Avra Valley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avra Valley
view of valley lands Tucson Mountains, center east valley
Avra Valley Location in Arizona
Length	45 mi (72 km)
Width	10 mi (16 km)
Geography
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Region	Sonoran Desert
Counties	Pima and Pinal
Population centers	Marana, Robles Junction and South Tucson
Borders on	List West S. B. Silver Bell Mountains Waterman Mountains Roskruge Mountains Sierrita Mountains Tucson Mountains I-10

The Avra Valley is a long valley, about 50 miles (80 km) long. It stretches from northwest to southeast. You can find it just west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains are in the middle-east part of the valley. Many towns and communities are located along Interstate 10. This highway runs through the valley and connects to cities like Casa Grande and Phoenix.

In the northeast part of the valley, you'll find Marana. This area is home to the Pinal Airpark, which is a special place where old airplanes are stored. The Avra Valley Airport is also nearby. It's used for smaller planes and for storing classic propeller-era airliners.

The center of the valley, towards the west, is marked by Cocoraque Butte. This small mountain is about 2,758 feet (841 meters) tall. It extends northeast from the Roskruge Mountains.

Avra Valley from Gates Pass (Eastern Boundary)

Exploring Avra Valley's Landscape

The Avra Valley is quite narrow, only about 10 miles (16 km) wide in some spots. It's surrounded by mountains on its western side. These mountains are not very tall and are quite dry.

Mountains and Borders

Starting from the northwest, you'll see the West Silver Bells, then the Silver Bell Mountains, and the Watermans. Further south, you'll find the Roskruge Mountains.

To the southwest, Arizona Route 86 enters the valley. This road comes from the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, a large Native American reservation. Also in the southwest is Robles Junction, Arizona. From here, you can travel southwest to Sasabe and into the Altar Valley. Robles Junction is also near the northern part of the Sierrita Mountains, which form the southern border of Avra Valley.

The northern part of the Avra Valley gets narrower near the Silver Bell Mountains and Marana. This area then opens up into wider flatlands. These flatlands are part of the Santa Cruz River floodplain, where it eventually joins the Gila River.

Saguaro National Park West

The famous Saguaro National Park has two main sections. One is near Tucson's southeast. The other, smaller section, covers much of the Tucson Mountains right here in Avra Valley. This park is well-known for its giant saguaro cacti, which are very tall and can live for a long time.

San Xavier Mission

In the southeast corner of the Avra Valley, you'll find the historic Mission San Xavier del Bac. This beautiful mission is located within the San Xavier Indian Reservation. This reservation is part of the larger Tohono Oʼodham Nation. The Tohono O'odham people have more lands to the west and southwest, near the Baboquivari Mountains and the Altar Valley.

Images for kids

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  Convair 240, stored at Avra Valley Airport in Avra Valley

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  view westward over southern Avra Valley, Mission San Xavier del Bac