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Oatman, Arizona

Ghost town
In Oatman, Arizona
On Route 66

Directions OpenStreetMap

Oatman is a tiny community in Arizona's Black Mountains, sitting right on the old road at about 2,710 feet. It began as a mining camp in 1915 after a rich gold strike, and its population briefly passed 3,500. Today only about a hundred people live here, and the town is a natural break before or after the winding climb over nearby Sitgreaves Pass.

What is Oatman?

Officially a census-designated place in Mohave County, Oatman grew from a gold rush. Two prospectors hit a strike worth about ten million dollars in 1915, though people had lived nearby for years. The 2020 census counted 102 residents.

Visiting Oatman: tips

Route 66 passes directly through town, so there is no detour. The historic Durlin Hotel stands right here, Sitgreaves Pass is about 1.9 miles away, and Boundary Cone is about 3.5 miles off. Sweet Sally's Ice Cream and public restrooms are listed within about 0.1 miles. Allow an hour to walk the main street.

Practical info

Address: Arizona
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

On the map

Oatman with the 6 closest stops. Tap a marker for details.

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Stops near Oatman

Durlin Hotel in Oatman, AZ

Durlin Hotel

Oatman, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1924 adobe hotel from Oatman's gold era, the county's only two-story adobe building.

Historic hotelPhoto credit

0.0 mi from Oatman

Oatman Drug Company Building, Arizona

Oatman Drug Company Building

Oatman, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1915 false-front building from Oatman's mining boom, one of the few that survived the town's 1921 fire.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

0.1 mi from Oatman

Elephants Tooth in Oatman, AZ

Elephants Tooth

Oatman, Arizona · 0.6 mi from Route 66

A tall rock pillar at the edge of Oatman, AZ, rising beside the last miles of Route 66 into town.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

0.7 mi from Oatman

Sitgreaves Pass in Oatman, AZ

Sitgreaves Pass

Oatman, Arizona · on Route 66

The steep, twisting Black Mountains summit on Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

1.9 mi from Oatman

Boundary Cone near Oatman, AZ

Boundary Cone

Oatman, Arizona · 0.4 mi from Route 66

A distinctive peak in the Black Mountain foothills, easy to spot on the road near Oatman.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

3.5 mi from Oatman

Cool Springs Station in Golden Valley, AZ

Cool Springs Station

Golden Valley, Arizona · on Route 66

A 1920s stone gas station on the Oatman mountain road, blown up for a movie and rebuilt from old photos.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

4.2 mi from Oatman

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