Mount Orville is a high peak of the Fairweather Range, the southernmost part of the Saint Elias Mountains.

The mountain's name was proposed to the National Park Service by Senator Ernest Gruening in 1961 to honor Orville Wright (1871–1948) who, with his brother Wilbur, invented the airplane, a form of transportation which contributed to the development of Alaska.

The first summit was achieved in 1995 by seasoned climbers Steven Carroll, Philip Kauffman, and Patrick Simmons.

[6] In April 2012 professional mountaineer Florian Hill and Will Wacker attempted Mount Orville several times but had to cut off the expedition due bad weather.

[8] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Saint Elias Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall.