Edmond, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Flag  Seal  Wordmark | |
| Motto: "A Great Place To Grow" | |
 Location inOklahoma County and the state ofOklahoma. | |
| Coordinates:35°39′N97°28′W / 35.650°N 97.467°W /35.650; -97.467 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Oklahoma |
| Founded | April 22, 1889[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council – Manager |
| • Mayor | Mark Nash[2] |
| • City manager | Randy Entz[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 87.55 sq mi (226.75 km2) |
| • Land | 84.44 sq mi (218.71 km2) |
| • Water | 3.10 sq mi (8.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,122 ft (342 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 94,428 |
| • Density | 1,118.2/sq mi (431.75/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 73003, 73012, 73013, 73025, 73034, 73083 |
| Area codes | 405 and 572 |
| FIPS code | 40-23200[6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410402[5] |
| Website | City of Edmond |
Edmond is a city inOklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States. It is a part of theOklahoma City metropolitan area, inCentral Oklahoma. Its population was 94,428 at the2020 United States census, a 16% increase from 2010,[7] making it the5th most populous city inOklahoma.
The city borders the northern boundary ofOklahoma City. Public transportation is provided byCitylink Edmond bus service.
TheSanta Fe rail line inOklahoma Territory established a water and coaling station for steam engines at this location when the Santa Fe Railroad built into Indian Territory in 1887.[8] The site for the station was chosen because it was the highest point on the line in Oklahoma County; trains could more easily accelerate going downhill while leaving the station in either direction. The railroad then named the station for Edmond Burdick, the Santa Fe's traveling freight agent.[9] When the town was formed after theOklahoma Land Run of 1889, early settlers decided to adopt the name. Though most of the remnants of the old railroad infrastructure are gone, the Santa Fe, nowBNSF, freight line still runs through the same course.[10][citation needed]
The town of Edmond sprang up overnight during the great Oklahoma land run on April 22, 1889, when homesteads were staked around the Santa Fe station.[1] The original plat for Edmond was prepared by the Seminole Town and Development Company, a newly formed syndicate with ties to the railroad.[8] Many of the original streets were named for men associated with either the Santa Fe Railroad or the town syndicate. The first mayor and city officers were elected in May 1889, and Edmond's population was 294 in the 1890 census.
The first public schoolhouse in Oklahoma Territory, completed in August 1889, is in Edmond.[9] It still stands as a historic monument on 2nd Street between Boulevard and Broadway, and is open to the public on the first two Saturdays of each month or by appointment.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the first church opened after the land run,[9] was located on the southwest corner of East First and South Boulevard. The congregation still exists, although not in its original building or location.[11]
In 1889, theGower Cemetery was established by John and Ophelia Gower, a formerly enslaved couple. Intended as a free burial ground for African American and indigent families, it is the only surviving evidence of an early Black homesteading community in Edmond and was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2000.[12]
In December 1890, the territorial legislature established three universities, the state university in Norman, the agricultural and mechanical college inStillwater, and a "normal" or teaching school in Edmond.The first classes for the Territorial Normal School (University of Central Oklahoma) were held November 9, 1891, in the Methodist Church on the southwest corner of North Broadway and West Hurd. Old North, the Territorial Normal School's iconic first building, was opened for classes on January 2, 1893, and ahead ofOklahoma State University's Central Hall or Oklahoma University's Science Hall.[13]
TheEdmond Sun, established by Milton W. "Kicking Bird" Reynolds on July 18, 1889, was the state's oldest continuous newspaper dating from Oklahoma Territorial days.[9]
In the early 20th century, Edmond was known as asundown town. Racial covenants barred property sales to individuals of races other than White people or Native Americans in every neighborhood built between 1911 and 1949, except the Edmond Highway Addition in 1924. Racial housing covenants in the United States became unenforceable in 1948 after theShelley v. Kraemer decision by theUnited States Supreme Court.[14]
In 1925, a new city charter was written for the city, including a still-enforced requirement that all candidates for mayor or city council befreeholders, or landowners within the city.[15]
Edmond was the site ofa workplace shooting on August 20, 1986, in which 14 people were killed and six wounded by Patrick Sherrill, a postman who then committed suicide. This event was the deadliest killing in a string of U.S. postal employee murder–suicides that inspired the slang term "going postal".[16] A memorial to the victims of the attack stands outside the U.S. Post Office in downtown Edmond.[17]
The city was the subject of aTenth Circuit Court of Appeals case challenging the depiction of a Christian cross on the city seal, raising issues concerning theEstablishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. In May 1996, the Supreme Court let stand a Federal Appeals Court ruling ordering the city to remove the cross from the seal.[18] Rather than replace the cross, the city council voted to leave the spot blank so as to "remind people of what was there," as well as this being the least expensive way to comply.[19]
A memorial service for famed Oklahomanbaseball playerBobby Murcer was held in Edmond on August 6, 2008, at the Memorial Road Church of Christ. Among the some 2,000 attending the memorial wereReggie Jackson,Derek Jeter,Andy Pettitte, and former Yankees managerJoe Girardi.[20]
In 2011, Darrell Davis was elected as the firstBlack city councilor in Edmond's history, and in 2021, he was elected the first Black mayor of Edmond.[21]
Edmond is just north ofOklahoma City inOklahoma County, Oklahoma. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 87.9 square miles (228 km2), of which 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) (3.19%) are covered by water.Arcadia Lake, a fishing spot for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area on Edmond's east side, contains bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, and largemouth bass.[22] Twin Bridges Lake is also in Edmond.
