[4] The first known human inhabitants of the Sahuarita region were the Hohokam people, which may be the ancestors of the modern day Tohono O'odham nation.

The Hohokam were a very peaceful people, they had extensive trade routes extending to Mesoamerica, and showed many cultural influences from their southern neighbors.

[5] The Sobaipuri were possibly related to the Hohokam, and occupied the Southern portion of the Santa Cruz, with the Pima to their North and South.

While Coronado passed just east of Sahuarita in 1521, it was not until Eusebio Kino's 1691 journey along the Santa Cruz River that he met the leaders of the Sobaipuri people.

Kino was a true champion of the indigenous Indians, opposing forced labor in mines by Spanish overseers.

In 1854, following the Gadsden Purchase, Sahuarita would become a part of the Territory of New Mexico, in the United States of America.

In 1857, the Sobaipuri, who had acted as a buffer between the hostile Mexicans to the south and Apache to the north, finally collapsed under the pressure and vacated the area, generally moving westward to Papago territory.

In 1867, Fort Crittenden was created between Sonoita and Patagonia in order to support the establishment of American settlements in the Santa Cruz Valley.

In 1948, R. Keith Walden relocated the Farmers Investment Co. (FICO) from California to Arizona, buying the Continental Farm lands from the Queen.

In 1965, over fears of a fall in demand for cotton resulting from the advent of synthetic fibers, Walden switched his crop to pecans.

The location of the camp was around what is now Continental Ranch, West of the Nogales Highway and the Quail Crossing Boulevard intersection.

The Sahuarita Flight Strip was completed in 1943, with a 5,540-foot (1,690 m) paved runway, and the bombing runs ceased shortly thereafter.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is continuing its longstanding efforts of identifying remaining munitions, preventing environmental contamination, and protecting several endangered species in the area, including jaguars, spotted owls, among others.

Shrapnel from the dropped ordnance also litters the range, as well as dozens of crushed olive drab ammunition boxes.

Shell casings and magazine clips can also be found, along with JATO tanks and large cross targets, constructed of wood with orange reflectors for visibility from the air.

Many United States Tobacco Company tins have been found, discarded by the several different aviators who occupied the area during its military days.

The actual airstrip is now used as a road leading to Sahuarita Park and the Edge Charter School, both of which were built among the remains of the older air force buildings.

[22] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.2 square miles (39 km2), all land.

[4] The Santa Cruz River (Arizona) runs through the desert town, flowing north towards Tucson, mostly during the monsoons, or extended climatic wet periods.

Madera Canyon, located just southeast of the town, is another important landmark, day trip site, and a birdwatching point.

This system of continual aeration enables the circulation of all water in the lake on a daily basis, and therefore creates an ecological balance and uniform appearance.

The J. Harlan Glenn Engineers that provided this estimate indicated that this equates to an "extremely low seepage rate".

On average, 65 gpm (gallons of water per minute) must be pumped into the lake to maintain its current level.

A nearby well site that draws on the shared Upper Santa Cruz Valley aquifer is used to refill the lake.

These statistics lead to the finding that "demonstrates significantly higher concentrations in associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate/professional degrees than the county as a whole, or the state.

The town council oversees all issues pertaining to Sahuarita, including residential and commercial development and natural preservation.

As a result, Sahuarita operates fully under Title 9: Cities and Towns, of the Arizona Revised Statutes.

[32] Sahuarita contains the master planned communities of Rancho Sahuarita & Resort, one of the newest communities, (north), Quail Creek (southeast) and Madera Highlands (south) in addition to the residential neighborhoods of La Joya (southwest), Valle Verde del Norte (established in 1979), Los Colonias and Los Arroyos (west).