[5] Archaeologists found evidence of about 4,200 years of continuous human settlement in the vicinity of Marana and in the middle of Santa Cruz Valley.

The area became part of the independent Mexican Empire established in 1821 (soon replaced by the Republic of Mexico).

According to historian David Leighton, Charles B. Anway was the first member of the Anway family in the Tucson area;[citation needed] from the eastern United States, he came because the dry mountain air was thought to be beneficial for people suffering from tuberculosis, as he was.

In 1919, his brother William and his two children, Louis and Ila, arrived in town, but they decided to settle in an area northwest of Tucson called Postvale, Arizona.

It has produced the commodity crops cotton, wheat, barley, alfalfa, and pecans.

The southern portion of Marana has grown considerably since the early 1990s, with the addition of businesses and some housing.

These areas were mainly developed as high-density commercial businesses and shopping centers, including large retailers or "big box" stores.

Marana chose these areas to annex to increase its revenue from sales taxes.

[11][12] As a result, the city of Tucson filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona in and for the County of Pima (City of Tucson v Town of Marana), claiming that Marana illegally annexed the unincorporated areas in violation of existing state laws.

However, on April 4, 1994, Judge Lina Rodriguez ruled in favor of Marana, allowing the annexation to stand.

The Tucson Mountains and the western half of Saguaro National Park are located to the south.

During the dry and sunny winter months, daytime highs usually reach between 60 °F and 70 °F (16 °C and 21 °C), with temperatures cooling to well below 50 °F (10 °C), and sometimes below 40 °F (4 °C) during the night.

The occasional heat wave can cause temperatures to soar above 110 °F (43 °C) for multiple days during the hot summer months.

Rain is much more frequent during the summer due to the North American Monsoon, and is sometimes accompanied by high winds and thunderstorms.

Flowing Wells Unified School District covers the municipality's extreme southeastern section.