State Route 79 (SR 79) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Arizona.

Route description

SR 79, also known as the Pinal Pioneer Parkway, is the section of what was together U.S. Route 80 and U.S. Route 89 before both US routes were removed from southern Arizona in 1992. It has a northern terminus on U.S. Route 60 in unincorporated Florence Junction and passes through the town of Florence, its southern terminus is four miles (6 km) north of Catalina, at State Route 77, north of Tucson. The entirety of SR 79 is a direct surface route, roughly paralleling Interstate 10, (actually a north-south segment of the normally east-west freeway) and serving as the major route to Florence (which has no Interstate access), but the town of Florence is easily accessible from State Route 287, State Route 87, and Hunt Highway. It serves as the back-road to the Phoenix and Tucson Metropolitan Areas and control cities along this route show either Phoenix or Tucson.

The southern portion of SR 79 between Florence and Oracle Junction is designated as the Pinal Pioneer Parkway, a scenic road of the high desert plain with views of the Santa Catalina and Tortoilla Mountains. Also along this road is a memorial marker for Tom Mix, who died in a car crash traveling along this road.

SR 79 services the Florence Military Reservation which is a couple of miles north of Florence and the State, County, Private built or Federal Prisons in Florence.

It is a scenic and historic road between the metropolitan cities of Phoenix and Tucson if I-10 is closed due to an accident, weather or construction.

Junction list

The entire route is in Pinal County.

Location	Mile	Junction	Notes
	0.00
	41.12
Florence	42.42
	58.40

References