Touristic Activities

Commercial and retail development has boosted retail sales in the Yuma area.  One of the largest contributors has been the addition of the Yuma Palms Regional Center which added nearly 1 million square feet of additional shopping to the community. The latest addition for shopping has been Las Palmillas which is adjacent to the Yuma Palms. Residents and tourists alike welcomed the additional stores when its doors opened in December 2006.  

Tourism fluxuates due to our HOT summers, and moderately tempatured winters.  Yuma's population nearly double during winter months increasing tourism dollars and retail spending. Local natural amenities contribute to year round tourism; the Imperial Sand Dunes, the Colorado River, historical sites like the Yuma Crossing and Yuma Territorial Prison, and Yuma's shared border to shopping and great food in Sonora, Mexico.

U.S.-Mexico Border Crossings

The current Port of Entry locations at San Luis, AZ and Algodones, CA (eight miles east of Yuma) are heavily trafficked.  Both ports are used for commercial purposes as well as vehicular and pedestrian crossings.  Numbers reflected in Table 2 show current crossings in San Luis, AZ which has seen an increase in border crossings. 

Due to the increase of traffic, San Luis is adding a Commercial Port that will divert commercial traffic out of downtown San Luis.  The new Port will be a state of the art that will direct commercial traffic directly onto I-8 by way of an Area Service Highway (ASH). The new Port has become a top priority for the Department of Homeland Security for Fiscal Year 2007. The current Port of Entry in San Luis will be used primarily for pedestrian and passenger use.