Oracle, Arizona

Oracle, Arizona
The central part of town from atop a hill
Location in Pinal County and the state of Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Counties	Pinal
Population  (2000)
• Total	3,563
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST (no daylight saving time))

Oracle is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,563 at the 2000 census.

Buffalo Bill Cody owned a mine in the town briefly and built a house there. The town is the location of the Biosphere 2 experiment and was the official residence of environmentalist author Edward Abbey. Abbey is believed to be buried nearby. Oracle is becoming a bedroom community for Tucson, Arizona, but large-scale development is opposed by many residents.

Oracle State Park is adjacent. The Arizona Trail passes through the Park and town.

History

The name of the town comes from early prospectors. Albert Weldon came to the area looking for gold and silver. He and some other companions named their first mine The Oracle after the ship Weldon had traveled on. The town was later named after its first mine, and thus, indirectly, after a ship.

The town began to grow in the late 1870's, as gold and silver were discovered and the Christmas and New Year mines opened. By 1880, the town was established by the arrival of a post office.

The town also became a retreat for people suffering from tuberculosis during its life. The Arcadia Ranch was, during this time, a sanitorium.

Climate

Sunset in Oracle during the monsoon

Located at 4500 feet, Oracle consists of mostly Oak scrub and grass. Daily temperatures in summer average 95 degrees. Rainfall increases during July and August, due to the monsoon effect. Snowfall varies.

Geology

Oracle and the surrounding area sit largely on a slab of granite called "Oracle granite" that is visible as red or grey-and-white speckled "boulders" rising over the scrub and grass. It is mostly porphyritic biotite Precambrian granite with large microcline phenocrysts, and has occasional inclusions of white and milky quartz and pegmatite. The granite rarely contains ore and veins of gold or silver, and sometimes copper.

Geography

Oracle is located at 32°36′58″N 110°46′55″W (32.616030, -110.781854)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 29.5 km² (11.4 mi²), all land.

Attractions

• Oracle State Park

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,563 people, 1,384 households, and 1,004 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 120.9/km² (313.0/mi²). There were 1,534 housing units at an average density of 52.0/km² (134.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 77.01% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 1.52% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 17.26% from other races, and 3.79% from two or more races. 38.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,384 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,267, and the median income for a family was $46,026. Males had a median income of $37,667 versus $30,667 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,459. About 8.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Community Guide to Oracle, Arizona
• Oracle Historical Society