Why you'd want to live in Marana

Today, Marana is a vibrant community with lots of things to see and do, as well as an ancient history. Archaeologists know that people have lived here in the Santa Cruz River Valley for at least 12,000 years. About 4,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians, predecessors of the advanced Hohokam culture, began farming in the flood plain of the Rillito River where, in 2015, they discovered human footprints 2,500 to 3,000 years old. Today, the Town of Marana is the Northwest portion of the Tucson Metropolitan Area. This area was first called maraña (Spanish for “thicket”) by railroad workers who had to clear thick brush to lay the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880. Up until fairly recently, Marana has been mainly farmland. While farming is still important, in the 1990’s Marana’s population grew rapidly and now (2016), has about 42,000 residents. Marana is home to major retailers, such as Costco, Target, and Home Depot. In 2015, Tucson Premium Outlets opened in Marana with stores such as Nike, Toys R Us, Old Navy, Levi’s, J Crew, Gap, Banana Republic and many more. Almost immediately, Premium Outlets became Marana’s #1 attraction. via southernarizonaguide.com