Catalina Foothills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States.

Prior to that time, the Catalina Foothills area was primarily federal trust land and open range for cattle grazing.

Beginning in the 1920s, John Murphey began purchasing property north of River Road in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Murphey's vision for the Catalina Foothills community was low-density residential development, on lots designed for maximum privacy, preserving existing desert vegetation, the natural terrain, and mountain views.

In 1936, Joesler and Murphey completed the building of St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church at the corner of Campbell Avenue and River Road, which was then the main entrance to the Catalina Foothills Estates,[2] an example of Spanish Colonial Mission architecture.

While the Catalina Foothills community supports a population exceeding 50,000, most of the neighborhoods maintain a low-density and suburban character.

[citation needed] The Foothills area is also home to the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun near the intersection of North Swan Road and East Skyline Drive.

Built by artist Ted DeGrazia starting in 1951, the 10-acre (40,000 m2) property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features an eclectic chapel, an art gallery, and a free museum.

The Catalina Foothills is home to La Encantada, the largest upscale shopping center in the Tucson metropolitan area.

[5] The Tucson Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in Catalina Foothills.