Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Tucson, Arizona, United States, in Pima County.

Oro Valley is situated in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains at the base of Pusch Ridge.

Oro Valley hosts a large number of residents from around the US who maintain second or winter homes in the town.

Oro Valley Country Club was also the site for the 2006 Girls' Junior America's Cup, a major amateur golf tournament for the Western United States.

[2] Early in the 16th century, Native American tribes known as the Apache arrived in the southern Arizona area, including Oro Valley.

These tribes inhabited the region only a few decades prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, including Francisco Coronado.

The Spanish established forts in the area, including the Presidio at Tucson (1775) beginning in the late 16th century.

Following the Civil War and several Army efforts to pacify the Apaches, Tucson settlers ventured north to settle Oro Valley.

Francisco Romero, from a Hispanic family tracing its Tucson roots to the early nineteenth century, established a ranch in what is Catalina State Park today by 1869.

[3][4] George Pusch, a German immigrant, occupied land in the area of Oro Valley after 1874, establishing a cattle ranch.

Pusch's ranch provided respite for settlers and travelers entering and leaving the Tucson area.

Female homesteaders included Ina Gittings, Mabel Burke Johnson, Margaret Moodie and others.

These wealthy ranchers included Walter McDonald, John Procter, Lawrence Rooney, Joseph McAdams and Lloyd and Betty Golder.

After World War II, the Tucson area experienced dramatic population growth, impacting Oro Valley as well.

In the early 1950s the Oro Valley Country Club opened at the base of Pusch Ridge, affirming the area's future as an affluent community.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors officially refused to allow Oro Valley to incorporate, and litigation followed.

The eastern banks of the Cañada del Oro rise dramatically to the Santa Catalina Mountains.

The western banks of the Cañada del Oro rise more gradually to a plateau and the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains farther north.

[11] Oro Valley has very similar weather conditions to Tucson, due to their proximity to one another; however, there are small differences.

The general temperature of Oro Valley is slightly cooler than Tucson year round due to the higher elevation.

Wind tends to flow in a north, northwesterly direction and the sun rises later than Tucson due to the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Innovation Park is the high-tech center of Oro Valley, featuring a number of medical and biotech campuses.

Live musical performances are held throughout the spring in the open-air amphitheater at Cañada del Oro Riverfront Park.

[17] The 2017 lineup included artists such as Gavin DeGraw, Lee Brice, LeAnn Rimes, Brothers Osborn and Echosmith.

The town council oversees all issues pertaining to Oro Valley, including residential and commercial development and natural preservation.

In 2022, Oro Valley ranked #1 safest place to live in the State of Arizona based upon FBI crime statistics.

[28] The OVPD holds many community events on a monthly basis, such as the Dispose-A-Med program where citizens can dispose of unused or expired prescription medications, the Shred-A-Thon where citizens can securely dispose of sensitive documents and records, Digital Child Identification which provides parents with a "biographical docket" of their child's information, the Citizen's Police Academy to increase the public knowledge of the Oro Valley Police Department, and the Darkhouse program where homeowners can request that police members check their vacant residences while they are out of town.

[29] The town is in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, served by Representative Tom O'Halleran, a Democrat and Arizona's 11th State Legislative District, served by Representatives Mark Finchem and Vince Leach and Senator Steve Smith, all Republicans.

The Explorer covers many aspects of suburban Tucson life, including high-school sports and performances, cultural events, features, and stories of political interest.

Oro Valley is also served by the following television networks: KVOA 4 (NBC), KGUN 9 (ABC), KOLD 13 (CBS), KMSB 11 (Fox), KTTU 18 (UPN), and KWBA 58 (WB).