In 1540, Spanish colonial expeditions under Hernando de Alarcón and Melchior Díaz visited the area and immediately recognized the natural crossing of the Colorado River as an ideal spot for a city. Their descendants now occupy the Cocopah and Quechan reservations. The area's first settlers for thousands of years were Native American cultures and historic tribes. The railway bridge over the Colorado River was built in 1877. 1875 Steamboats on the Colorado River at Yuma, c.

Yuma is in the state's southwest corner, in the Sonoran Desert, Yuma Desert sub-region. Yuma is also known for its large military population due to several military bases, including the Marine Corps Air Station. Yuma County provides 90% of all leafy vegetables grown from November to March in the United States. Yuma's weather also makes it an agricultural powerhouse, growing over 175 types of crops, the largest of which is lettuce. According to Guinness World Records, Yuma is the 'Sunniest City on Earth,' promising 'sunshine and warm weather at least 91% of the year.' Anywhere from 70,000 to over 85,000 out-of-state visitors make Yuma their winter residence. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2020 estimated population of the Yuma MSA is 203,247. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Yuma County.

The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States.

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