Kiefer, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
 Kiefer's Public School in July of 2025 | |
 Location withinCreek County, and the state ofOklahoma | |
| Coordinates:35°56′39″N96°03′10″W / 35.94417°N 96.05278°W /35.94417; -96.05278 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Creek |
| Established | November 20, 1901 |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.41 sq mi (6.23 km2) |
| • Land | 2.38 sq mi (6.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.027 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 696 ft (212 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,187 |
| • Density | 919.3/sq mi (354.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 74041 |
| Area codes | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-39750[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412832[2] |
Kiefer is a town in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,187 at the 2020 census,[4] a 30% increase over the 1,685 population recorded at the 2010 census, which itself was a 64 percent increase over the 1,026 figure recorded in2000.[5]
Kiefer was originally known as "Praper" when a post office was first established in 1901. The St. Louis, Oklahoma and Southern Railway (later theSt. Louis and San Francisco Railway) constructed a line south fromSapulpa through Praper between 1900 and 1901. The route is today operated byBNSF. Praper became anoil boom town by 1906, when it grew into a major shipping point forcrude from theGlenn Pool field. The post office was renamed "Kiefer" on December 12, 1906.[6][7] According to theEncyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the name honored at least one of three different people named Kiefer who lived in the area.[6]
Kiefer voted to incorporate on November 20, 1908. The 1910 census reported a population of 1,197 inhabitants. This increased to 1,663 in 1920.[6]
In the early days, Kiefer was on the route of the Sapulpa & Interurban Railway (“S&I”) streetcar/interurban line connecting toTulsa throughSapulpa; S&I subsequently went through a series of mergers and name changes, with only the Tulsa-to-Sapulpa portion continuing as theTulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway.[8][9]
The Kiefer Searchlight was a weekly newspaper published in Kiefer that included local, state, and national news along with advertising. 123 issues from 1908 to 1911 are available online.[10]
In the 21st century, Kiefer is mostly acommuter town, with 94.6 percent of workers living in town commuting to jobs elsewhere, primarily inTulsa.[6] However, it is also headquarters for Bridge Crane Specialists, a company involved in the design, manufacturing, installation, and servicing of overhead and work station crane systems.[11]
Kiefer is the site of an extensive residence known to locals as theKiefer Castle, having been built to resemble a fairy-tale castle.[12]
Kiefer is located in eastern Creek County.U.S. Highway 75A passes through the center of the town, leading north 5 miles (8 km) to the center of Sapulpa, thecounty seat, and south 5 miles (8 km) toMounds.Oklahoma State Highway 67 leads east from Kiefer 3 miles (5 km) to theU.S. Route 75 freeway inGlenpool. Via Highways 67 and 75 it is 18 miles (29 km) north to downtownTulsa.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Kiefer has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 1.04%, is water.[13]
Kiefer has an elementary, middle and high school. The school teams are known as the Trojans.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1,197 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,663 | 38.9% | |
| 1930 | 606 | −63.6% | |
| 1940 | 330 | −45.5% | |
| 1950 | 275 | −16.7% | |
| 1960 | 489 | 77.8% | |
| 1970 | 803 | 64.2% | |
| 1980 | 912 | 13.6% | |
| 1990 | 962 | 5.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,026 | 6.7% | |
| 2010 | 1,685 | 64.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,187 | 29.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 1,026 people, 373 households, and 281 families residing in the town. The population density was 561.3 inhabitants per square mile (216.7/km2). There were 410 housing units at an average density of 224.3 per square mile (86.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.09%White, 0.19%African American, 9.45%Native American, 0.19%Asian, 0.58% fromother races, and 4.48% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.12% of the population.
There were 373 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% weremarried couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,844, and the median income for a family was $42,500. Males had a median income of $30,739 versus $22,386 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $14,479. About 7.8% of families and 11.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
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| Cities 10k-20k | ||
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| Cities and towns 1k-5k | ||
Municipalities and communities ofCreek County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
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| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |