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, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, USA in Pima County. According to a July 2008 estimate, the population of the town is 43,223, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 (according to the U.S. Census.) Dubbed the "Upscale Tech Mecca" of Southern Arizona by the
newspaper, Oro Valley is home to over 10 high tech firms and has a median household income nearly 50% higher than the U.S. median. The town is located approximately southeast of the state capital of Phoenix.
Oro Valley is situated in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains at the base of Pusch Ridge. The Tortolita Mountains are located north of the town, and vistas of the Tucson valley are to the south. The town occupies the middle Cañada del Oro Valley. Oro Valley hosts a large number of residents from around the US who maintain second or winter homes in the town.
magazine named Oro Valley #44 on its list of "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" a business. The August 2008 issue of
magazine featured Oro Valley as one of the top ten best towns for families in America.
magazine reported Oro Valley was one of the best places to live in 2007 and 2008.
rated Oro Valley as one of the "Ten Most Playful Towns in America" in 2004. The magazine used criteria such as schools performing in the top third of their states, favorable student-teacher ratios, general safety, library programs, and access to arts and recreation activities. Also, in 2005 Oro Valley was named one of "America's Top-Rated Smaller Cities" in the publication by Grey House Publishing. The publication specifically noted the excellence of Oro Valley's schools, medical facilities, and golf courses.
The town hosted the 2006 Pac-10 Women's Golf Championships at the Oro Valley Country Club. Oro Valley Country Club was also the site for the 2006 Girl's Junior America's Cup, a major amateur golf tournament for the Western U.S. Annual events in Oro Valley include the Oro Valley Festival of the Arts, El Tour de Tucson bicycle race, the Tucson Marathon, the Cactus Speed Classic for inline skaters, and the Arizona Distance Classic.
Oro Valley is located at (32.421247, -110.975993) in the middle Cañada del Oro Valley. Oro Valley sits at an average elevation of above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau (2000), the town has a total area of 31.9 square miles (82.7 km²), of which, 31.8 square miles (82.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.31%) is water.
The topography of Oro Valley is distinguished by the Cañada del Oro riverbed bisecting the town. 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.