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Downtown Yuma

Yuma is the largest city and county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, located near the borders of California and Mexico.

Understand

Map
32°41′32″N 114°36′55″W
Map of Yuma

Get in

By car

Yuma is on Interstate 8, about 2 hours and 40 minutes east of San Diego, and 2 hours and 30 minutes west of the town of Casa Grande at the intersection of Interstates 8 and 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Note that Yuma is located at a freight train stop; the last before California. This results in a lot of transients in the small conservative town. The police, in line with other places in Arizona, are quick to arrest 'loiterers'. If you are traveling with a backpack and don't look like a college student, be prepared to be rousted and harassed.

By plane

1 Yuma International Airport is served by American Eagle, providing service to Phoenix. The nearest full service airports are located in Phoenix and San Diego.

By train

By bus

  • 3 Greyhound, 1245 S Castle Dome Ave, ☏ +1 928-783-4403, toll-free: +1 800-231-2222. As this just a pick-up and drop-off point, tickets should be purchased beforehand online or over the phone. Tickets can also be purchased at the local office (2715 E 14th St). 

Get around

  • Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT). The public bus network in Yuma county, local services usually operate M-F 5:50AM-7:30PM, and Sa 9AM-6:30PM. Buses serve border crossings at both Andrade and San Luis. There is limited evening service to local colleges and universities until 11PM on weeknights. Also, an inter-city service linking Yuma with El Centro, California, is available three to four times a week. A good system map can be found on YCAT's website 

See

Guard tower at Yuma Territorial Prison Park
Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park
  • 1 Yuma Territorial Prison Park, 1 Prison Hill Rd, ☏ +1 928-783-4771. Th-M 9AM-5PM; closed August. This park keeps intact much of the history of Arizona's first prison. From 1876 to 1909, this was the primary detaining facility for many of Arizona's convicted. Due to state budget constraints, the park was scheduled to close in 2010. Private donations totalling more than $70,000 were raised and the park is now open and leased to a local agency. New exhibits have since been added as well as initiating work on deferred maintenance. One memorable feature of the park is the set of old west style, inhumane prison cells in a dark spooky cave. $6 (adult 14+), $3 (youth 7-13), free (child 0-6). 
  • 2 Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park (Yuma Crossing Historic Park), 201 N 4th Ave, ☏ +1 928-783-0071. T-Su 9AM-5PM. The Yuma Quartermaster Depot was the primary storing and distribution center for Army supplies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Depot distributed goods to all Army posts in Arizona, Southern California, New Mexico, Utah, and Western Texas. There are five original buildings still standing with many exhibits inside detailing the life of the early supply post. The site is also home to the Yuma Visitors' Information Center. $4 (adult 14+), $2 (youth 7-13), free (child 0-6). 
  • 3 Sanguinetti House Museum and Gardens, 240 S Madison Ave, ☏ +1 928-782-1841, . T-S 10AM-4PM. This historic adobe house dates from the 1870s, and has exhibits chronicling the history of the lower Colorado River region from the 1540s to the present. $3 (adults), $2 (seniors 60+, youth 12-18), free (children 0-11). 
  • Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center, Main Post, Yuma Proving Ground, ☏ +1 928-328-3394. A small museum with exhibits relating to the history of the post. Visitors will have to go through security at the main gate, and show ID and proof of auto insurance. 
  • 4 Castle Dome Mine Museum, 27550 E County 15th Street North Sr4 (NE of Yuma on Hwy 95), ☏ +1 928-920-3062. Th-T 10AM-5PM, closed W. A collection of original and reproduced old west buildings. 

Do

The Sonoran Desert near Yuma

Events

  • 2 Yuma Crossing Day & Redondo Fiesta, 200 block of Madison Ave, ☏ +1 928-782-1841. Third weekend of February. An annual reenactment of the historic Yuma Crossing, accompanied with a fiesta featuring folklorico dancing, mariachi music, food, and other entertainment. 
  • 3 Quechan Indian Day, Quechan Dr to Indian Hill (Fort Yuma), ☏ +1 760-572-0213. September/October. An annual parade with Quechan dancers and musicians from the nearby Fort Yuma Indian Reservation. Free. 

