 The State Capitol of Oklahoma Looking at Downtown Oklahoma City The Flag of Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (sometimes abbreviated as OKC) is the capitol and largest city of the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America. It is the county seat of Oklahoma County.
Oklahoma City is the 29th-largest city in the nation, according to a 2003 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The city's population on July 1, 2003 totaled 523,303 with more than 1.25 million residents in the metro area.
Oklahoma City is a large, diverse and growing city, and is the civic and commercial center of the state. It is the largest city in the state and is one of the largest cities in the Great Plains of the United States.
Oklahoma City is perhaps best known nationally as the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, the largest act of terrorism on American soil up to that point.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,608.8 km² (621.2 mi²). 1,572.1 km² (607.0 mi²) of it is land and 36.7 km² (14.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.28% water.
Oklahoma City is the third largest city in the country in terms of geographic area, although its urbanized zone is only 244 mi² - resulting in an urban population density more comparable to that found in cities of similar size.
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Oklahoma City is the principal city of the eight county Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, the state's largest urban area.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 506,132 people, 204,434 households, and 129,406 families residing in the city. The population density was 321.9/km² (833.8/mi²) for the entire city but was more than 2600/mi² in the urbanized areas. There were 228,149 housing units at an average density of 145.1/km² (375.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.41% White, 18.37% Black or African American, 3.51% Native American, 3.48% Asian American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.28% from other races, and 3.89% from two or more races. 16.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 204,434 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,947, and the median income for a family was $42,689. Males had a median income of $31,589 versus $24,420 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,098. 16.0% of the population and 12.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
It is misleading to compare salaries and poverty rates in Oklahoma City to the rest of the nation, because such figures don't take into account cost of living. Oklahoma City has the nation's second lowest cost of living, which is some 25 percent below the national average. Everything from basic commodities like gasoline to the rent on an apartment are significantly cheaper in Oklahoma City than the national average. Unrestrained by natural boundaries such as mountains or oceans, Oklahoma City annexed huge swaths of land in the 1960s, leading to an abundance of housing and cheap land. While sprawl has stretched the infrastructure of the city government and some would say diluted the character of the city, the average commute from the far flung outskirts of the city is quick and mostly gridlock-free because of the city's interstate system, discussed in the transportation section. Oklahoma City has been ranked by Forbes in past years as having the nation's highest standard of living.
Edmond, the main northern suburb, is Relocate America's 3rd best city in America, and the best small town in America according to Universal Publications of New York.
Transportation
Near the geographic center of the nation, Oklahoma City is an integral point on the U.S. Interstate Network. Most Highways Throughout the City are 6-8 Lanes and have a level of congestion lower than most comparably sized cities. Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44 bisect the city, Interstate 240 connects I-40 to I-44 in South OKC, OK 74 Lake Hefner Parkway runs through Northwest Oklahoma City, Kilpatrick Turnpike runs through far Northwest OKC, Airport Rd. runs through Southwest Oklahoma City and Leads to Will Rogers World Airport, U.S. 77 Broadway Extension connects Central Oklahoma City to Edmond, and Interstate 235 spurs from I-44 in North Central OKC into downtown Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City was once a major stop on Route 66 and was prominently mentioned in Nat King Cole's 1946 jazz classic, "(Get Your Kicks) on Route 66."
Oklahoma City is served by two primary airports, Will Rogers World Airport and the much smaller Wiley Post Airport.
Amtrak has an Art Deco train station downtown, with twice-daily service to Fort Worth via the Heartland Flyer. Greyhound and several other intercity bus companies serve Oklahoma City at Union Bus Station, Downtown.
METRO (http://www.gometro.org/) Transit is the public transit company. They recently opened a new bus terminal downtown at NW 5th Street and Hudson Avenue. Talks have begun on creating a Light Rail system for the City.
History
Like much of the rest of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City was first settled on April 22, 1889, when the area known as the "unassigned lands" (that is, land in Indian territory that had not been assigned to any tribes) was opened for settlement in an event known as "The Land Run". Some 10,000 homesteaders settled the area now known as Oklahoma City, and within 10 years the population had doubled. By the time Oklahoma was admitted to the union in 1907, Oklahoma City had supplanted Guthrie, the territorial capitol, as the population center and commercial hub of the new state. Thanks to political and commercial savvy of such early city leaders as John Shartel, William Classen and Henry Overholser, Oklahoma City had become a medium sized Victorian city with an efficient trolley system, a major regional commercial center and railway hub, and had attracted several large meat packing plants. The city, now with a population of 64,000, put in a petition to become the new state capitol. A popular vote was held, which Oklahoma City won. Several months later the capitol was established at NE 23rd street and Lincoln Boulevard, the same site where it sits today.
For more information, see History of Oklahoma City
Major Attractions
 Besides the skyscrapers that cluster in the city's central business district, one of the more prominent landmarks downtown is the Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Botanical Gardens (http://www.myriadgardens.com/), a large downtown urban park. Designed by I. M. Pei after the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, the Crystal Bridge is a tropical conservatory that contains foliage more akin to the Amazon River basin than the Great Plains of North America. The park has several amphitheaters where live theater and concerts can be seen and heard in the summer. There is also a lake in the middle of the park inhabited by large goldfish. Waterfalls and fountains add life-giving oxygen to the lake as well as an added attraction for visitors.
The park is also home to the free Twilight Concert Series (summer) and the city's top festivals, including the annual Festival of the Arts, ranked the second best arts festival in the nation, (April), the annual Downtown Salute (http://www.downtownokc.com) (a month-long festival in July complete with parades, free concert acts, and the three-day long Bricktown 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks), and Opening Night (December 31/January 1).
The Oklahoma City Zoological Park (http://www.okczoo.com/) is highly ranked nationally and is the oldest zoo in the Southwest US. It is home to numerous natural habitats, WPA era architecture and landscaping, and hosts major touring concerts during the summer at its amphitheater.
The Omniplex (http://www.omniplex.org/) Museum in the Kirkpatrick Center (named for Oklahoma oilman and philanthropist John Kirkpatrick)is one of the largest Science Centers and General Interest Museums in the Country. The Kirkpatrick Center houses many informative exhibits on science, photography, aviation, etc, as well as the Omnidome Imax theater. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (http://www.cowboyhalloffame.org/) has galleries full of priceless western art and treasures.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial in north downtown was created, as the inscription on it's eastern gate says, "to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995". The outdoor Symbolic Memorial, can be visited 24 hours a day for free, and the adjacent Memorial Museum can be entered for a small fee. The site is also home to the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (http://www.mipt.org/), a non partisan, non profit thinktank devoted to the prevention of terrorism.
The Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center is the new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (http://www.okcmoa.com/). The museum features visiting exhibits, original selections from its own collection, a theater showing a wide variety of foreign, independent, and classic films each week, and a fine dining restaurant. OKCMOA is also home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world including the three-story Chihuly tower in the Museum's atrium.
The capitol building's dome (http://www.oklahomadome.com/) was recently finished as it was one of the few state capitol buildings that did not have a dome atop the structure. Solomon Andrew Layton's original design for the capitol included a dome, but steel rationing during World War I prevented its completion. The effort to build a dome for the capitol was promoted by city and state leaders in the late nineties, and was completed in 2001.
Downtown Oklahoma City from the Myriad Gardens Also in downtown Oklahoma City, Ford Center (http://www.okfordcenter.com/) plays host to major concerts and is home to the city's professional sports teams as is the SBC Bricktown Ballpark and Cox Convention Center Arena nearby. The newly renovated art decoCivic Center Music Hall (http://www.okcciviccenter.org/) showcases performances from ballet and opera performance to traveling Broadway shows and concerts. Stage Center for the Performing Arts (http://www.stagecenter.com/) is home to many of the city's top theater companies. The building that houses Stage Center, designed by John Johansen is a modernist architectural landmark, with the original model displayed in MOMA in New York City
Other theaters include the Lyric Theatre (http://www.lyrictheatreokc.com/) and the Jewel Box Theatre (http://www.jewelboxtheatre.org/), both in midtown and the new 1,200 seat Kirkpatrick Auditorium (http://www.okcu.edu/music/musictheater.asp) and 488-seat Petree Recital Hall at Oklahoma City University.
Six Flags Frontier City (http://www.sixflags.com/parks/frontiercity/) is a western themed amusement park with numerous coasters, rides, and games for all ages. The park also hosts a national concert circuit at its amphitheater. White Water Bay (http://www.sixflags.com/parks/whitewaterbay/) is a Six Flags Water Park located just north of Will Rogers World Airport. The Six Flags Corporation is headquartered in north Oklahoma City.
Walking trails line Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser in the northwest part of the city and downtown at the canal and the Oklahoma River. Part of the east shore of Lake Hefner has been developed into upscale offices and restaurants, but the majority of the area around the lake is taken up by parks and trails, including a new leashless dog park and the popular postwar era Stars and Stripes Park. Lake Stanley Draper, the city's largest and most remote, offers more of an escape from the big city and has a more natural feel. The city is implementing a new trail system that will be akin to a bicycle freeway system, allowing residents to access all of the natural beauty of the region and still be within stomping distance to city attractions.
