Yuma

Understand

1 Yuma Visitor Center, 265 S Main St, ☏ +1 928-783-0071, toll-free: +1 800-293-0071, fax: +1 928-783-1897, [email protected]. Oct 1 - April 30: daily 9AM-5PM; May 1 - Sep 30: Tu-Sat 9AM-5PM. Yuma bills itself as the "Sunniest City on Earth", with weather (and weather records) to match: of any populated place in the contiguous United States, Yuma is the driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation, and has the highest number of days per year – 175 – with a daily high temperature of 90 °F (32 °C) or above. Within the U.S., perhaps only Death Valley rivals it for extreme weather. Mix in tropical storms (Hurricane Nora, 1997), the rare dusting of snow (Dec 1932, Jan 1937, Dec 1967) and earthquakes thanks to lying along a fault zone (the Algodones fault in the Yuma Desert; record magnitude 7.1 in 1915), and it's not much of a stretch to claim that Yuma is a place of extremes. The weather makes it a draw for out-of-state visitors and temporary winter residents (called "snow birds") and a year-round agricultural center. The Yuma area grows over 175 types of crops, ranging from citrus, alfalfa, cotton, wheat and other grains, dates - and the largest of which is lettuce. Yuma County grows 90% of all leafy vegetables in the U.S. Aside from agriculture and tourism, there also is a large military presence, rounding out the top three industries for Yuma. A number of movies have been shot in the area, most utilizing the desert landscapes.

Getting there

By car Yuma is at the mid-point of Interstate 8, half way between San Diego and Casa Grande, each about 170 mi (270 km), about a 2 hour 45 minute drive from Yuma. Interstate 8 terminates at the junction with Interstate 10 at Casa Grande, between Phoenix and Tucson. U.S. Route 95 (US 95) runs from the Arizona-Sonora border in San Luis south of Yuma, and north to Quartzsite, Kingman, crossing over the Colorado River by Hoover Dam and into Nevada, to Las Vegas and beyond.

By plane 1 Yuma International Airport (YUM IATA). It is regional airport served by American Eagle, providing service with Phoenix Sky Harbor and Dallas-Fort Worth airports. (updated Apr 2020) The nearest full service airports are in:

Phoenix and San Diego, in the U.S. Mexicali and Tijuana, in Mexico.

By train Yuma is served by Amtrak via its triweekly Sunset Limited route between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Additionally, the Texas Eagle provides services to and from Chicago. Westbound trains arrive around 3AM, while eastbound ones arrives late evening around 11:30PM. Delays are quite common. 2 Yuma station, at 281 Gila Street, is an unmanned platform with no shelters or restrooms. It is a block from downtown.

By bus 3 Greyhound, (bus stop) 1245 S Castle Dome Ave (Next Target Parking Lot along S Castle Dome Ave), ☏ +1 928-783-4403, toll-free: +1 800-231-2222. As this just a pick-up and drop-off point, tickets should be purchased beforehand online or over the phone. Tickets can also be purchased from the YCAT office at 2715 E 14th St. They also have an additional downtown stop at the YCAT transit center on E 3rd & S Gila. Check your tickets to confirm pick-up location. YCAT 'Turquoise Rt #10', (bus stop) E 3rd & S Gila (YCAT bus stop at E 3rd St & Gila). M W F 8:30AM & 2:30PM; check schedules. Operates buses from El Centro, California via Fort Yuma and Winterhaven (updated Mar 2020) Quartzsite Camel Express, ☏ + 1 928-927-4333 (option 3). Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. Orig

Getting around

By car Streets are numbered southward from the Colorado River. However, avenues are organized into two different classifications:

West of downtown is in numbers, but the major ones are lettered (e.g. Avenue A, B, C, etc.) East of downtown is also, but only, in numbers (e.g. Avenue 3 E, Avenue 5 E, etc.). into numbers centered around Pacific Avenue The main thoroughfares within city limits are:

4th Avenue (I-8 Business) - runs between 32nd Street and 1st Avenue, where it then continues into Winterhaven, CA. 16th Street - this is U.S. 95 between Avenue 3 E and Avenue B. 32nd Street (partially I-8 Business) - begins all the way in Yuma County as County 11th Street, but most development exists between Avenue B and Avenue 8 1/2 E. Continues east into Fortuna Foothills as South Frontage Road. Avenue B - this is U.S. 95 between 16th Street and the Cocopah Casino east of Somerton. AZ S.R. 195 - begins as Araby Road at I-8, then travels to San Luis without going through Yuma itself.

By bus 1 Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT), (Central Bus stop) E 3rd & S Gila St (across S Gila St from Amtrak station at corner of 3rd & Gila next to a boarded up hotel building; Greyhound & Imperial Valley Transit also have a stop here). The public bus network in Yuma county, local services usually operate M-F 5:50AM-7:30PM, and Sa 9AM-6:30PM. Buses serve border crossings at both Andrade and San Luis. There is limited evening service to local colleges and universities until 11PM on weeknights. Also, an inter-city service linking Yuma with El Centro, California, is available three times a week. A good system map can be found on YCAT's website. (updated Jun 2021)

See

1 Yuma Territorial Prison Park, 1 Prison Hill Rd, ☏ +1 928-783-4771. Th-M 9AM-5PM; closed August. This park keeps intact much of the history of Arizona's first prison. From 1876 to 1909, this was the primary detaining facility for many of Arizona's convicted. Due to state budget constraints, the park was scheduled to close in 2010. Private donations totaling more than $70,000 were raised and the park is now open and leased to a local agency. New exhibits have since been added, and work has begun on deferred maintenance. One memorable feature of the park is the set of Old West-style inhumane prison cells in a dark spooky cave. $6 adult 14+, $3 youth 7-13, free child 0-6. 2 Colorado River State Historic Park (Yuma Quartermaster Depot), 201 N 4th Ave, ☏ +1 928-783-0071. Tu-Su 9AM-4:30PM. Also known as the Yuma Crossing Historic Park, these grounds were the primary storing and distribution center for Army supplies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Depot distributed goods to all Army posts in Arizona, Southern California, New Mexico, Utah, and Western Texas. There are five original buildings still standing with many exhibits inside detailing the life of the early supply post. The site is also home to the Yuma Visitors' Information Center. $4 (adult 14+), $3 (youth 7-13), free (child 0-6). 3 Sanguinetti House Museum and Gardens, 240 S Madison Ave, ☏ +1 928-782-1841, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 10AM-3PM. This historic adobe house dates from the 1870s, and has exhibits chronicling the history of the lower Colorado River region from the 1540s to the present. Adult $7-8, senior 65+ $1 discount, youth 7-13 $3, children 0-12 free. (updated Mar 2020) Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center, Main Post, Yuma Proving Ground, ☏ +1 928-328-3394. A small museum with exhibits relating to the history of the post. Visitors wi