Tucson, Arizona
What is today a bustling urban center of nearly a million residents and one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States, Tucson is also the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America, with traces of centuries-old Hohokam communities still visible in petroglyphs throughout the region.
Set in the lush Sonoran Desert only 65 miles from Mexico and surrounded by mountains, forests, monuments, and national parks, this unique environment is famous for mild winters, stunning sunsets, outdoor adventures and a multicultural population that reflects the rich diversity of the Southwest.
With 350 days of sunshine annually, Tucson and surrounding Southern Arizona is an ideal place for hikers, bikers, swimmers, triathletes, tennis players and golfers. The city is also a thriving hub of economic and commercial activity in the Greater Southwest, home to numerous medical and research centers and a site for high technology industries, from optics to film.
Beyond technology and the great outdoors, Tucson is well known for its rich cultural offerings, including opera, theater, ballet, mariachi festivals, rodeo, the Kitt Peak National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the historic San Xavier Mission and world-class museums, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Center for Creative Photography, the Pima Air and Space Museum, and the Tucson Museum of Art.