Neighborhoods
Downtown
The Bricktown Entertainment District (http://www.bricktownokc.com/) in downtown Oklahoma City is the largest entertainment district in the region, and is one of the city's most popular destinations. The historic area has seen a major renaissance over the last 10 years, and is now bustling with fine restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues, classy retail shops, offices, lofts and condos. The Bricktown Canal stretches one mile through the district and runs to a park past the Oklahoma Land Run Monument (http://www.paulmooresculptor.com/land_run.htm). When completed, the Land Run Monument will be a series of 36 giant statues stretching over two football fields on the south canal. When completed, it will be one of the largest monuments in the world. Lower Bricktown boasts a brand new movie complex (http://harkinstheatres.moviefone.com/showtimes/theater.adp?theaterid=7627), Bass Pro Outdoor World (http://www.basspro.com/), and upscale retail. Several new hotels, including an Embassy Suites, and several high-rise apartment towers are planned in addition to additional retail.
This neighborhood along Broadway in northeast downtown was a popular retail district in the 1920s and was home to most of Oklahoma City's car dealerships. The area declined with the rest of Downtown in the 1970s and 1980s, but recently an effort to redevelop the area has transformed the showrooms and storefronts of the area into lofts and offices. Also in the area are many of Oklahoma City's earliest churches along Robinson Ave. (known as "Church Row") and the city's first high school, now the local offices of SBC.
Deep Deuce, a few blocks north of Bricktown, ignited the downtown Oklahoma City urban housing boom in the late 1990's. The area consists mostly of low rise apartment buildings and various formerly vacant mixed use buildings. Deep Deuce was the largest african american neighborhood downtown in the 1940s and 1950s, and was regional center of jazz music and african american culture. Bands such as the Count Basie Orchastra, the Blue Devils, the Charlie Christian Band, and others resided in this OKC neighborhood. Reverand Martin Luther King Junior was once rejected for a position at the Calvary Baptist Church in Deep Deuce for being "too young". Much of the neighborhood was bulldozed to make way for I-235 in the 1960s, but the bricktown boom has made the area (with it's prime location between bricktown and the growing biotech cluster east of I-235) attractive to developers. Precious little of the neighborhood's original character still exists.
The area now known as the arts district covers the part of west downtown that includes the civic center, considered the premier performing arts venue of the Southwest, the new Oklahoma City Museum of Art, that holds the world's largest piece of Chihuly Glass, the myriad gardens, stage center, the new central library, several local theaters, and at it's northern edge, the Oklahoma City National Memorial. This close proximity to the principal cultural attractions downtown has made it the location of some very upscale condos and apartments, with more planned for the near future, such as Legacy at Arts Central.
Inner Northside
This geodesic dome, a local landmark, sits in the heart of the Asian district at 23rd and Classen. Once threatened with demolition, it is now slated to become a Vietnamese cultural center Oklahoma City has the largest Asian population in the state and is home to a rapidly growing cultural district called, simply, the Asia District, as it encompasses Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, and Filipino cultures and cuisines. Centered primarily along Classen Boulevard from 22nd Street to NW 30th, the district has a multitude of restaurants, Asian-oriented retail, Asian supermarkets, and attractions. The Asia District is also known as Little Saigon, Little Asia, and the Asian District. The area is culturally very diverse, but the most obvious cultural influence in the area is Vietnamese. Several thousand Vietnamese refugees settled in OKC in the 1970s after the fall of Saigon, leading the revival of what had been up to that point a neighborhood in decline due to the suburban exodus of the middle class. As the new Oklahomans built a community, more immigrants moved into the area, not only from Vietnam and south east Asia, but from all around the world and the rest of the city. Now the area is a bustling place full of noodle shops, college kids from nearby Oklahoma City University, art galleries, quaint apartments, and retail of every stripe.
The Eastside district, (including such neighborhoods as Lincoln Terrace, Britton, North Highland, Walnut Avenue, and Spencer) is home to the state's largest African American community and is experiencing a renaissance of its own. Once a perfect example of urban blight and neglect, the Eastside has seen significant development recently. The Eastside is home to many of the city's major museums and attractions, such as the State Capitol, The Omniplex, The Oklahoma City Zoo, Remington Park, the 49th Infantry Museum, The Oklahoma Historical Society Museum, The OU Health Science Center, The Cowboy Hall of Fame and the National Softball Hall of Fame. An African American Heritage museum is currently in the works along with a resurgence of the NE 23rd Business District. this neighborhood is seeing an intense flurry of new construction, and revitalization. The Eastside is also considered the most diverse neighborhood in OKC, with land values ranging from astronomical in the millionaire community of Lincoln Terrace, to the public housing districts of Walnut avenue, both within a mile of each other.
