Tucson is the closest major city to Davis-Monthan, today mostly surrounded by the city. Tucson has about 525,000 people, and is in Pima County, which has a population of about 990,000 people. Other nearby small communities include Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita.

It is about 7 miles from downtown Tucson to Davis-Monthan; this takes about 14 minutes to commute, but the metro area is large and travel times can vary significantly. The average commute in Tucson is about 21 minutes.

Major local employers include Raytheon Missile Systems, the University of Arizona, Davis-Monthan itself, Wal-Mart, and the Tohono O'odham Nation. There are also many local businesses, including dozens of businesses related to the optics industry, giving the area a nickname Optics Valley.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Tucson area ranges from $460 to $750 per month, with an average of about $600 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Tucson is about $164,000, compared to $195,000 for Arizona. The average price for a house in Pima County is about $190,000.

Short Description of the Area: Tucson is a mid-sized city, the second largest in Arizona, located in southern Arizona, about an hour and a half north of the Mexican border. The city is in a valley, bordered on all sides by mountain ranges, and is the southern anchor city of the Arizona Sun Corridor regional area. The population is a mix of mainly European-, Hispanic-, and Native American people.

Climate and Weather: The Tucson area has a desert climate, with winter temperatures of the mid to high 60s and summer temperatures around 100. The area has mild, dry winters, with light rain, very rare snow, and about one freeze per year. Springs are dry and warm, with strong wildflower blooms. Summers hot to very hot, with most of the yearly rain in July, August, and September; flash flooding is possible this time of year. Fall is much like spring, in reverse.

Transit: The greater Tucson area is served by Sun Tran, a metro mass transit system, mostly bus. Tucson also has a new streetcar link system, Sun Link, opened 2014.