San Luis, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Luis
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Border wall between the United States and Mexico in San Luis
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Location of San Luis in Yuma County, Arizona.
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 San Luis, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Arizona | ||
| County | Yuma | ||
| Founded | 1930 | ||
| Incorporated | 1979 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-Manager | ||
| • Body | San Luis City Council | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 34.10 sq mi (88.32 km2) | ||
| • Land | 34.02 sq mi (88.13 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2) 0.11% | ||
| Elevation | 167 ft (51 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 35,257 | ||
| • Density | 1,036.21/sq mi (400.08/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) | ||
| ZIP code |
85349, 85336, 85350
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| Area code(s) | 928 | ||
| FIPS code | 04-63470 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2411795 | ||
| Website | www.sanluisaz.gov | ||
San Luis is a city in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the very southwest corner of the state. The city is right next to Mexico and its Federal Highway 2 at San Luis Rio Colorado.
In 2020, about 35,257 people lived in San Luis. It is part of the larger Yuma area. From 1990 to 2000, San Luis was one of the fastest-growing cities in Arizona. By 2022, the population was estimated to be around 35,770.
Contents
History of San Luis
The city of San Luis began in 1930. This was when a special station opened for people to cross the border. Over the years, the city has grown a lot. In 1980, there were only 1,946 people living there. By 2005, the population had grown to about 20,000!
Between 2006 and 2012, the city added over 16,000 acres (about 65 square kilometers) of land. This extra land helps the city grow even more. It provides space for new homes, shops, and businesses. A new way for commercial trucks to cross the border will also be built in this area.
Geography of San Luis
San Luis is right on the U.S.-Mexico border. It is directly across from the city of San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora in Mexico. The lowest place in all of Arizona is found in San Luis. This spot is 70 feet (21 meters) above sea level. It is located on the Colorado River where the river leaves Arizona and flows into Mexico.
The city covers a total area of about 26.5 square miles (68.6 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 26.4 square miles (68.4 square kilometers), is land. A very small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.11 square kilometers), is water.
The Gulf of Santa Clara is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of San Luis. This gulf is at the very top of the Gulf of California. It is also where the Colorado River meets the gulf.
Economy and Jobs in San Luis
The main ways people make a living in San Luis are through shopping, farming, and making things. There are also many light industries on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. San Luis is a good place for businesses that need a lot of workers to make or put together products.
San Luis is connected to its neighbor, San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. The San Luis I Land Port of Entry is the main way to cross between the two cities. It connects US Highway 95 in the U.S. with Mexican Federal Highway 2 and Sonora State Highway 40 in Mexico. Both cities also share the San Luis cotton growing area, which is important for farming.
Top Employers in San Luis
Here are some of the biggest employers in San Luis:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gadsden Elementary School District | 845 |
| 2 | Walmart | 297 |
| 3 | City of San Luis | 243 |
Fun Places to Visit Near San Luis
There are many interesting places to visit within a 30-minute drive of San Luis. You can see the old Territorial Prison, which is a historical site. There are also Fort Yuma and the 16th-century Fort Thomas Mission.
If you like nature, you can visit the Laguna, Imperial, and Morelos Dams. The California sand dunes are also nearby. Many people enjoy fishing, water skiing, and swimming in the lakes along the Colorado River. And right across the border is San Luis, Sonora, Mexico, which is another city to explore!
Population of San Luis
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 189 | — | |
| 1980 | 1,946 | 929.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,212 | 116.4% | |
| 2000 | 15,322 | 263.8% | |
| 2010 | 25,505 | 66.5% | |
| 2020 | 35,257 | 38.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 37,966 | 48.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 15,322 people living in San Luis. The city had about 796 people per square mile. Most of the people living in San Luis, about 98.7%, were of Hispanic or Latino background.
The average household in San Luis had about 4.20 people. The average family had about 4.33 people. Many households, about 71.5%, had children under 18 living with them. The median age of people in the city was 26 years old.
Climate in San Luis
| Climate data for San Luis, Arizona | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
93 (34) |
101 (38) |
106 (41) |
115 (46) |
122 (50) |
124 (51) |
119 (48) |
118 (48) |
110 (43) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
124 (51) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
73 (23) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
94 (34) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
105 (41) |
101 (38) |
90 (32) |
77 (25) |
68 (20) |
88 (31) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 42 (6) |
43 (6) |
48 (9) |
53 (12) |
60 (16) |
68 (20) |
76 (24) |
78 (26) |
72 (22) |
59 (15) |
48 (9) |
41 (5) |
57 (14) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
21 (−6) |
27 (−3) |
34 (1) |
35 (2) |
50 (10) |
56 (13) |
52 (11) |
43 (6) |
33 (1) |
26 (−3) |
23 (−5) |
19 (−7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.38 (9.7) |
0.37 (9.4) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.12 (3.0) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.49 (12) |
0.38 (9.7) |
0.45 (11) |
0.18 (4.6) |
0.16 (4.1) |
0.72 (18) |
3.69 (92.6) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
Education in San Luis
Students in San Luis attend schools run by several districts. These include Gadsden Elementary School District #32, Somerton Elementary School District, and Yuma Union High School District #70. There are also charter schools like Harvest Preparatory Academy and PPEP TEC High Schools. Arizona Western College has a campus in San Luis for higher education.
Elementary and Middle Schools
The Gadsden Elementary School District has several elementary schools in San Luis. These are Rio Colorado, Arizona Desert, Ed Pastor, Cesar Chavez, and Desert View Elementary. For middle school, students go to San Luis Middle School and Southwest Jr. High. All the Gadsden elementary schools in San Luis have been recognized as "Performing Plus Schools" by Arizona. The Somerton School District also runs Sun Valley Elementary School in eastern San Luis.