Oklahoma City has a vibrant, thriving gay community, which is also the largest in the state. As with many of OKC's neighborhoods, the lack of established boundaries makes it hard to give an exact location, but generally speaking, this community is principally located along NW 39th Expressway between Pennsylvania and May Aves, however there are related businesses and neighborhoods diffused throughout the surrounding area. The NW 39th Street Enclave rivals Bricktown in terms of sheer volume of clubs, bars, and nightlife (The Habana Inn (http://www.habanainn.com/) claims to be "the largest gay resort in the southwest") yet the city leaders usually do not actively promote the district as a tourist venue. It should be noted that while the area is home to most of the GLBT commerce and community in the city, it is by no means exclusively gay and is also home to many broadly directed businesses and offices. Likewise, there are businesses aimed at gays and lesbians throughout the rest of the city. Gay OKC Web Portal (http://www.gayokc.com/), Gayly Oklahoman (http://www.gayly.com/)
The Paseo Arts District (http://www.okclive.com/paseo/location.htm/) was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district north of downtown Oklahoma City. This faux Spanish village with its stucco buildings and clay tile roofs is the home of Oklahoma City's artists' community, the only such district in the state. Located along Paseo Drive at roughly N. Walker Ave and NW 28th Street, the district is home to a number of chic bars and restaurants and hosts an arts festival in the spring. In this immediate area are several historic neighborhoods including Mesta Park, Edgemere, Jefferson Heights, and Heritage Hills, home to college students, bohemians, and yuppies. Further south is St. Anthony's Hospital (the oldest hospital in the city) at the northern edge of downtown.
Bethany and Warr Acres are located in the suburban west part of the city. These suburbs, which until recently were in decline, are home to the metro's most competitive tax rates, and have attracted several big box retailers. Lake Overholser, the city's oldest lake and originally its primary reservoir, is being eyed for resort development. These suburbs have a large number of historic motels, restaurants, and bars along old Route 66 (now NW 39th St), Lake Overholser and a growing east Indian and Pakistani community.
Bethany is home to Southern Nazarene University and has a well preserved main street area along 39th Street.
Mayfair and Belle Isle are a pair of middle class, mid century neighborhoods surrounding Penn Square Mall and Baptist Hospital. Most of the large scale buildings in OKC outside of downtown, (including the architecturally interesting United Founders Tower), are located in this area. Also nearby is Lake Hefner, a favorite spot for bikers and joggers. The Northwest Expressway, the city's main artery to the northwestern suburbs, is a strip mall filled, restaurants bearing, congested 6 lane boulevard with highway intersections scattered along at various intervals.
Southside
Located at the Agnew Exit South of I-40 to Exchange Ave, Stockyards City (http://www.stockyardscity.org/) is home to the largest stocker/feeder cattle market in the world. Stockyards City recaptures the architectural flavor of the early part of the Twentieth Century, with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Many of the businesses in Stockyards City date back to the early 1900s when the area was home to several major meat packing companies. The district still has weekly cattle auctions as well as the venerable Cattleman's Steakhouse (http://www.cattlemensrestaurant.com/). A number of special events have sprung up as well, including Longhorn Cattle Drive each December, sidewalk sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Stockyards Stampede the first weekend each June.
A sports supply store with hand painted sign, capitol hill - Capitol Hill and Riverside
The Capitol Hill district is due south of downtown and is the center of Hispanic oriented commerce in the city. Capitol Hill (located deceptively far from the actual capitol) was founded as a separate city at the time of the land run and annexed later. Hence, it has it's own impressively well preserved main street district along SE 29th Street, which has seen a revival in recent years. Capitol Hill was a popular middle class suburb early in the century, but as the population moved into the suburbs and the trolley lines that had connected it to the center of the city stopped running, capitol hill went into decline. While Capitol Hill still has some serious problems with crime and gangs, it's also now one of the liveliest of OKC's neighborhoods. You can find almost anything in Capitol Hill, from recording studios to the oddly placed Oklahoma Opry to soccer supply shops and street side taquerias. Oklahoma City has The largest Hispanic Population in the State with the majority in the Southside of the City And West Oklahoma City.
