Yuma is located in the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. It's one of the fastest growing metro areas in the U.S. Both its climate and location along the Colorado River make it a popular tourist haven during all months of the year. The Marine Corps Air Station presence and the nearby Yuma Proving Ground are responsible for the continued population growth in Yuma.

The city and the county were named for the original inhabitants, the Yumas. The Yumas were a combination of Indian tribes of the lower Colorado Region. They included the Zuechans, Cocopahs, and the Mohaves, all related by being members of the same linguistic group.

Unlike any other Arizona town, Yuma was created because it had too much water. For fifty years, Yuma was homeport for several steamboats that cruised the Colorado River carrying cargo to mining towns and Army forts. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought the first American settlers to the area.

The first commercial building in what is now the city of Yuma was built by a 6'2" prostitute nicknamed the "Great Western". Sarah Bowman came to Fort Yuma in 1853 to cook for the officers. Within a year, she had built a large adobe building across the river from the fort. Her establishment was a combination bar, restaurant, and brothel.

Yuma was the Marriage Capital of Arizona in the 1930's. This distinction resulted from California's "gin marriage law" which required a 3-day waiting period so couples could "sober up" before "tying the knot". In 1940, Yuma recorded 17,000 marriages but only had 5,000 residents. Movie stars like Tom Mix, Erroll Flynn, Jean Harlow, and Buster Crabbe had quicky marriages in Yuma.