Marana, Arizona

Marana is a town in the U.S. state of Arizona. Most of it is in Pima County, with a small part in Pinal County. It is found to the northwest of the city of Tucson.

During the 2020 census, Marana had a population of 51,908 people. This means many families and communities call Marana home.

The town's name might sound familiar, but it is not linked to any sad or serious topics. It simply refers to this friendly place in Arizona where people live and visit.

History

Archaeologists found evidence of people living in the area around Marana for about 4,200 years. Important places have been found nearby, like Las Capas, which had the oldest-known cemetery and canals in North America.

Marana Mound was a large center for a community between 1150 and 1300 A.D., with many homes and walls. Other sites include Linda Vista Hill and Los Morteros, showing how people lived long ago. In 1775, an explorer named Juan Bautista de Anza passed through the area on his way to San Francisco.

The United States took control of the area in the 1800s. In the 1900s, families like the Anways settled here. During World War II, the Army built an airfield in Marana to train pilots. The town grew in the late 1970s and added new businesses and homes in the 1990s.

Geography

Marana is found in the southwest part of the United States, in the state of Arizona. It is close to a big city named Tucson. The town covers a large area of 121.4 square miles, most of which is dry land with just a little bit of water.

Marana is in a place called the Sonoran Desert and is surrounded by beautiful mountains, including the Tortolita Mountains, the Santa Catalina Mountains, and the Tucson Mountains. To the south, you can find part of Saguaro National Park. The big city of Phoenix is about 90 minutes away going northwest.

Climate

Marana has a hot semi-arid climate, which means it has very hot summers and mild winters. The town gets only about 12.19 inches of rain each year. In winter, daytime temperatures are usually between 60 and 70 °F, but nights can get below 50 °F, sometimes even below freezing. Summer temperatures often range from 95 to 105 °F, and during heat waves, they can go above 110 °F. Rain is more common in the summer due to the North American Monsoon, sometimes bringing strong winds and thunderstorms. Because Marana is at a lower elevation than Tucson, its days are usually a bit warmer and its nights a bit cooler than Tucson’s.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

In the 2020 census, Marana had 51,908 people. The middle age was 41.1 years. About 23.5% of the people were younger than 18, and 21.4% were 65 years or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 97.4 boys and men, and for every 100 girls and women aged 18 and older, there were 95.9 boys and men aged 18 and older.

Most people, about 88.6%, lived in towns and cities, while 11.4% lived in the countryside.

There were 19,655 homes in Marana. About 32.7% of these homes had children younger than 18 living in them. Most homes, 62.6%, were places where a husband and wife lived together. Some homes, 12.9%, had only a man living there without a wife, and 18.4% had only a woman living there without a husband. About 19.6% of homes had just one person living in them, and 9.1% of these were homes for people aged 65 or older.

There were 21,521 places to live, but 8.7% of them were empty. Not many of these empty places were for people who owned their homes (1.6%), but more were for people who rented (7.6%).

2010 census

In the year 2010, there were 34,961 people living in Marana. They lived in 11,759 homes, and there were 8,871 families. There were also 13,706 places to live.

Most people were White (81.9%), with smaller groups of Black or African American people (4.6%), Native American people (0.7%), Asian people (5.2%), and Pacific Islander people (0.1%). Some people were from other races (9.7%), and a few were from two or more races (2.2%). About 21.7% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

In these homes, 32.5% had children younger than 18. Most homes, 63.2%, were places where a husband and wife lived together. Some homes, 8.2%, had only a woman living there without a husband, and 24.6% were not families. About 19.3% of homes had just one person living in them, and 5.1% of these were homes for people aged 65 or older.

The average number of people in a home was 2.81, and in a family, it was 3.17.

The people in Marana were of different ages: 26.7% were younger than 18, 7.4% were between 18 and 24, 34.3% were between 25 and 44, 22.1% were between 45 and 64, and 9.5% were 65 or older. The middle age was 37 years. There were almost equal numbers of girls and boys and women and men: 50.1% were female and 49.9% were male.

The middle amount of money a home made was $68,361, and a family made $75,281. Men made $58,932 on average, while women made $37,388. Each person, on average, had $28,468. About 6.1% of families and 8.1% of all people had less money than they needed to live well. This was true for 15.0% of children younger than 18, but only 2.3% of people aged 65 or older.

Economy

Asarco's Silver Bell mine is located near Marana.

Principal employers

According to Marana's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the main jobs in the city come from places listed here.

Transportation

Marana is connected by Interstate 10. The Sun Tran bus service runs a shuttle to Tucson and has an express route to downtown Tucson.

The town has its own airport called Marana Regional Airport, which is used for private planes and small flights. For bigger airplanes, people usually travel to Tucson International Airport or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Town facts

Marana was named after the Spanish word maraña, meaning "thicket", by railroad workers in the 1800s who had to clear a path through the area.

Starting in 2007, Marana hosted an important golf tournament with the world’s top 64 professional golfers. Famous winners include Tiger Woods and Luke Donald. The event was held in Marana until 2014, after which it moved to San Francisco.

Just north of Marana in Pinal County is Pinal Airpark, where many airplanes are stored. It was once known for its role in storing special cargo planes.

Veterans Cemetery

Marana is home to one of Arizona’s state Veterans Memorial Cemeteries. It opened in 2016, and has since provided a resting place for over 2,450 veterans.

Education

Most of Marana is part of the Marana Unified School District, which has 16 schools. A small part of the town in the southeast is covered by the Flowing Wells Unified School District. The area of Marana that lies in Pinal County is served by Red Rock Elementary School District and the Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District.

Notable people

Marana, Arizona is the hometown of James C. Riley, who became a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Army.