- Meridian Avenue/"Airport Heights"
The new Meridian Avenue Corridor is along one of the cities busiest arteries, Meridian Avenue, and extends from mid tier west Oklahoma City limits, to suburban Southwest Oklahoma City. The busiest section of the corridor is just north of the airport in southwest OKC, and survives primarily on the business and traffic generated by it. Many hotels, restaurants, night clubs, and attractions are located here. Several corporations, including Hobby Lobby, are headquartered within a mile of this corridor, because of the close proximity to Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport. The corridor is also located near the south bank of the North Canadian River, leading some city leaders to envision regular water taxi service from the hotels and restaurants in the area to Bricktown via the newly navigable river.
Education
Oklahoma City is home to many colleges and universities, including Oklahoma City University in midtown, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City, the University of Oklahoma, just south of the city in Norman, and the OU Health Science Center, in Oklahoma City. The third-largest university in Oklahoma, the University of Central Oklahoma is located just north of the city in Edmond. Oklahoma City Community College is the largest community college in the state. There are also a number of private colleges and universities in the city, including Oklahoma Christian University, Southern Nazarene University, [University of Phoenix (http://www.phoenix.edu/ZipLocations.asp?Orga=34)], Mid-America Christian University, American Christian College and Seminary, and Metropolitan College.
The Oklahoma City Public School district is the largest in the state and is one of the few urban districts in the nation with a growing enrollment, due largely because of the so-called MAPS for KIDs city-wide improvement plan. Putnam City Public Schools, which covers suburban NW OKC, is the largest suburban school district in the state. Numerous other suburban districts circle the urban OCPS district and the city has very well developed private and parochial schools, including Cassady School and the schools of the Archdioceses of Oklahoma City.
Sports in Oklahoma City
With no major league sports franchises to speak of, most sports fandom in OKC is directed towards the excellent OU and OSU football and basketball programs. That being said, Oklahoma City is home to several professional sports teams including the Oklahoma RedHawks minor league baseball team (AAA), (a farm team for the Texas Rangers). Others include the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz arena football team, the Oklahoma City Lightning (Women's Football: NWFA), the Oklahoma Storm (USBL),
and the Oklahoma City Blazers hockey team.
The Ford Center was built partially with the intention of drawing an NHL hockey franchise to the city, but talks fell through when OKC's television market was judged not to be large enough. Nonetheless, the Ford Center hosts many events each year including touring concerts, NBA exhibition games, the International Finals Rodeo (sort of the super bowl of rodeos), college basketball games for nearby OU and OSU, and other spectator events. The Ford Center was recently selected as the site of the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball First & Second Round, the Men's and Women's Big 12 Basketball Tournaments in 2007. Nearby Bricktown Ballpark (home of the Oklahoma Redhawks) will host the Big 12 Baseball Tournament in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Other notable sporting events in the city include the College Softball World Series played annually at the National Softball Hall of Fame, as well as horse races at Remington Park and the many horse shows and equine events that take place at the state fairgrounds each year.
Defunct Sports Teams
Additionally, Oklahoma City was home to several now defunct sports teams, all minor league:
Additional Information
Famous Persons from OKC
- Jim Thorpe, athlete
- JC Watts, football player, politician
- Wayne Coyne Stephen Drozd and Michael Ivins, of the band The Flaming Lips
- Ralph Ellison, writer
- Johnny Bench, baseball player
- Bullet Rogan, baseball player
- Suzy Amis, actress
- Lon Chaney Jr., actor
- Dr. Shannon Lucid, astronaut
- Color me Badd, early 1990's Hip-Hop group
- Jeff Rowland, cartoonist, author of WIGU
Major Businesses Headquartered in Oklahoma City
- Sonic Drive In
- Hobby Lobby
- Kerr McGee
- Devon Energy
- Chesapeake Energy
- Six Flags (tiny Six Flags Frontier City actually owns the national chain)
- Braums Ice Cream and Dairy Stores
- BancFirst
- Loves (gas station/truck stop chain)
- Lopez Foods (the largest Latino owned business in the nation and a major supplier to McDonalds)
- York (air conditioner manufacturer)
Other businesses that have a significant presence or are large employers in the area but are not headquartered there are:
Famous Inventions from OKC
- Shopping cart; Sylvan N. Goldman, of Oklahoma City, invented the shopping cart in 1937 for use in his Standard Food Markets and Humpty Dumpty Supermarkets (the Omniplex even features a statue of its creator, depicted pushing a shopping cart).
- Parking meter; Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City, patented the parking meter (filed May 13, 1935, patent no. 2,118,318 issued May 24, 1938) and the first meter was installed in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935).
Famous Songs from or about OKC
- "Route 66", Nat King Cole
- "Heart of Rock 'N Roll", Huey Lewis and the News
- "A Little Too Loose", Mr. Big
- "Christmas at the Zoo" the Flaming Lips
- "Oklahoma Borderline" by Vince Gil
External links
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