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Tucson

This historic oasis is arid, extra dry

by Brian Hedberg

Learn more about Tucson Our resources will help you familiarize yourself with the seemingly endless opportunities, resources, and attractions in the “Old Pueblo.” Attractions Calendar of Events Healthcare Facilities Neighborhoods Nursing Resources Shopping Transportation Weather Web Cams

Greetings from Tucson, a hot tourist spot and an even hotter relocation destination. Conde Nast Traveler readers voted it America's friendliest city and one of the America's Top 10 must-visit sites. Clearly, the nation's oldest continuously inhabited community (for the past 12,000 years) remains robust in the popularity department. In fact, a recent population boom has planners balancing the city's historic distinctiveness against the bulldozer of urban renewal.

The rationale for the Tucson's appeal is multifaceted. Its housing costs stay impressively low and its therapeutic climate offers more sunny days than any other U.S. city. Clear night skies make for productive stargazing, so much so that Greater Tucson has the world's highest concentration of observatories and telescopes within a 50-mile radius. And for fun beyond its attractions and events , the city offers an acclaimed arts district; high-quality resorts and hotels; professional and collegiate sports; and year-round golfing, bicycling, and rock-climbing.

Photo Credit: Edward McCain and MTCVB

Nicknamed the "Old Pueblo," Tucson proudly touts its rich history, which involves adobes and Apaches, pioneers and priests, gunslingers and gold diggers (the prospecting kind). The city's multicultural blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo heritages can be seen in its shopping options, diverse cuisine, and historic neighborhoods . Although Arizona's second largest city counts its formal birthyear as 1775, University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base help keep Tucson fresh, demographically and psychologically. The resulting melting-pot culture is as varied as arias, mariachis, country swing, rock, and reggae, all of which can be heard within the city limits.

If you think Tucson’s setting dictates a dusty and desolate atmosphere, ditch your stereotype of desert towns. Yep, Tucson sits in the Sonoran Desert, ringed by mountain ranges. Sure, it accommodates prickly pear and saguaro cacti. But you might be surprised by its prodigious flora and fauna, such as the 14 species of hummingbirds alone. In the nearby mountains, you can take a dip in a waterfall or swimming hole. And come wintertime, the city’s Mt. Lemmon gets enough snow to serve as the nation’s southernmost ski resort. With the modern miracle of air conditioning to nullify its chief liability—blistering summer heat—Tucson seems unstoppable in broadening its fan base.