Oklahoma City
—  State Capital  —
City of Oklahoma City
From top left to clockwise: Downtown skyline, SkyDance Bridge, City Hall & Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma State Capitol, and Oklahoma City National Memorial.
Flag of Oklahoma City Flag Official seal of Oklahoma City Seal
Nickname(s): OKC; The City; The 405; The Big Friendly
Location in Oklahoma County and the state of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma City Location in the United States of America
Coordinates: 35°28′56.28″N 97°32′6.72″W / 35.4823°N 97.5352°W / 35.4823; -97.5352Coordinates: 35°28′56.28″N 97°32′6.72″W / 35.4823°N 97.5352°W / 35.4823; -97.5352
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Counties	Canadian, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie
Government
• Type	Council – Manager
• Mayor	Mick Cornett (R)
• City Manager	Jim Couch
Area
• State Capital	621.2 sq mi (1,608.8 km2)
• Land	607.0 sq mi (1,572.1 km2)
• Water	14.2 sq mi (36.7 km2)
• Urban	322.3 sq mi (834.9 km2)
Elevation	1,201 ft (396 m)
Population (2010)
• State Capital	579,999 (31st)
• Density	923/sq mi (356.4/km2)
• Urban	747,003
• Metro	1,280,578
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	405
FIPS code	40-55000[1]
GNIS feature ID	1102140[2]
Website	http://www.okc.gov/

Oklahoma City (Pawnee: Uukuhuuwasiri ^[3]) is the capital and the largest city in the US state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County,^[4] the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population.^[5] The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999,^[6] with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 .^[7] In 2010, the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,322,249 residents.^[8] Oklahoma City's city limits extend into Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie counties, though much of those areas outside of the core Oklahoma County area are suburban or rural (watershed). The city ranks as the eighth-largest city in the United States by land area (including consolidated city-counties; it is the largest city in the United States by land area whose government is not consolidated with that of a county).

Oklahoma City features one of the largest livestock markets in the world.^[9] Oil, natural gas, petroleum products and related industries are the largest sector of the local economy. The city is situated in the middle of an active oil field and oil derricks dot the capitol grounds. The federal government employs large numbers of workers at Tinker Air Force Base and the United States Department of Transportation's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. (These two sites house several offices of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Department's Enterprise Service Center, respectively.)

The city was founded during the Land Run of 1889, and grew to a population of over 10,000 within hours of its founding. The city was the scene of the April 19, 1995 bombing attack of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, in which 168 people died. It was the worst terror attack in the history of the United States before the attacks of September 11, 2001, and remains the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.

Oklahoma City lies along one of the primary travel corridors into Texas and Mexico, and is about three hours by highway to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Located in the Frontier Country region of the state, the city's northeast section lies in an ecological region known as the Cross Timbers. Since the time weather records have been kept, Oklahoma City has been struck by nine strong tornadoes, eight (E)-F4's and one F5.^[10] On May 3, 1999 parts of southern Oklahoma City and nearby communities suffered one of the most powerful tornadoes on record.

History[link]

Oklahoma City was settled on April 23, 1889, when the area known as the "unassigned lands" was opened for European-American settlement in an event known as "The Land Run".^[11] Some 10,000 homesteaders settled the area that would become the capital of Oklahoma. The town grew quickly; the population doubled between 1890 and 1900.^[12] Early leaders of the development of the city included Anton Classen, John Shartel, Henry Overholser and James W. Maney.

Lithograph of Oklahoma City from 1890

By the time Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907, Oklahoma City had surpassed Guthrie, the territorial capital, as the population center and commercial hub of the new state. Soon after, the capital was moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City.^[13] Oklahoma City was a major stop on Route 66 during the early part of the 20th century; it was prominently mentioned in Bobby Troup's 1946 jazz classic, "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66", later made famous by Nat King Cole.

Before World War II, Oklahoma City developed major stockyards, attracting jobs and revenue formerly in Chicago and Omaha. With the 1928 discovery of oil within the city limits (including under the State Capitol), it became a center of oil production.^[14] Post-war growth accompanied the construction of the Interstate Highway System, which made Oklahoma City a major interchange as the convergence of I-35, I-40 and I-44. It was also aided by federal development of Tinker Air Force Base.

As with many other American cities, center city population declined in the 1970s and 80s as families followed newly constructed highways to move to newer housing in nearby suburbs. Urban renewal projects in the 1970s, including the Pei Plan, removed many older historic structures but failed to spark much new development, leaving the city dotted with vacant lots used for parking. A notable exception was the city's construction of the Myriad Gardens and Crystal Bridge, a botanical garden and modernistic conservatory in the heart of downtown. Architecturally significant historic buildings lost to clearances were the Criterion Theater,^[15][16] the Baum Building,^[17] the Hales Building,^[18][19] and the Biltmore Hotel.^[20]

Water taxis in Oklahoma City's downtown Bricktown neighborhood

In 1993, the city passed a massive redevelopment package known as the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS), intended to rebuild the city's core with civic projects to establish more activities and life to downtown. The city added a new baseball park; central library; renovations to the civic center, convention center and fairgrounds; and a water canal in the Bricktown entertainment district. Water taxis transport passengers within the district, adding color and activity along the canal. MAPS has become one of the most successful public-private partnerships undertaken in the U.S., exceeding $3 billion in investments.^[21] As a result of MAPS, the population living in downtown housing has greatly increased, together with demand for residential amenities, such as grocery, services and other retail stores.

Since the MAPS projects' completion, the downtown area has seen continued development. Several downtown buildings are undergoing renovation/restoration. Notable among these was the restoration of the Skirvin Hotel in 2007. The famed First National Center is being renovated.

The Murrah Federal Building after the attack

Residents of Oklahoma City suffered substantial losses on April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh set off a bomb in front of the Murrah building. The building was destroyed, more than 100 nearby buildings suffered severe damage, and 168 people were killed. The site has been commemorated as the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Since its opening in 2000, over 3 million people have visited. Every year on April 19, survivors, families and friends return to the memorial to read the names of each person lost.

The "Core-to-Shore" project was created to relocate I-40 one mile (1.6 km) south and replace it with a boulevard to create a landscaped entrance to the city.^[22] This also allows the central portion of the city to expand south and connect with the shore of the Oklahoma River. Several elements of "Core to Shore" were included in the MAPS 3 proposal approved by voters in late 2009.

Geography[link]

Looking up in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City lies along one of the primary corridors into Texas and Mexico, and is a three-hour drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The city is located in the Frontier Country region in the center of the state, making it an ideal location for state government.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 621.2 square miles (1,609 km²), of which, 607.0 square miles (1,572 km²) of it is land and 14.2 square miles (37 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.28 percent water.

Sunset over Lake Hefner in northwest Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City lies in the Sandstone Hills region of Oklahoma, known for hills of 250 to 400 feet (120 m) and two species of oak: blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) and post oak (Q. stellata).^[23] The northeastern part of the city and its suburbs fall into an ecological region known as the Cross Timbers.^[24]

The city is roughly bisected by the North Canadian River (recently renamed the Oklahoma River inside city limits). The North Canadian once had sufficient flow to flood every year, wreaking destruction on surrounding areas, including the original Oklahoma City Zoo.^[25] In the 1940s a dam was built on the river to manage the flood control and reduced its level.^[26] In the 1990s, as part of the citywide revitalization project known as MAPS, the city built a series of low-water dams, returning water to the portion of the river flowing near downtown.^[27] The city has three large lakes: Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser, in the northwestern quarter of the city; and the largest, Lake Stanley Draper, in the sparsely populated far southeast of the city.

The population density normally reported for Oklahoma City using the area of its city limits can be a bit misleading. Its urbanized zone covers roughly 244 sq mi (630 km²), compared with larger rural areas incorporated by the city, which cover the remaining 377 sq mi (980 km²) of the city limits.^[28]

Oklahoma City is one of the largest cities in the nation in compliance with the Clean Air Act.^[29]

Climate[link]

Oklahoma City has a humid subtropical climate, with frequent variations in weather daily and seasonally, except during the consistently hot and humid summer months. Consistent winds, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, help temper the hotter weather. Consistent northerly winds during the winter can intensify cold periods.

The average temperature is 60.2 °F (15.7 °C), though colder through the winter months, with a 36.7 °F (2.6 °C) average in January, and warmer during the summer months, with an 82 °F (27.8 °C) average in July. Extremes range from −17 °F (−27 °C) to 113 °F (45 °C) on February 12, 1899 and August 11, 1936, respectively.^[30] The city receives about 35.9 inches (912 mm) of precipitation annually and 8.6 inches (21.8 cm) of snow.

Oklahoma City has a severe weather season from March through August, especially during April and May. Tornadoes have occurred in every month of the year. Oklahoma City has become one of the most tornado prone cities in the United States.^[10] Since the time weather records have been kept, Oklahoma City has been struck by nine violent tornadoes, eight F4's and one F5.^[10] On May 3, 1999 parts of southern Oklahoma City and nearby communities suffered one of the most powerful tornadoes on record, an F-5 on the Fujita Scale, with wind speeds topping 318 mph (510 km/h). This tornado was part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.

Tallest buildings[link]

Neighborhoods[link]

Oklahoma City neighborhoods are as varied as the Oklahoma climate. Historic, renovated neighborhoods are next to others that suffered from a mix of economic and social factors, such as the loss of jobs and move of the middle and upper classes to the suburbs. Some are still struggling. Inner-city neighborhoods radiate from those located in downtown and include mostly single-family detached houses with small yards and the occasional apartment complex. In the downtown and northwest business area, there are numerous condo and loft developments and several mid-rise and high-rise options.

Downtown Oklahoma City is currently undergoing a renaissance, one of the largest in the nation. Middle-class moves during the 1950s and 1960s left much of the inner city abandoned, and retail services declined. During the urban renewal of the early 1980s, almost 50 historic buildings and skyscrapers were demolished as part of the overall plan. Examples include the Biltmore Hotel, which made way for the I. M. Pei-designed Myriad Botanical Gardens, but this was at least a major urban renewal project completed as planned. Others were not, leaving vacant lots where buildings had stood. Many of the historic buildings remaining in the Central Business District were covered by new façades or adapted as Class-C office space. The removal of historic structures, which followed the decrease in population, left downtown without many retail options.

Demographics[link]

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of Oklahoma City was as follows:

• White American: 62.7% (56.7% Non-Hispanic Whites)
• African American: 15.1%
• Native American: 3.5%
• Asian American: 4.0%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
• Some other race: 9.4%
• Two or more races: 5.2%

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 17.2%

Source:^[45]

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 506,132 people, 204,434 households, and 129,360 families residing in the city. The population density was 833.8 inhabitants per square mile (321.9/km²) with 2,317.4/mi² for an urban area^[28] that occupies a small portion within the city's incorporated limits, which cover hundreds of square miles of rural land. There were 228,149 housing units at an average density of 375.9 per square mile (145.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.4% White, 15.4% Black or African American, 3.5% Native American, 3.5% Asian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races based on persons indicating only one race category on Census forms. 5.6% of the population were two or more races. 10.1% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 204,434 households, 30.8% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. One person households account for 30.7% of all households and 8.8% of all households had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the 2000 Census Oklahoma City's age composition was 25.5% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. 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 1999 median income for a household in the city was $34,947, and the median income for a family was $42,689. Among full time employed persons, males had median 1999 earnings of $31,589 compared to $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.

In June, 2007, the U.S. Census announced its estimate population of 547,274 and that Oklahoma City had grown 1.4 percent between July, 2006 and July, 2007. Since the official Census in 2000, Oklahoma City had grown 8.1 percent, according to the Census Bureau's estimates.

Metropolitan Statistical Area[link]

Oklahoma City is the principal city of the eight-county Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area in Central Oklahoma and is the state's largest urbanized area. Based on population rank, the metropolitan area was the 44th largest in the nation as of the year 2010.

Crime[link]

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (January 2012)

Powdered cocaine and crack cocaine are widely available in Oklahoma City.^[46] Street gangs such as the Bloods, Crips, South Side Locos, GBC (Grand Barrio Central) and Juaritos have become active in the city and are the primary retail distributors of crack cocaine.^[46] Cocaine abuse is prevalent among adult male arrestees in Oklahoma City. According to data from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring system ("ADAM"), almost one-quarter (22.4%) of adult male arrestees in Oklahoma City tested positive for cocaine in 2000.^[46]

The DEA Oklahoma City District Office reports a steady increase in the number of major crack distributors who are associated with violent Los Angeles-based street gangs such as the Bloods and Crips. Gangs operating in Oklahoma City are involved in violent acts such as drug-related shootings, drive-by shootings, and robberies. Bloods BK, Crips CK, Grande Barrios culoeros (aka "GBC" or "Centrals"), and South Side Locos present the greatest challenge to Oklahoma City law enforcement. The ongoing war between the GBC and South Side Locos reached national attention in 2007 when a Locos member opened fire on GBCs inside the city's Crossroads Mall, putting many shoppers in harm's way. The scene was witnessed by an Oklahoma County Sheriff's Deputy, who ordered the shooter to drop his gun. He did not, and the Deputy exercised deadly force, killing the 15-year-old gang member with a single shot, a scene caught by the mall's surveillance cameras and broadcast on the History Channel documentary series Gangland.

The South Side Locos are still considered one of the city's most violent gangs.^[46] Oklahoma City Police estimate that on any given night, as many as 6,000 gang members may be out on Oklahoma City streets.^[47]

With regards to Mexican drug cartels, Oklahoma City has traditionally been the territory of the notorious Juarez Cartel, but the Sinaloa Cartel has been reported as trying to establish a foothold in Oklahoma City.^[48]

Oklahoma City also has its share of very brutal crimes, particularly in the 1970s. The worst of which occurred in 1978, when six employees of a Sirloin Stockade restaurant on the city's south side were murdered execution-style in the restaurant's freezer. An intensive investigation followed, and the three individuals involved, who also killed three others in Purcell, Oklahoma, were identified. One, Harold Stafford, died in a motorcycle accident in Tulsa not long after the restaurant murders. Another, Verna Stafford, was sentenced to life without parole after being granted a new trial after she had previously been sentenced to death.^[49] Roger Dale Stafford, considered the mastermind of the murder spree, was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1995.

At the same time, the Oklahoma City Police were battling a still-unsolved serial murder case that dates from at least as early as 1976 and as late as 1986. During that time, at least three women were horribly dismembered and parts of their bodies left throughout an area between downtown and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Oklahoma City Police believe they were being watched by the killer, as they found body parts in areas they had already searched. The cases remain open and actively investigated by the OCPD.^{[citation needed]}

Economy[link]

The economy of Oklahoma City, once a regional power center of government and energy exploration, has diversified to include the sectors of information technology, services, health services and administration. The city has two Fortune 500 companies: Devon Energy Corporation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation, several others that are in the Fortune 1000 and a number of large privately owned companies. Oklahoma City is home to the corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive-In, whose office building and corporate restaurant is located in Bricktown. Devon Energy revealed plans in August 2008 for a new 850-foot (260 m) tall, 1,900,000-square-foot (180,000 m²) headquarters building in downtown Oklahoma City.^[50] The new skyscraper is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in 2012 and open in 2013.Continental Resources will move more than 250 employees from Enid to its new headquarters in downtown Oklahoma City in 2012.^[51]

Other large employers in Oklahoma City include McKesson Corp, Tinker Air Force Base, the federal government, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Central Oklahoma, American Fidelity, AT&T, AAA, Bank of America, Bank of Oklahoma, The Boeing Company, Braum's, Dell, The Hertz Corporation, Farmer's Insurance, Integris Health, The Hartford, JP Morgan Chase, Mercy Heath System, Sprint/Nextel, St. Anthony Health System, Williams-Sonoma, Xerox, United Parcel Service, Cox, and the state of Oklahoma.^[52] Six Flags at one point was headquartered in Oklahoma City but relocated to New York City on January 27, 2006.^[53]

According to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the metropolitan area's economic output grew by 33 percent between 2001 and 2005 due chiefly to economic diversification. Its gross metropolitan product was $43.1 billion in 2005^[54] and grew to $61.1 billion in 2009.^[55]

In 2008, Forbes magazine named Oklahoma City the most "recession proof city in America". The magazine reported that the city had falling unemployment, one of the strongest housing markets in the country and solid growth in energy, agriculture and manufacturing.^[56] However, during the 1980s, Oklahoma City had one of the worst job and housing markets due to the bankruptcy of Penn Square Bank in 1982 and then the post-1985 crash in oil prices.

Business Districts[link]

Business Districts, and to a lesser extent, neighborhoods tend to maintain their boundaries and character through the application of zoning regulations and Business Improvement Districts (districts where property owners agree to a property tax surcharge to support additional services for the community). Through zoning regulations, historic districts, and other special zoning districts, including overlay districts, are established. Oklahoma City currently has three Business Improvement Districts, including Downtown Oklahoma City.

Film Exchange District[link]

The Film Exchange District, a component of the Downtown Business Improvement District, encompasses 42 square blocks and lies between Classen Boulevard and Walker Avenue along Sheridan Avenue. It is also bordered by S.W. 2nd Street, S.W. 1st Street and Colcord Drive. The district's history includes the likes of Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Fox Films starting with silent films.^[57] The first film exchange appeared in Oklahoma City as early as 1907, and in 1910, the General Film Exchange was established on West 2nd Street.^[57]

Paramount Pictures operated at 123 SW 3rd and by 1929 relocated to 701 W. Grand (Sheridan Ave.), now in the heart of the Film Exchange District and backed the opening of the Plaza Theatre in 1935.^[58] By 1930, most studio offices had moved along what is now Sheridan Avenue.^[57]

The 1930s came to know the area as Film Row, where theater owners came to screen and lease films for their movie houses.^[57] J. Eldon Peek, a graduate student of Oklahoma State University, and his wife Maxine opened the Oklahoma Theatre Supply Company and Missouri Theatre Supply Company at 708 W. Grand (Sheridan) in 1930. By 1988, she and her granddaughter Sharon Allen were still operating the business, which closed in 2004.^[59] The Peeks landed contracts to install sound systems in former silent theatres across Oklahoma and relocated to their newly constructed building at 628 W. Grand (Sheridan) in 1946.^[57]

In the 1950s, cable television first came to Oklahoma in Bartlesville, where the "Telemovies" system was started by Video Independent Theatres.^[60] Television and the advent of new technology and introduction of inexpensive air freight, hurt the film exchange business and by the 1970s and early 1980s, film row became a haven for bars, prostitution and drugs.^[57] Several of the historic buildings in the district are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[57]

In 2003, a part of downtown Oklahoma City was developed into the new Film Exchange District, to honor its roots as a film exchange.^[61]

In August 2011, Oklahoma City: Film Row was published under Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series. The book was written by historian Bradley Wynn.

Plaza District[link]

The Plaza District is a neighborhood commercial district boasting Oklahoma CIty's local arts flavor. Located on NW 16th between Classen and Penn Ave, the Plaza District is home to art galleries, studios, retail shops, restaurants, and creative services. Visit these local businesses owned by young, creative entrepreneurs and attend performances at the historic Plaza Theatre for Lyric at the Plaza. Also featured in the district are artist-made retail businesses, a quality custom tattoo shop, a local salon favorite, and many shops for vintage and retro finds. This district, once blighted by urban decay now boasts a renewed energy embraced by Oklahoma City's youth and diverse culture. Each second Friday of the month from 7–11 p.m., "LIVE on the Plaza" is held, it is a monthly artwalk featuring live music, featured artists, special events and local shopping.

Culture[link]

Museums and theater[link]

The Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center is the new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The museum features visiting exhibits, original selections from its own collection, a theater showing a variety of foreign, independent, and classic films each week, and a restaurant. OKCMOA is also home to the most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world including the fifty-five foot Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial Tower in the Museum's atrium.^[62] The newly renovated art deco Civic Center Music Hall has performances from Oklahoma City Ballet and opera to traveling Broadway shows and concerts. Stage Center for the Performing Arts is home to many of the city's top theater companies. The building that houses Stage Center, originally called the Mummers Theater and designed by John M. Johansen, is a modernist architectural landmark,^[63][64] with the original model displayed in MOMA in New York City.