Encyclopedia
- "OKC" redirects here. For , see .
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city of the
U.S. state of
Oklahoma. It is also the county seat of . Oklahoma City was founded during the
Land Run of 1889, first of five
land runs in what became Oklahoma.
The city is known in outer areas of the state as "the city" and throughout the nation as "OKC" after its airport's IATA code. Less common nicknames include those from local socialites - "Action City" and 'Renaissance City' due to its new downtown image and 'Loud City' for its enthusiastic support of the
NBA's
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.
Oklahoma City is a large, diverse, and growing metropolitan area; it is the civic, business, entertainment, and commercial center of the state. It is the largest city in the
Great Plains region of the United States, and it is the largest city in population of the 5 "plains states" and is larger than cities in the neighbouring states of . It is also a major crossroads, being one of the very few cities in the country where three interstates "cross":
Interstate 35,
Interstate 40 and
Interstate 44. Texas, its neighbor to the south, with its many larger cities, is a trade and commerce partner in many industries.
Oklahoma City is the 29th largest city in the nation by population, according to a 2005 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The city's population on July 1, 2004 totaled 532,517, with 1.3 million residents in its
metropolitan area.
Oklahoma City was the site of the
bombing on the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995, the largest act of
terrorism on American soil prior to the September 11th attacks and the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in American history.
History
Oklahoma City was settled on April 22, 1889, when the area known as the "unassigned lands" was opened for settlement in an event called "The Oklahoma Land Run". Some 10,000 homesteaders settled what is now downtown Oklahoma City, creating a tent city in single day; and within 10 years the population had doubled in what became a permanent settlement and the future capital of Oklahoma. By the time Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907, Oklahoma City had already supplanted Guthrie, the territorial capital, as the population center and commercial hub of the new state.
For more complete details about the history of the city, see
Main article: History of Oklahoma CityGeography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,608.8 km˛ . 1,572.1 km˛ of it is land and 36.7 km˛ 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 244 mi˛ - resulting in an urban
population density more comparable to that found in other major cities, 2,515/mi˛ in 2004. The current mayor of Oklahoma City is Mick Cornett.
Oklahoma City is the second largest city in the nation still in compliance with the Clean Air Act .
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Oklahoma City is the principal city of the eight-county Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is the state's largest urbanized area. The metropolitan area was the 46th largest in the nation as of the year 2000.
Northwest: Piedmont, Kingfisher, Okarche
| North: Nichols Hills, The Village, Edmond, Guthrie
| Northeast: Jones, Chandler
|
West: Bethany, Warr Acres, Yukon, Mustang, El Reno, Union City, Minco
| OKLAHOMA CITY
| East: Del City, Midwest City, Choctaw, Harrah, Nicoma Park, Spencer, Meeker
|
Southwest: Tuttle, Newcastle, Blanchard, Chickasha, Bridge Creek
| South: Moore, Norman, Noble, Slaughterville, Lexington, Purcell
Valley Brook, Goldsby, Washington
| Southeast: Shawnee, Tecumseh, Bethel Acres, McLoud, Pink
|
Neighborhoods
see
Main Article: Neighborhoods of Oklahoma CityEducation
Higher Education
Oklahoma City is home to many colleges and universities, including
Oklahoma City University in Midtown.
The
University of Oklahoma is well represented in the city and metropolitan area, with the
OU Medical Center due east of downtown and the main OU campus located in the southern suburb of Norman. OU is one of only 4 major universities in the nation to have all 6 medical schools, and the OU Medical Center is the nation's largest independent medical center, and employs over 12,000 people.
The third-largest university in the state, the
University of Central Oklahoma, is located just north of the city in the suburb of Edmond.
Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City is located to the side of the Furniture District on the Westside.
Oklahoma City Community College in south OKC is the largest community college in the state. Just east of Oklahoma City is Rose State College located in
Midwest City.
Oklahoma City also has several public vo-tech schools, the largest of which are Metro Technology Centers and Francis Tuttle.
There are also a number of private colleges and universities throughout the city and surrounding suburbs, including
Oklahoma Christian University, Southern Nazarene University ,Southwestern Christian University , University of Phoenix - Oklahoma City Campuses, Mid-America Christian University, American Christian College and Seminary, Oklahoma Baptist College, Metropolitan College, DeVry University - Oklahoma City Campus , , and the .
Primary and Secondary
Oklahoma City Public Schools is the state's largest district and is one of the few urban districts in the nation with a growing enrollment, due largely to the so-called 'MAPS for KIDs' city-wide improvement plan. The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City is home to the state's most gifted math and science pupils.
Classen School of Advanced Studies is located in the Oklahoma City Public School District, a national Blue Ribbon School. It was recently named the No. 17-school in the nation according to Newsweek . In addition, Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School in OKCPS was named the top middle school in the state according to the API- Academic Performance Index, and recently received the Blue Ribbon School Award. The school's band and orchestra teacher was named State Teacher of the year.
There are numerous suburban districts which surround the urban OKCPS district, such as Putnam City Public Schools in suburban northwest Oklahoma City, the largest suburban school district in the state, and Mid-Del Schools serving the eastern and southeastern parts of the metropolitan area. The city also has very well developed private and parochial schools, including
Casady School, Schools, and the schools of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City including High School and . Of special note, St. Mary's is the oldest high school in the state, founded in 1903 by the Sisters of Mercy.
The public school system may be confusing to new residents not only because there are over 23 independent school districts in the OKC metropolitan area, but also because they do not follow the incorporated limits of the city they are named for and further, almost all of the metro school districts lie in some section of Oklahoma City itself .
The OKCPS has long had the stigma of being an undesirable school district. Wealthier families living in areas such as
Nichols Hills and Quail Creek often send their children to private schools or try to enroll them in the city's specialty schools. While the aforementioned areas do have top-rated elementary schools in the OKC district, parents often transfer their children out of the district before middle or high school.
To counter this stigma, a civic initiative named "MAPS for Kids" is attempting to remedy the problems of the inner city district. It will provide new schools for the central city and improve their concatchment areas by moving certain schools closer to wealthier neighborhoods. A sort of "reverse white-flight" is the underlying concept of initiative with the old decrepit inner-city schools being renovated or rebuilt and new technology being made available. An example of this includes John Marshall High School in North Oklahoma City, once the worst public school in the state, is being rebuilt on land closer to Lake Hefner. It is hoped that the new school, complete with facilities and attractions familiar in many suburban districts, will attract the higher income families and thus improve the Oklahoma City district.
Culture
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 , a large downtown urban park. Designed by
I. M. Pei, 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 Japanese
Koi. 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 and the city's top festivals, including the annual Festival of the Arts - ranked the second best arts festival in the nation, the annual - 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 .
The 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 Science Museum in the Kirkpatrick Center 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 OMNIMAX theater. The
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has galleries full of priceless western art and treasures and is home to the Hall of Great Western Performers.
The
Oklahoma City National Memorial in the northern part of Oklahoma City's downtown was created, as the inscription on its 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, located in the former Journal Record building damaged by the bombing, can be entered for a small fee. The site is also home to the , 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 . 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 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.
Also in downtown Oklahoma City, the
Ford Center was ranked by concert industry group as one of the top ten live music venues in the world in ticket sales, and along with AT&T Bricktown Ballpark is home to the city's professional sports teams. The , formerly known as
the Myriad, is across the street to Ford Center.
The newly renovated art deco showcases performances from ballet and opera to traveling Broadway shows and concerts. 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 and the , both in Midtown and the 1,200 seat and 488-seat Petree Recital Hall, both at the
Oklahoma City University campus. The university also opened the Wanda L Bass School of Music and auditorium in April of 2006, allowing it showcase world-class musical training facilities and talent. It should be a great addition to Oklahoma City's growing Performing Arts venues.
Oklahoma City has a couple of big name amusement parks, Six Flags Frontier City theme park and White Water Bay water park. is a 'Old West' themed amusement park with numerous coasters, rides, and games for all ages. The park also features a recreation of a western gunfight at the 'OK Corral' and many shops that line the "Western" town's main street. Frontier City also hosts a national concert circuit at its amphitheater during the summer. White Water Bay is a Six Flags Water Park located north of Will Rogers World Airport.
For the outdoor minded, Oklahoma City has a number of community attractions to keep you fit and healthy. 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.
Media
See also: Broadcast Media in Oklahoma CityThe Oklahoman is Oklahoma City's major metro newspaper, the most widely circulated in the state. The Oklahoman's Internet edition is a collaboration with local
CBS affiliate
KWTV. is Oklahoma City's independent newsweekly, featuring such staples as local commentary, feature stories, classifieds, restaurant reviews and movie listings. is Oklahoma City's daily business newspaper and is a bi-monthly business publication. is Oklahoma City's newest weekly broadsheet, covering downtown, the State Capitol district, and the neighborhoods in Oklahoma City's historic core.
In addition, there are various community and international papers in the city such as , headquartered in the Eastside and the OK VIETIMES, located in Asia District. Gay publications include and . There are also five metro lifestyle magazines produced by local publisher Southwestern Publishing: Nichols Hills News, Edmond Monthly, Norman Living, Northwest Style and Downtown Monthly.
Oklahoma City was home to several pioneers in radio and television broadcasting. Oklahoma City's WKY Radio was the first radio station transmitting west of the
Mississippi River and the third radio station in the United States. WKY received its federal license in 1921 and has continually broadcast under the same call letters since 1922. In 1928 WKY was purchased by E.K. Gaylord's Oklahoma Publishing Company and affiliated with NBC ; in 1949, WKY-TV went on the air and became the first independently-owned television station in the U.S. to broadcast in color.
Sports
Oklahoma City is home to several professional sports teams including the
Oklahoma RedHawks, a AAA affiliate of the Texas Rangers, the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, the
Oklahoma City Lightning, the
Oklahoma Storm, and the
Oklahoma City Blazers.
In what may prove to be a turning point for professional sports in the city, on September 21, 2005, Mayor Mick Cornett announced an agreement with owner George Shinn of the New Orleans Hornets to adopt the city as its temporary home following the destruction caused by
Hurricane Katrina to
New Orleans and the
New Orleans Arena. This will mark only the second major league franchise ever to locate in the city .
