Oracle

Where the mountains meet the desert, you’ll find the quirky, western town of Oracle nestled among boulders, oaks, and grasslands.

Located 35 miles from north Tucson in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains, this Gateway Community along the Arizona Trail is a cool 4,500 feet in elevation. Its history predates from the 1800s when it was a stagecoach stopover with guest ranches, small mines, and accommodations for visitors seeking our clear, dry air.Today Oracle is the home of six guest ranches, great local eateries and shops, and exciting outdoor and off-roading businesses.  

Experience nature your way - birding, hiking, camping, or mountain biking. There are plenty of things to do or just relax amid rolling hills and cool oak forests.

The population was 3,686 at the 2010 Census, falling to 3,051 at the 2020 Census.

Oracle State Park is adjacent. The Arizona Trail passes through the Park and community. Oracle is the gateway to the road up the north face of Mount Lemmon, which starts off of American Avenue and currently offers a secondary route to the top. Prior to the construction of the Catalina Highway on the opposite side of the Santa Catalina range, the Oracle Control Road was the only road access to the mountain community of Summerhaven. The term "control road" derives from the fact that the direction of traffic was restricted to one-way only, either up or down at alternate times of day, to prevent motorists from having to pass one another on the narrow, steep road. This route is now popular mainly with off-road 4x4 drivers and with off-road or dual-purpose motorcyclists, and should not be attempted by regular passenger cars or street motorcycles. This road ends at the Catalina Highway near Loma Linda.

The community is the location of the Biosphere 2 experiment. Oracle was also the postal address for environmentalist author Edward Abbey, who never lived in the town but visited often. Buffalo Bill Cody owned the High Jinks Gold Mine in Oracle briefly and, in 1911, appeared as "Santa" for a group of local children. Oracle is becoming a bedroom community for Tucson, Arizona, but large-scale development is opposed by many residents.