Marana
| Town of Marana, Arizona | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 32°23′12″N 111°7′32″W / 32.38667°N 111.12556°WCoordinates: 32°23′12″N 111°7′32″W / 32.38667°N 111.12556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Pima |
| Incorporated | 1977 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Ed Honea |
| Area | |
| - Total | 120 sq mi (190.5 km2) |
| - Land | 119.1 sq mi (188.2 km2) |
| - Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,991 ft (607 m) |
| Population (2007)[1] | |
| - Total | 31,860 |
| - Density | 354.6/sq mi (137.0/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (no DST) (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 85653 |
| Area code(s) | 520 |
| FIPS code | 04-44270 |
| Website | http://www.marana.com/ |
Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States, located northwest of Tucson. According to 2006 estimates, the population of the town is 31,860.[1] Marana was the fourth fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona of any size from 1990 to 2000.
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Geography
Marana is located at 32°23′12″N 111°7′32″W / 32.38667°N 111.12556°W (32.386539, -111.125437).[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 120 square miles (190.5 km²), of which, 119.1 square miles (188.2 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (1.22%) is water.
The town extends along Interstate 10 from the line between Pinal and Pima County to the Tucson city line, excepting the area around the unincorporated community of Rillito. The city has a history of farming and ranching. The Tucson Mountains and the western half of Saguaro National Park are located to the south. Phoenix is approximately one hour north via Interstate 10.
Annexation Controversy and Lawsuit
The southern portion of Marana has grown considerably since the early 1990s with the addition of businesses and some housing, much of it due to annexation of existing unincorporated areas. In 1992, the Marana Town Council voted to annex an area of unincorportated Pima County that was located to the southeast of the town limits at that time. The area selected was a narrow corridor of land ("Strip Annexation") that snaked its way south along Interstate 10, then to the east along Ina Road, and then south along Thornydale Road. These areas were mainly high density commercial businesses and shopping centers, including large retailers such as Super K-Mart (now closed), Costco Wholesale, Target, and Home Depot. The areas were selected by Marana to be annexed, by their own admission, strictly for their sales tax revenue.[3] [4] The large residential areas behind these commercial areas were not annexed however, much to the dismay of the City of Tucson and competing neighborhood activists.[5][6] It was widely believed (and not contested by Marana officials) that the town had deliberately gerrymandered the annexation so they would not have to annex the adjacent residential areas, because houses do not produce any sales tax revenue, and the residents there would expect additional services like police protection.
As a result, the City of Tucson filed a lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court (City of Tucson v Town of Marana) claiming that Marana illegally annexed the unincorportated areas in violation of existing state laws. The case went all the way to the Arizona State Supreme Court, and the final decision ruled in favor of the Town of Marana. As a result of this suit, the Arizona State annexation laws were forever changed, forbiding municipalities from annexing small strips of land without taking large surrounding parcels as well. A “strip annexation” is no longer allowed under Arizona law. [7]
Demographics
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 13,556 people, 4,944 households, and 3,826 families residing in the town. The population density was 186.6 people per square mile (72.0/km²). There were 5,702 housing units at an average density of 78.5/sq mi (30.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.84% White, 2.89% Black or African American, 2.11% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 7.48% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. 19.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,944 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,870, and the median income for a family was $56,718. Males had a median income of $43,564 versus $27,663 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,408. About 5.5% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
City facts
- Marana was named for the Spanish word maraña ('thicket') by 19th century railroad workers who had to clear a line through the area.
- In 2007, Marana began hosting the PGA Tour's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Held in late February, the event includes the world's top 64 professional golfers. Henrik Stenson won the inaugural event, and Tiger Woods won in 2008, defeating Stewart Cink by 8 holes. Geoff Ogilvy won the 2009 version by defeating Paul Casey. The tournament will remain in Marana through at least 2010.
- Pinal Airpark (Evergreen International Aviation), where many commercial airlines send their airplanes for storage, and which was also well known in the 1970s and 1980s as an air base for the CIA is located just north of Marana in Pinal County. The airport was generally accepted as being a U.S. Forest Service air tanker base until a series of forest fires in the mountains surrounding Tucson in the early 1970s. When locals requested that the Forest Service-marked tankers put out the fires, Airpark officials had to admit that the markings were in name only and that the alleged tankers were really paramilitary cargo planes. To this day, access to the Airpark is stringently monitored.
- Marana Regional Airport was purchased by the town from Pima County in 1999 and is undergoing expansion. It does not serve commercial airlines.
Marana Community Information has all kinds of shopping, entertainment and community information.
Education
Marana has a public school system consisting of 16 schools that is coordinated by the Marana Unified School District.
Radio in Marana
All of these stations are based in Tucson except where noted below.
88.5 KFLT - Gospel/Religious
89.1 KUAZ - Jazz/Talk
90.5 KUAT - Classical
92.1 KFMA - Alternative Rock
92.9 KWMT - Adult Album Alternative
93.7 KRQQ - Mainstream/Top 40
94.9 KMXZ - Soft Adult Contemporary
96.1 KLPX - Classic Rock
97.5 KSZR - Oldies
98.3 KOHT - Rhythmic Top 40 (Serves entire Tucson market, but actual City of license is Marana)
99.5 KIIM - Country
99.9 KESZ - Soft Adult Contemporary (actually a Phoenix, Arizona station but not fringe in Marana)
102.1 KCMT - Regional Spanish
104.1 KQTH - News/Conservative Talk
106.3 KGMG - Rhythmic Oldies
107.5 KHYT - Classic Rock
References
- ^ a b "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona". United States Census Bureau. 2008-07-10. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-04-04.csv. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ [1].
- ^ [2].
- ^ PLWeb Document Display.
- ^ Annexations by northwest towns pinching Tucson.
- ^ [3].
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Town website
- Terraserver-USA.com - USGS topo map and aerial photo
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