In any event, the relocated team is now known as the
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and Oklahoma City hosted 35-home games for the 2005-06 NBA season at
Ford Center. The city will also host an additional 35-home games during the 2006-07 season with six being played in
New Orleans,
Louisiana.
The Hornets and NBA Commissioner
David Stern have publicly stated that they expect the team to return to New Orleans for the 2007-2008 season. Owner Shinn indicated his "desire" to return but also his "desire" to apply for permanent relocation and stay in profitable Oklahoma City. When and/or whether the Hornets remain in OKC or return to New Orleans remains to be seen, or as Shinn noted in the OKC press “I work regularly with the NBA. We’re working close together to do what’s best. But I’m at peace. I want you guys to know I’m at total peace with whatever happens.” In a more recent development, another NBA franchise, the
Seattle SuperSonics, was purchased by an Oklahoma City group led by Clay Bennett in the 2006 offseason. While the new Sonics ownership has publicly stated they intend to keep the team in Seattle, speculation is rampant that the team may move to Oklahoma City in the foreseeable future.
The
University of Oklahoma draws thousands of fans annually for SOONERS-Football home matchups at
Owen Field and men's and women's basketball games at the
Lloyd Noble Center. In addition, the play at the new
Abe Lemons Arena at
Oklahoma City University; OCU also has a top-rated rowing program. Of special note, OCU has announced its desire to possibly enter the
NCAA during the 2007 athletic season, providing yet another marketing opportunity for Oklahoma City as city named jerseys will hit the NCAA sports circuits.
The
Ford Center also hosts many events each year including touring concerts,
NHL exhibition games, some college basketball games for the
University of Oklahoma,
Oklahoma City University, and
Oklahoma State University, and other spectator events and conventions. Ford Center held the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball First & Second Round and will host the Men's and Women's Big 12 Conference Basketball Tournaments in 2007. Nearby AT&T Bricktown Ballpark hosted the Big 12 Baseball Tournament in 2005 and will be the site again in 2006 and 2007.
Other notable sporting events in the city include the and the annual played at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium 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.
Additionally, Oklahoma City is home to several now defunct sports teams:
Transportation
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, the Lake Hefner Parkway runs through Northwest Oklahoma City, Kilpatrick Turnpike makes a loop around North and West Oklahoma City, Airport Rd. runs through Southwest Oklahoma City and leads to Will Rogers World Airport,
Broadway Extension/U.S. 77 connects Central Oklahoma City to Edmond, and
Interstate 235 spurs from I-44 in North Central OKC into downtown Oklahoma City.
The section of I-40 known as the "Crosstown" because of its intersecting path right by downtown, will soon be experiencing renovation. The I-40 Crosstown Construction Project will slightly relocate the stretch of highway using state-of-the-art construction. It is expected to be completed in 2008. Oklahoma City was a major stop on
Route 66 and was prominently mentioned in Bobby Troup's 1946 jazz classic, " on Route 66," later made famous by
Nat King Cole.
Oklahoma City is served by two primary airports, Will Rogers World Airport and the much smaller Wiley Post Airport . Will Rogers World Airport is currently undergoing a major reconstruction period.
Tinker Air Force Base, in East OKC, is the largest military air depot in the nation, a major maintenance and deployment facility for the
Navy and the
Air Force, and the second largest military institution in the state .
Amtrak has an Art Deco train station downtown, with daily service to
Fort Worth and the nation's rail network via the Heartland Flyer. There is also a heritage rail line under re-construction that will connect Bricktown and the Adventure District in NE Oklahoma City.
Greyhound and several other intercity bus companies serve Oklahoma City at Union Bus Station, Downtown. METRO Transit is the public transit company. Their bus terminal and headquarters is located downtown at NW 5th Street and Hudson Avenue.
There were plans in the early 1990s to build a
light rail system for the city as part of the MAPS urban redevelopment program, but the project stalled repeatedly on issues of funding. .
New Development: A downtown trolley system could be implemented under a future new MAPS III initiative. METRO Transit released a new Mass Transit in January 2006 that details its vision of rapid transit in the coming years. The study results showed light-rail trolley in downtown OKC, commuter rail from downtown to the suburbs of
Edmond and
Norman, and a comprehensive, specialized metropolian bus network that has been long overdue.
Economy
Major Companies based out of Oklahoma City
...
- AT&T - Fortune 500 *DEVON Energy - Fortune 500
- Dobson Communications
- Chesapeake Energy - Fortune 500
- Express Personnel Services
- COX Enterprises - Fortune 500 *Express Sports
- Oklahoma Publishing Company - Fortune 1000
- Gaylord Entertainment
- Globe Life and Accident Insurance
- BancFirst
- American Fidelity
Smaller Companies based out of Oklahoma City
- Braum's
- Carlisle
- Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
- Lopez Foods
- York North America
- AAR corporation
- Feed the Children
- WW Steel
- Dolese
- Benham Group
- Weldon Parts, Inc.
Others with significant presence:
