Editing Oracle, Arizona (section)

{{Short description|CDP in Pinal County, Arizona}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Oracle, Arizona
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
|image_skyline            = Acadia Ranch Museum (Oracle, AZ) center section 1.JPG
|image_size = 200px
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = Acadia Ranch Museum
|image_map                = Pinal County Arizona Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Oracle highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Pinal County, Arizona|Pinal County]] and the state of [[Arizona]]
|image_map1               =
|mapsize1                 =
|map_caption1             =
|pushpin_map = USA
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arizona|County]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_name1        = [[Arizona]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Pinal County, Arizona|Pinal]]
|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|established_title        =
|established_date         =
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 41.10
|area_total_sq_mi         = 15.87
|area_land_km2            = 41.10
|area_land_sq_mi          = 15.87
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|elevation_ft             = 4524
|elevation_m              = 1379
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 3051
|population_metro         =
|population_density_km2   = 74.24
|population_density_sq_mi = 192.29
|timezone                 = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]] (no [[Daylight savings time|DST]])
|utc_offset               = -7
|coordinates              = {{coord|32|36|58|N|110|46|55|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|website                  =
|timezone_DST             =
|utc_offset_DST           =
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 85623
|area_code                = [[Area code 520|520]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 04-51180
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS4|32541}}
|footnotes                =
|pop_est_as_of =
|pop_est_footnotes =
|population_est =
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_04.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
}}

'''Oracle''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Pinal County, Arizona|Pinal County]], [[Arizona]], United States. The population was 3,686 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]], falling to 3,051 at the [[2010 United States Census|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 Mountains|Santa Catalina]] range, the Oracle Control Road was the only road access to the mountain community of [[Summerhaven, Arizona|Summerhaven]]. The term "control road" derives from the fact that the direction of traffic was restricted to [[one-way traffic|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.<ref>Marriott,Barbara."Annie's Guests". Catymatt Productions. 2002. p. 160.</ref>  Oracle is becoming a [[commuter town|bedroom community]] for [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], but large-scale development is opposed by many residents.