Basic Info
The Old Pueblo, as Tucson is affectionately known, is built upon a deep Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Old West foundation. Arizona's second-largest city is both a bustling center of business and a relaxed university and resort town. Metropolitan Tucson has more than 850,000 residents, including thousands of snowbirds, who flee colder climes to enjoy the sun that shines on the city more than 340 days out of 365. The city has a tri-cultural (Hispanic, Anglo, Native American) population, and the chance to see how these cultures interact—and to sample their cuisines—is one of the pleasures of a visit. The city is particularly popular among golfers, but the area's many hiking trails will keep nonduffers busy, too. If the weather is too hot to stay outdoors comfortably, museums like the Arizona State Museum and the Center for Creative Photography offer a cooler alternative. This college town has Mexican and Native American cultural influences, a striking landscape, and all the amenities of a resort town, as well as its fair share of ubiquitous strip malls and tract-home developments. High-tech industries have moved into the area, but the economy still relies heavily on tourism and the university—although, come summer, you'd never guess; when the snowbirds and students depart, Tucson can be a sleepy place.
- www.fodors.com
Located in the Southwest United States, in Southern Arizona, Tucson is one of the oldest continually inhabited areas in North America. Hohokam Indians lived and farmed here for 4,000 years before Spanish missionaries and soldiers arrived in the late 1600s. In the 1700s, these "newcomers" established the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson and the Mission San Xavier del Bac -- the two most iconic and historic structures in the region. "The Old Pueblo," as the adobe-walled Tucson Presidio became known, is Tucson's nickname to this day.
- www.visittucson.org
