In 1849 Yuma, Arizona was established as a way station for steam boats on the Colorado River. The subsequent discovery of gold in the area in 1850 drew increasing numbers of people to the locale, which has been experiencing increasing growth ever since. To locate Yuma, Arizona, map users should look to the lower southwest corner of the state just above the "crook."
 
Today there are eighty-two thousand people living in Yuma, AZ, and the average citizen enjoys an annual income of approximately $40,000 speaking to the prosperity of this desert community and to the availability of Yuma jobs.

In Yuma, AZ the average age is approximately thirty-one with Caucasians making up forty-seven percent of the population, Hispanics forty-five percent, and African Americans four percent. There are approximately ninety-seven males for every one hundred females.

Local attractions in Yuma, AZ include the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park, the Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, the Century House Museum, and the Yuma Crossing Park. Each of these facilities recognizes an aspect of Yuma's Western, frontier heritage.

In recognition of the Spanish colonial influence in the area, visitors can tour the St. Thomas Mission located on the Ft. Yuma Indian Reservation. The original mission was founded in 1780 but the Catholic Church currently on the site dates to 1922 and replicates the original structure destroyed during an Indian uprising in 1855.
 
One feature in Yuma, AZ locals and visitors could do without is the heat. Yuma is one of the hottest cities in the United States, routinely seeing days of more than a hundred degrees with readings like one hundred and seven occurring far too frequently. At night and in the winter, however, temperatures in the seventies do offer some relief. For many residents of Yuma, jobs indoors in the air conditioning are the only way to go.

There are many fine restaurants in Yuma, AZ including the normal chains and "family" entities. For more elegant dining, visitors and locals can turn to venues like the Garden Caf? with its romantic evening meals on the patio or the Ciao Bella Ristorante Italiano which also features exceptional outdoor dining in the evening. (These are but two examples of the many fine restaurants and night spots that are a part of life in Yuma.)

In large part due to the heat, the lifestyle in Yuma, AZ is laid back and relaxed with an emphasis on clothing styles that protect the wearers from the sun but also keep them well ventilated and as cool as possible. Just look at the location of Yuma, AZ, map its relationship to the desert regions of the United States, and you'll understand why blistering temperatures are such a factor of life in this Arizona city.

Overall, however, Yuma is a prosperous town offering an above average annual income, numerous local amenities, a comfortable pace of life, and absolutely spectacular views of the desert southwest, especially at dawn and sunset. These features and many others attract visitors and permanent residents alike to Yuma.