Tucson ( or occasionally locally ) is a city in and the
county seat of
Pima County,
Arizona,
United States, and home to the
University of Arizona. The
2010 United States Census put the population at 520,116, while the 2013 estimated population of the entire Tucson
metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was 996,544. The
Tucson MSA forms part of the larger Tucson-Nogales
combined statistical area (CSA), with a total population of 980,263 as of the 2010 Census. Tucson is the second-largest populated city in Arizona behind
Phoenix, which both anchor the
Arizona Sun Corridor. The city is located southeast of Phoenix and north of the
U.S.-Mexico border. Tucson is the
33rd largest city and the
59th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Roughly 150 Tucson companies are involved in the design and manufacture of optics and optoelectronics systems, earning Tucson the nickname
Optics Valley.