Pima County in southern Arizona offers diverse geography in its 9,184 square miles of land. Nearly 900,000 people reside in Pima County and enjoy the incredible natural amenities and relaxing lifestyle for which the county is known.

Tucson is the county seat and the second-largest city in Arizona with a population of approximately 750,000 residents. Nicknamed The Old Pueblo, Tucson is located on a high desert valley completely encircled by four mountain ranges: the Santa Catalinas, the Rincons, the Santa Ritas, and the Tucsons. Only 45 miles north of the Mexican border and 120 southwest of Phoenix, Tucson was ranked the #1 Spa and Resort Destination City in 2001 and ranked in the top 10 for Places to Retire in 2002.

Several entities own Pima County land: the reservations of San Xavier, Pasqua Yaqui, and Tohono O?odham own 42.1 percent, the public owns 17.1 percent, the State of Arizona owns 14.9 percent, individuals and corporations own 13.8 percent, and the U.S. Forest Service owns 12.1 percent.

Several national monuments are located in Pima County and offer incredible natural wonders not seen in other parts of the world. The Saguaro National Monument has the largest stand of saguaro cactus trees in the world. These magnificent trees grow to heights of 50? and weigh 10 tons with an average lifespan of 150 years. Visitors can enjoy the 91,000 acres of parkland from maintained nature trails and scenic loop drives.

The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, in the southwest corner of the county, displays the second largest cactus, the organ pipe, in the country. The organ pipe cactus grows to heights of 25 feet in a columnar shape and produces a delightful fruit, which can be made into jelly or fermented into a refreshing beverage. Native American Indians have been harvesting this fruit for centuries.

The Ironwood Forest National Monument, located 25 miles northwest of Tucson, is a 129,000-acre park featuring the unique ironwood tree. This spectacular tree is the largest and longest-lived plant in the Sonoran Desert and reaches heights of 45 feet. Amazingly, this plant lives upwards of 1,500 years due to its incredibly dense wood.

The Kitt Peak National Observatory is located 56 miles southwest of Tucson. Situated at 6800 feet above sea level, this famous observatory is a state-of-the-art research facility for our nation?s astronomers.

In the northeast corner of Pima County is the Coronado National Forest. This stunning natural masterpiece extends from southeastern Arizona to southwestern New Mexico and consists of twelve mountain ranges with elevations of 3,000-10,720 feet. Mount Lemmon has an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet and offers year-round activities such as skiing, rock climbing, hiking, and camping.

Education is an important facet of Pima County. Pima Community College is the 8th-largest multi-campus community college in the nation. The college consists of six campuses offering university transfer programs, occupational programs, and general studies.

The University of Arizona in Tucson enrolls approximately 34,000 students and is considered a top-ranked research university in the country. The main campus in Tucson has 362 acres and is centrally located to enjoy all the natural amenities of Pima County.

The Pima County public school system offers a kindergarten through 12th-grade education to the youngsters residing in the county. The school system has 201 schools in 17 districts and serves approximately 125,000 students.

Pima County, Arizona has a variety of real estate listings from which to choose and a New Homes Realty, Inc. agent is ready to help you locate the real estate that best fits your needs. By combining the power of the Internet and our own network of real estate professionals, New Homes Realty, Inc. is ready to assist you in every possible way. Whether you are looking for townhouses, condos, luxury homes, or investment properties, let New Homes Realty, Inc. find you a new home in Pima County.