High Schools and College Programs
San Luis High School is part of the Yuma Union High School District. It serves over 2,000 high school students from the Gadsden Elementary District. Harvest Preparatory Academy opened in August 2009.
Students in 7th and 8th grades can take college courses through Arizona Western College. Many students even finish college pre-calculus in eighth grade! Gadsden students also go to different universities across the country for summer programs. This is done with the help of Johns Hopkins University. In 2011, over 140 students qualified for these university courses. Gadsden students earned over $200,000 in college scholarships in 2010. In 2011, 21 students in 5th and 6th grades also qualified for summer university courses.
The Gadsden Elementary School District teaches over 5,000 students from pre-school through eighth grade. It is well-known for its marching band, jazz band, and mariachi. The district is also recognized for its 7th and 8th graders taking the ACT college entrance exam. Arizona State University works with Gadsden Elementary School District at Southwest Junior High. They offer programs for teachers to get their degrees and certifications.
Media in San Luis
San Luis has several ways for people to get news and entertainment.
Newspapers
Bajo el Sol is a big weekly newspaper in San Luis, published every Friday. The company that owns Bajo el Sol also publishes The Yuma Sun, The Super Shopper, and New Homes. The Yuma Sun is a daily newspaper available in San Luis. San Luis AZ News is a local weekly paper that has shared community news for over 20 years. Diario Noticias is a daily newspaper from San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, that covers news from the whole region.
Television
San Luis gets TV channels from the Yuma area and Imperial Valley. Many of these stations broadcast in both English and Spanish. There are also several Mexican TV Stations that broadcast only in Spanish.
- KVYE Channel 7 (Univision) - El Centro, California
- KECY Channel 9 (FOX/ABC) - Yuma, Arizona
- KYMA-DT Channel 13 (NBC/CBS) - Yuma, Arizona
- KYUM-LD Channel 15 (Spanish religious) - Yuma, Arizona
- KYAZ-CA channel 16 (PBS) - Indio, California
- KXYZ-CA channel 17 (Azteca America) - Tucson
- K19CX-D Channel 19 (PBS) (KAET) - Phoenix, Arizona
- KPAZ Channel 21 (TBN-religious) - Wickenburg, Arizona
- KESE-LD Channel 35 (Telemundo) - Yuma, Arizona
- KAJB Channels 36/54 (Telefutura) - El Centro, California
- KPPX Channel 45 (ION) - Phoenix, Arizona
Mexican TV Stations (Spanish only):
- XHAQ Channels 1/5 (Azteca Uno) - Mexicali
- XHBC Channels 3/4 (Televisa regional) - Mexicali
- XHMEX Channels 5/32 (Televisa XHGC) - Mexicali
- XHBM Channel 14 (Televisa XEW) - Mexicali
- XHEXT Channel 20 (TV Azteca 7) - Mexicali
- XHILA Channels 26/66 (CNI) - Mexicali
- XHMEE Channel 38 (Televisa XEQ) - Mexicali
- XHLRT Channel 44 (Televisa XHTV) - San Luis Rio Colorado
- XHRCS Channel 50 (Telemax) - San Luis Rio Colorado
Radio
San Luis also has many radio stations from the Yuma and El Centro areas. Some are bilingual, and others from Mexico are only in Spanish.
American Radio Stations:
- KCFY 88.1 FM - Family Friendly - Yuma, Arizona
- KAWC 88.9 FM - Colorado River Public Media - Yuma, Arizona
- KLJZ 93.1 FM - Z93 - Yuma, Arizona
- KTTI 95.1 FM - Today’s Best Country - Yuma, Arizona
- KUKY 95.9 FM - Radio Amigo - Yuma, Arizona
- KYMZ 99.9 FM - KYMZ 99.9 - Somerton, Arizona
- KQSR 100.9 FM - 100.9 The River - Yuma, Arizona
- KCEC 104.5 FM - La Campesina - Yuma, Arizona
- KBLU 560 AM - News Talk Radio - Yuma, Arizona
- KCYK 1400 AM - Outlaw Country - Yuma, Arizona
Mexican Radio Stations (Spanish only):
- XHCRS 88.5 FM - Radio Sonora - San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- XHLBL 93.9 FM (HD Radio) - Radio Centro - San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- XHLPS 102.5 FM - Fuerza Latina - San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- XHDY 107.1 FM - Radio Ranchito - Ciudad Morelos, Baja California
- XHSLR 107.9 FM - La Consentida - San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- XECL 990 AM - La Rocola - Mexicali, Baja California
- XED 1050 AM - La Gran D - Mexicali, Baja California
- XECB 1460 AM - Radio Ranchito - San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- XEEH 1520 AM - La Primera - San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
Sports in San Luis
San Luis is now home to a professional baseball team called the San Luis Atleticos. This team is part of the Arizona Winter League. They started playing in January 2009. The team represents both San Luis and Mexico.
Transportation in San Luis
Getting around San Luis is easy with different transportation options.
Yuma County Area Transit serves San Luis. This service connects with Greyhound buses in Yuma.
U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 195 both connect San Luis to Yuma. The San Luis Port of Entry and the San Luis II Port of Entry are important for trucks and commercial vehicles. They connect San Luis to San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico.
There are also several taxi companies in the city. These taxis are run by individuals who work for a company and are approved by the police department.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: San Luis (Arizona) para niños