Outdoor activities

  • 6 Telegraph Pass Trail, N Frontage R (trailhead) (off of I-8 exit Foothills Blvd). A 4.3-mile hike with rewarding views at the top. The best times of year are fall through spring; plan on spending about 3 hrs. Free. 

Buy

Eat

Yuma is a good place to get Mexican food if not accustomed to the region.

Budget

  • 1 The Chili Pepper, 1030 W 24th St, ☏ +1 928-783-4213. M-Sa 7AM-8PM. Addicting Mexican food. Homegrown fast food, great choice for a quick lunch or early dinner. 
  • 3 El Papagallo Mexican Restaurant, 1401 S Ave B, ☏ +1 928-343-9451. Slightly more expensive than most Mexican food, but good nonetheless. Hot salsa, mild available. They charge per glass for refills. 
  • 4 Mi Rancho Restaurant, 2701 S 4th Ave, ☏ +1 928-344-6903. Slightly soft taste as far as Mexican goes. Mild salsa. 

Mid-range and splurge

  • 5 Ah So Sushi & Steak, 1325 S Yuma Palms Pkwy B5, ☏ +1 928-329-7442, fax: +1 928-329-7444. Great teppanyaki grill and sushi bar. Regular seating available. 

Drink

  • 2 The Dunes Bar, 711 E 32nd St (connected to the Quality Inn Airport Hotel), ☏ +1 928-726-4721. 4PM-2AM. This restaurant/bar has live entertainment throughout the week. Monday is Military appreciation, Wednesday Reggae band, Thursday Hip Hop band, Friday ladies night, Sunday Fun day (drag shows etc.) 
  • 3 Jimmie Dee's, 38 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 928-783-5647. Daily 1PM-2AM. A dance club/bar that is for a little older crowd. Normally they have both a DJ and a live band playing on weekends. During the day (happy hour) it doubles as a hang out for businessmen/women 
  • 4 Manske Lounge, 3001 S Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 928-726-9258. A bar with a little more of a Hispanic influence, but a variety of music. Small dance floor, pool tables, large bar, and tables to sit at. 
  • 5 Platinum Cabaret, 822 E 21st St, ☏ +1 928-783-5000. Daily 6PM-2AM. A strip bar that provides adequate entertainment. Most Fights are on big screens. Also, Wed nights are coin nights. Should be good for all the businessmen that are in town during the week. 

Sleep

Lodging

  • 4 Holiday Inn, 1901 E 18th St, ☏ +1 928-782-9300. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Nice clean rooms, walking distance (5-10 mins) from a few restaurants and shops (Yuma Plams). $86/night. 
  • 7 Quality Inn Airport, 711 E 32nd St, ☏ +1 928-726-4721. This quiet hotel is less than a mile from the airport and the Marine Corp Airstation Base. Low rates for families of all budgets. Restaurant and bar on premise has live entertainment throughout the week. Handicap rooms, suites, single rooms with king beds and double rooms with queen beds, non-smoking and smoking rooms available. Pet friendly hotel. Nearby malls and golf courses. 

Camping

  • Fortuna Pond (12 miles NE of Yuma). A popular camping and fishing destination managed by the Bureau of Land Management, with a 14-day limit. A license is required for fishing; contact the AZ Game and Fish Dept (tel. 928-342-0091). Free. 

Go next

Yuma is next to the Mexican border, but getting in is not quite as easy as it seems due to the Colorado River. There is no access bridge from any part of the city. Due to a geographic oddity, Mexico is both to the west (shorter), and to the south (further). The shortest way is to go into California on I-8, then south on Algodones Road (State Route 186), and cross the border into metro Mexicali. (The first town is called Los Algodones.) You can also go south on US-95 from Yuma for just over 20 miles, and cross the border into San Luis Rio Colorado.

Routes through Yuma
Los Angeles ← Palm Springs ←  W  E  → Tucson → San Antonio
San Diego ← El Centro ←  W  E  → Dateland → Casa Grande
Blythe ← Quartzsite ←  N  S  → San Luis → San Luis Rio Colorado



This city travel guide to Yuma is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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