Copper catalysts supported on silica (Cu/SiO₂) were prepared by three different methods; incipient wetness, precipitation, and ion exchange. Catalytic properties in the dehyd- rogenation of cyclohexanol over these catalysts were examined. Copper surface area increased in the order of incipient wetness<precipitation<ion-exchange method for the catalysts with the same loading of copper. Conversion was mainly dependent on the copper surface area regardless of preparation methods, and selectivity to cyclohexanone was very high for all Cu/SiO₂ catalysts.