Why visit Catalina
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 18 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Mountain View Golf Club and The Views Golf Club.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 101°F; January lows average 31°F.
Weather in Catalina
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Catalina
Catalina is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,025 at the 2000 census. Catalina continues to experience increasing population growth, while attempting to maintain its rural character. Catalina remains an unincorporated community, with no plans for annexation into any nearby towns.
From the Wikipedia article Catalina, Arizona (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Catalina Mountain School
Monument and historic site · 1.7 mi
14500 North Oracle Road
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Mountain View Golf Club
Golf course · 3.0 mi
18 hole Par 72
38759 South Mountain View Boulevard, Tucson
The Views Golf Club
Golf course · 3.2 mi
18 hole Par 72
1555 East Rancho Vistoso Boulevard, Oro Valley
Restaurants and cafes18
Sunnyside Up
Diner · American · 1.6 mi
15800 North Oracle Road, Catalina
05:30-14:30
6 more on the map.
History
Much of Catalina's history and the land it now sits on is connected with the Golder Ranch. Lloyd Golder III and family moved to Tucson from Illinois in 1956 and by the following year had purchased the Rancho Vistoso, which at the time was a 4,800 acre ranch. In 1959, Golder bought the nearby 18,000-acre, Rail N. Ranch from Roberta Nicholas whose ranch house is now the administration building for the Miraval Resort. The land included parts of what is now Catalina State Park to the south and part of the land where Biosphere 2 now sits, to the north.
From 1961 to 1964 he built the Golder Dam about 4 miles north of the Pinal County line but in a legal action that lasted several decades it was declared unsafe and the lakeside community that would have been called Lago del Oro, was never built. The Saddlebrooke subdivision now occupies that land and only the Lago Del Oro Parkway still exists as a reminder of the failed community. He later developed the Twin Lakes subdivision and the Rail N. Ranch subdivision on his land as well as naming many of the streets on his land. Lloyd Golder III died in 2013. The ranch commonly known as Golder Ranch is legally still called the Rail N. Ranch and is still an active open-range ranch.
From the History section of Catalina, Arizona on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Shopping5
Catalina Hardware and Supply
Hardware store · 1.8 mi
16120 North Oracle Road, Catalina
Sun City Oro Valley Gift Shop
Shop · 3.2 mi
1495 East Rancho Vistoso Boulevard, Oro Valley
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Catalina
46 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67°F | 31°F | 1.4 in |
| Feb | 68°F | 32°F | 1.2 in |
| Mar | 75°F | 36°F | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 43°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 91°F | 50°F | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 101°F | 60°F | 0.3 in |
| Jul | 100°F | 71°F | 2.6 in |
| Aug | 98°F | 69°F | 2.5 in |
| Sep | 96°F | 62°F | 1.2 in |
| Oct | 87°F | 48°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 76°F | 38°F | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 31°F | 1.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Catalina Sp (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Pima County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-06-11: Big Horn Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2006-09-07: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-12: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2003-07-14: Aspen Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Marana Regional Airport (AVW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Saddlebrooke 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Oro Valley 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Casas Adobes 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Catalina Foothills 13 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Marana 14 mi west, about 22 min by car
- Flowing Wells 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Tanque Verde 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Tucson Mountains 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Tucson 23 mi south, about 37 min by car
- Drexel Heights 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Titan Missile Silo ^570-9 - panoramio, kallahar, CC BY 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.