Tanque Verde, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tanque Verde, Arizona
Unincorporated community Census-designated place
Location in Pima County and the state of Arizona
Tanque Verde, Arizona Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Pima
Area
• Total	32.29 sq mi (83.64 km2)
• Land	32.29 sq mi (83.64 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	2,671 ft (814 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,250
• Density	503.21/sq mi (194.29/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
FIPS code	04-72000
GNIS feature ID	37549

Tanque Verde is a community located in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is a suburb found northeast of Tucson. In 2020, about 16,250 people lived there. The United States Census Bureau calls Tanque Verde a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is an area grouped for statistics, but it does not have its own local government.

History of Tanque Verde

Tanque Verde started as a small place far from Tucson. Ranchers began settling here around the 1860s. The name "Tanque Verde" means "green tank" in Spanish. This name came from the green algae found in a large water tank used by animals in the late 1800s.

Early Residents and Fort Lowell

The Apache, a Native American tribe, used the Tanque Verde Valley throughout the 1800s. Soldiers from U.S. Army Fort Lowell also visited the valley often in the late 1800s.

In 1886, the people living in the Tanque Verde valley created the Tanque Verde School District. This was the first important local group in the community.

Fort Lowell closed in 1891. Some Hispanic families from Baja California and Sonora then moved into the empty buildings. They started farming near where Pantano Wash meets Tanque Verde Creek. This area became a busy community called El Fuerte.

Growth and Changes Over Time

Upstream from El Fuerte, in the canyons of the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, Hispanic families also built homes and ranches. These families had names like Escalante, Estrada, and Lopez. At first, these self-sufficient homes did well. But over time, many smaller ranches were bought by larger ones or sold to others.

Some original families faced challenges with their land. As Tucson grew, the demand for land for homes increased. This made it hard for many early settlers to keep their ranches.

In 1989, Tanque Verde was the main filming location for the Nickelodeon TV show Hey Dude.

By 2005, the Tanque Verde School District had over 1,600 students. The schools in this district are known for having some of the highest standardized test scores in Arizona.

The Tanque Verde Valley grew slower than the rest of the Tucson area. Much of the land has special agreements called covenants. These agreements help control how the land is used. This helps keep the area natural and less crowded. By the 1960s, Tanque Verde had become a true suburb of Tucson. Today, it is also known for its many horse riding activities.

Geography and Nature

The Tanque Verde Valley is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The Santa Catalina Mountains are to the north, and the Rincon Mountains are to the east.

Two important creeks flow through the valley: Tanque Verde Creek and Agua Caliente Creek. These are "seasonal creeks," meaning they only flow with water during certain times of the year, usually after rain.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tanque Verde covers about 32.9 square miles (85.1 square kilometers) of land. There is no permanent water area. The rivers and streams in Arizona, including those in Tanque Verde, are important. However, they are at risk because a lot of water is taken out for farming, industry, and homes.

People and Population

In 2000, there were 16,195 people living in Tanque Verde. There were 5,810 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. Most of these households (76.3%) were married couples.

About 25.3% of the people were under 18 years old. About 12.0% were 65 years or older. The average age of residents in Tanque Verde is 53 years. This is older than the average age in Pima County, which is 37 years.

Most people in Tanque Verde are White (94.3%). About 7.3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. This is less than in Pima County, where about 34.6% of people are Hispanic.

Education

Students in the Tanque Verde area attend schools in two different school districts. These are the Tanque Verde Unified School District and the Tucson Unified School District. The two high schools that serve this area are Sabino High School and Tanque Verde High School.

See also

In Spanish: Tanque Verde para niños