Edmond lies in Central Oklahoma's Sandstone Hills region, known for hills, blackjack oak, and post oak.[23] The city is in an ecological region known as theCross Timbers.[24]
Edmond has ahumid subtropical climate with frequent variations in weather during part of the year and consistently hot summers. Prolonged and severe droughts often lead to wildfires, and heavy rainfall often leads to flash flooding and flooding. 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. Severeice storms andsnowstorms happen sporadically during the winter.
The city is subject to frequent and severe tornadoes and hailstorms, and is inTornado Alley. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the world's most tornado-prone areas.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 294 | — | |
| 1900 | 965 | 228.2% | |
| 1910 | 2,090 | 116.6% | |
| 1920 | 2,452 | 17.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,576 | 45.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,002 | 11.9% | |
| 1950 | 6,086 | 52.1% | |
| 1960 | 8,577 | 40.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,633 | 93.9% | |
| 1980 | 34,637 | 108.2% | |
| 1990 | 52,315 | 51.0% | |
| 2000 | 68,315 | 30.6% | |
| 2010 | 81,405 | 19.2% | |
| 2020 | 94,428 | 16.0% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 100,112 | 6.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] U.S. Census Annual Estimate[26] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[27] | Pop 2010[28] | Pop 2020[29] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 58,104 | 65,076 | 67,978 | 85.05% | 79.94% | 71.99% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 2,721 | 4,412 | 6,033 | 3.98% | 5.42% | 6.39% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 1,535 | 2,040 | 2,069 | 2.25% | 2.51% | 2.19% |
| Asian (NH) | 2,215 | 2,599 | 3,354 | 3.24% | 3.19% | 3.55% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 46 | 100 | 129 | 0.07% | 0.12% | 0.14% |
| Some other race (NH) | 44 | 101 | 297 | 0.06% | 0.12% | 0.31% |
| Multiracial (NH) | 1,769 | 2,933 | 7,945 | 2.59% | 3.60% | 8.41% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,881 | 4,144 | 6,623 | 2.75% | 5.09% | 7.01% |
| Total | 68,315 | 81,405 | 94,428 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
According to estimates from ESRI, about 94,000 residents and 37,000 housing units are in the area. Population estimates by race/ethnicity are 79.8% White, 5.8% Black, 2.7% American Indian, 4.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.5% other races, and 5.0% of two or more races; 7.2% of the population is of Hispanic origin. The population is 51.5% female and 48.5% male. The median age of residents is 36.3 years, lower than the Oklahoma median age of 37.8. The average household income is $101,811.
TheUniversity of Central Oklahoma is a major employer.[8] Some of Edmond's targeted industries include wholesale trade, light manufacturing, information technology, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Supermarket chainCrest Foods is based in Edmond.
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[30] the top employers in the city are:
| Rank | Employer | Number of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmond Public Schools | 2,975 |
| 2 | University of Central Oklahoma | 1,350 |
| 3 | City of Edmond | 764 |
| 4 | INTEGRIS Health Edmond | 550 |
| 5 | Mercy Edmond I-35 | 507 |
| 6 | OU Medical Center Edmond | 500 |
| 7 | Crest Foods | 307 |
| 8 | Petra Industries | 238 |
| 9 | Adfitech | 247 |
| 10 | Pelco Products | 193 |
The city of Edmond is making efforts to promote public art with murals, stained glass, and steel sculptures. On a portion of Main Street, statuary lines nearly every corner.[31] On July 4, 2007, the city inaugurated a bronze statue ofNannita R.H. Daisey, believed to be the first woman laying claim on Oklahoma land in the first (1889) land run.[32] In 2015 the Dave McGary sculpture of Chief Touch the Clouds was relocated to Edmond from Houston'sAstrodome. The 18-foot-tall, 15-foot-wide sculpture is located on Second Street at the entrance of the University of Central Oklahoma.[33]
Edmond residents have access to 57 Protestant and three Catholic congregations, sixLatter-day Saint congregations, oneUnitarian Universalist church, oneIslamic mosque, and oneHaziratu'l-Quds for followers of theBaháʼí Faith.
A 163-foot-tall cross sits at the Edmond Campus ofLife.Church on the corner of State Highway 66 (also called Second Street) and the I-35 Service Road. The church, known at the time as MetroChurch, fought the city of Edmond to erect the cross, which the planning commission ostensibly did not want to allow because they considered it a billboard.
The moviesRudderless (2014),American Underdog (2021), andReagan (2024) were partially shot in Edmond.[34]
Rugby union is a developing sport in Edmond and the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Edmond boasts two rugby clubs -the Edmond Rugby Club (The Storm)[35][36] andthe University of Central Oklahoma Rugby Football Club.[37][38]
Golf is a popular sport in Edmond, boasting seven golf courses, including theOak Tree National.
Soccer is also a growing sport in Edmond, being home to the Edmond Soccer Club.
Most of Edmond is in theEdmond Public Schools district. Portions are in other school districts:Deer Creek Public Schools, Jones Public Schools, and Luther Public Schools.[39]
Source:[40]
Municipalities and communities ofOklahoma County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Places adjacent to Edmond, Oklahoma | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
