Tucson’s cultural core
Downtown Tucson is the city’s cultural core, with a music hall, art and history museums and plazas for hosting annual events. Tucson Meet Yourself is one of the city’s more popular events and is held near the Pima County Historic Courthouse, a local landmark built in the Spanish Revival style with a blue mosaic dome. The event launched in 1974 and today features over 75 live folk dance and music performances, 50 food vendors and 75 artisans. The Fourth Avenue Street Fair is another popular event, held both in the winter and spring and has over 350 vendor booths. There is also a book festival and cycling race that draws crowds.
The 4th Avenue Street Fair is a bi-annual Top 100 event in America.
Vendors sell a variety of foods freshly made at Tucson Meet Yourself.
El Tour de Tucson brings cyclists from all over the world to race 100 miles across Tucson.
The Tucson Festival of Books occurs in March with a chance to meet authors, near Feldmans.
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Natural playgrounds, professional golf and combatting climate concerns
The city maintains over 132 parks, 25 swimming pools and 19 recreation centers. Mount Lemmon and Saguaro National Park’s miles of trails are both nearby. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum. Gene C. Reid Park has a zoo and a rose garden. The city’s dry and warm climate lend to favorable golfing conditions. In fact, for over 60 years, professional golf tournaments, such as the Cologuard Classic, have been held in Tucson.
As with much of the region, temperatures can frequently climb over 100 degrees in the summer. City officials recognize that water shortages are a pressing issue and have been looking for ways to consume less. “We are reducing turf in parks, especially in areas where it isn’t used for sports fields,” says Sierra Boyer, Public Information Officer for Tucson Parks and Recreation. “The city is also adding Green Stormwater Infrastructure systems to parks to harvest stormwater.” The city passed an amendment to limit daily water usage and another to prevent ornamental turf or grass planted for aesthetic purposes only. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says Tucson’s other potential major environmental risks include lightning, droughts, riverine flooding during monsoon season, wildfires and heat waves.
Saguaro National Park East features the largest amount of saguaro cacti in the world.
At over 9,000 feet in elevation, Mount Lemmon is only a 30 mile drive from Bear Canyon.
Reid Park Zoo offers an animal encounter, where guests can feed a giraffe.
The Cologuard Classic in Tucson hosts PGA Tour Champions at La Paloma.
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Tucson area schools and the University of Arizona
Tucson is divided into 15 public school districts, including Tucson Unified School District, the area’s largest enrollment area, which earns a B grade from Niche. The district has magnet schools, offering various programs from STEM-focused to dual language programs. Borton Primary Magnet School offers project-based learning and has an educational garden that is part of the University of Arizona Community and School Garden Program. The city is also served by the A-plus-graded Vail School District, which Niche ranks as the No. 1 school district in the Tucson area.
At the heart of downtown Tucson is the University of Arizona, which earns an A-minus from Niche. Students can select from over 150 majors and participate in programs that directly impact the city of Tucson, like the school garden program. Tucsonans revel in attending "Wildcats" basketball and football games.
The University of Arizona Stadium is a few minutes away from Campbell-Grant in Tucson.
Rincon Heights students can easily walk to campus in mere minutes.
Cienega High School is a public high school in Pima County, Arizona.
The main entrance to Borton Magnet School.
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Connections to Phoenix and Mexico
Tucson’s highway system connects adjacent cities—primarily Oro Valley and Catalina Foothills—to the city’s major employers. The area’s leading industries include mining and manufacturing, such as Caterpillar Inc. and ASARCO, as well as aerospace and defense, with contractor Raytheon and the Davis-Manthan Air Force Base both located in Tucson. The Air Force base is on the south end of Interstate 10, a major route traveling from Phoenix, about 110 miles west of the city, through downtown Tucson and southeast to New Mexico. Interstate 19 runs north from Mexico about 70 miles to downtown, where it intersects with I-10. The Tucson International Airport provides nonstop service to 19 airports with one-stop connections to over 400 cities worldwide. Tucson remains committed to reducing hazardous emissions by providing various cyclist-friendly roads and public transportation service options, including Sun Tran buses and Sun Link streetcars.
Tucson and national crime data comparisons
The city’s violent crime rates remain mostly consistent, decreasing by less than 1% between 2018 and 2023. Over the same span, nationwide violent crime rates also remained constant, according to FBI crime data. Roughly the same percentage of violent and property crimes were reported to each of Tucson’s four police divisions. Property crime incidents decreased by nearly 32% between 2018 and 2023, according to city data. Meanwhile, nationwide property crime incidents decreased by approximately 14% for the same period.
Tucson has put together three propositions to secure funding and plan solutions toward crime initiatives. The city’s 10-year, three-phase plan, collectively called “Tucson Delivers,” will upgrade streets, fund stronger police and fire departments and improve city parks. The projected completion date for all phases is 2032.
On average, homes in Tucson, AZ sell after 72 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Tucson, AZ over the last 12 months is $355,000, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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