Oracle is in Southern Arizona . It is in Pinal County. The town is in the Black Hills, sandwiched between the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Tortilla Mountains on State Highway 77. Oracle is a part of a tri-community area, covering a 12-mile radius with the towns of Mammoth and San Manuel. Tucson is 30 miles to the northeast.

Overview:
Oracle is a health resort, mining and ranching community. The town sits at an elevation of 4,524 feet. The warm desert climate has a winter low temperature of 40 degrees and a summer high temperature of 99 degrees. The hills around town are covered with yucca, oak, mesquite, cholla, prickly pear and desert grass. It is a town that many escape to from the heat of the lower deserts and the crowded cities.

Community Features:
There are several attractions you must see when visiting Oracle. The Acadia Ranch Museum on Mount Lemmon Highway is more than 100 years old. The building has had many uses, such as a ranch house, hotel, sanitarium and Oracle’s first post office. The museum offers lots of information on the surrounding area’s history. Today, the Acadia Ranch Museum is registered on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Biosphere 2 is a few miles west of Oracle and is world famous. Situated on three-acres, it is a model of the earth’s ecosystem. Its mission is to serve as a center for teaching, learning and research about the earth and its systems. There are tours offered daily. 
Oracle has many outdoor activities. 

The Oracle State Park and Center for Environmental Education is currently offering nature education programs for school aged children and is a wildlife refuge. There is a seven-mile section of the park that is a part of the Arizona Trail. This trail is available for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. If you are interested in learning more, call the Oracle State Park. The Pinal Pioneer Highway begins southwest of town on State Highway 79. The highway heads to the town of Florence passing by all kinds of desert fauna. There are plaques along the road with information on the various plants. It is a gorgeous desert drive.

History:
Albert Weldon worked in the Oracle Mine and began building a brush camp, near where Oracle is today. By 1882, there were about eight dwellings in the area. 

The town did not begin to grow, until the opening of the Apache Mine. Then, Edwin S. Dodge applied for a post office. His first name choice was rejected. Later, the name Oracle was suggested. Oracle was the name of a ship. Weldon had made the trip to America around Cape Horn on his uncle’s ship named the Oracle. The name was agreed upon and submitted to the postal authorities for approval.

“Curly Bill” Neal came to the area with his wife in the late 1800’s. Neal was an energetic entrepreneur, who began a freighting and hauling business in the area around Oracle. Later, he started a stage line and tried his hand at ranching. In 1895, they opened the Mountain View Hotel. The hotel was situated in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Soon, it became a popular tourist spot for those visiting Tucson. The hotel continued to operate until 1950, when Mrs. Neal died. Although the hotel is closed, its tradition still continues with resorts sprinkled around Oracle.

The main contributor to the economy is metal production. The Magma Copper Company operates an underground copper mine, concentrator, smelter, refinery and rod manufacturing plant in the town of San Manuel, 12 miles to the east. The refinery is one of largest in Arizona .
Today, the town has a thriving community of artists and crafts people. Residents and visitors enjoy the landscape and the town’s location. It is near many scenic attractions and outdoor activities.