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Major city · United States

Oatman

Go for 2–4 hours on a Route 66 drive, not as a base: the town is one walkable street and has no lodging. Sleep in Bullhead City or Kingman.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (extreme desert heat; the July 4 egg-fry contest is the exception)
Airports
LAS · PHX
Nights
0
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Oatman is a former gold-mining town on Historic Route 66 in Western Arizona, about 12 mi (19 km) from Bullhead City. Its Main Street is a short strip of gift shops, saloons and wood-slat sidewalks, with a staged gunfight at high noon and wild burros that wander in daily. There is no innkeeper in town, so most visitors see it as a half-day stop on a Route 66 drive between Kingman and the Colorado River, sleeping in Bullhead City, Laughlin or Kingman. Two to four hours covers the street, the shops and a mine tour; add time for the twisty drive in.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Oatman, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or espresso$3–6
  • Street or quick mealLunch plate at a Main Street saloon$8–15
  • BeerBeer in a saloon$5–8
  • Budget bedCasino-hotel double (Laughlin), a night, per roomUS$60
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room (Bullhead City), a night, per roomUS$110
  • High-end bedMotel double room (Bullhead City), a night, per roomUS$180

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$45 · Mid US$95 · High US$180

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Historic Route 66 main streetWild burros on Main StreetStaged high-noon gunfightGold Road Mine tour
Airports
LAS Harry Reid International (Las Vegas) (About 2 h 30 min by car via Laughlin; one of the two main fly-in options for a Route 66 loop.) · PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor (About 4 h by car via Kingman; longer drive but more flights.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Oatman: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

18°C

6°C

3 rd

Feb

20°C

8°C

3 rd

Mar

25°C

11°C

3 rd

Apr

30°C

15°C

2 rd

May

35°C

20°C

1 rd

Jun

40°C

24°C

1 rd

Jul

42°C

27°C

3 rd

Aug

41°C

26°C

4 rd

Sep

38°C

23°C

2 rd

Oct

31°C

16°C

2 rd

Nov

23°C

10°C

2 rd

Dec

17°C

5°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town is one walkable street; park in the dirt lots at either end and walk. Route 66 from Kingman or Laughlin is twisty, narrow and not suitable for large RVs or trailers. From Laughlin and Bullhead City, take AZ-95 south to Fort Mojave, then Boundary Cone Road for about 13 mi (21 km).

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Kingman

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Historic Route 66 east, about 40 min by car

Route 66 museum and motels; the natural overnight if you are driving east.

Lake Havasu City

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

AZ-95 south toward Needles then back north on AZ-95, about 1 h 15 min by car

London Bridge and river beaches; a full-day add-on.

Topock

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Route 66 west to AZ-95, about 45 min by car

Colorado River crossing and the old Route 66 alignment.

Quartzsitecaution

Door to door: About 2 h

AZ-95 south, about 2 h by car

Best in winter; mostly an RV and rock-shop stop.

Yumaovernight

Door to door: About 3 h

AZ-95 south, about 3 h by car

Too far for a return day; sleep there.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Bullhead City / Laughlin

Closest beds, about 12 mi (19 km) away; casino hotels in Laughlin are the widest choice.

Kingman

About 40 min east on Route 66; motels on the old highway and a Route 66 museum.

Needles, California

Across the river to the west; a fallback if Laughlin is full.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$40–70 excl. bed (fuel, snacks, one paid sight)
Mid
$70–130 excl. bed (sit-down lunch, mine tour, souvenirs)
High
$130+ excl. bed (guided tours, horseback ride, casino-hotel dining)

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room (Bullhead City)1 × 1 night × US$110US$110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$95US$190
Gold Road Mine tour, adult2 × US$12US$24
Horseback ride, 1 hour2 × US$35US$70
Fuel, 100 mi round trip from Bullhead City1 × US$15 · 2026 estimateUS$15
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$41
Trip total≈ US$225 per person per day, bed includedUS$450

2026 estimate

2026 estimate in US dollars; Oatman has no lodging, so beds are priced in nearby Bullhead City/Laughlin. Figures are estimates, not quoted rates. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or espresso$3–6
Lunch plate at a Main Street saloon$8–15
Beer in a saloon$5–8
Gold Road Mine tour$12 adult / $6 child under 12
Horseback ride$25 per 30 min, $35 per hour, $60 per 2 h
Souvenir T-shirt$15–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe for a tourist street; the real risks are extreme summer heat, the twisty Route 66 approach and the wild burros, which bite and kick if crowded.
  • The burros are wild: they bite and kick, and dogs should be kept well away.
  • Feeding burros on the road outside town is illegal and creates a hazard; pull fully off the road to watch.
  • Shopkeepers have been asked to stop selling carrots because the burros are getting obese; alfalfa cubes are the substitute.
  • Summer heat is extreme; carry water and do not plan long walks midday.
  • Route 66 into town is narrow and twisty: not for big rigs.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Oatman Chamber of Commerce
+1 928-768-6222

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

OatmanOatman

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Oatman Chamber of Commerce+1 928-768-6222

Embassy

No consulates in Oatman; nearest consular offices are in Phoenix or Las Vegas.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Drive Bullhead City → Oatman: about 12 mi (19 km), 25–30 min via AZ-95 and Boundary Cone Rd
  • Drive Kingman → Oatman: about 28 mi (45 km), 40–45 min on Historic Route 66
  • Drive Las Vegas → Oatman: about 2 h 30 min via Laughlin

Say or show

  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Where is the parking? — Where is the parking?
  • Can I take a photo? — Can I take a photo?
  • Is it OK to feed the burros? — Is it OK to feed the burros?

No lodging in Oatman: the closest beds are in Bullhead City, about 12 mi (19 km) away.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Oatman. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (extreme desert heat; the July 4 egg-fry contest is the exception) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for LAS and PHX: last rental-car desk times, drive times to Bullhead City, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster map of Main Street with shop and saloon cutoffs.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Gold Road Mine, Oatman Hotel, post office) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Heat and burro safety fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources