Edmond, Oklahoma


Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population is approximately 94,054, according to estimates from ESRI. Edmond is the fifth largest city in the state of Oklahoma.
The city borders the northern boundary of Oklahoma City. Two major highways connect Edmond to downtown Oklahoma City: U.S. Route 77, which runs along the west side of Edmond, and Interstate 35, which runs through the center of Edmond. Additionally historic U. S. Route 66 enters Edmond from the east as it passes just north of Arcadia Lake to join 2nd Street. As U. S. Route 66 continues west on 2nd Street it joins U. S. Route 77 in downtown Edmond where it turns south as Broadway. Public transportation is provided by Citylink Edmond bus service.

Geography

Edmond is located just north of Oklahoma City in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and or 3.19% is water. Arcadia Lake on the east side of the city is a fishing spot for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and contains bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, and largemouth bass. Twin Bridges Lake is a second lake in the city.
Edmond lies in the Sandstone Hills region of Central Oklahoma, known for hills, blackjack oak, and post oak. The city falls into an ecological region known as the Cross Timbers.

Climate

Edmond has a humid 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. Severe ice storms and snowstorms happen sporadically during the winter.
The city is located in Tornado Alley and is subject to frequent and severe tornadoes and hailstorms. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the most tornado-prone major cities in the world.

Demographics

According to estimates from ESRI: There are approximately 94,000 residents and approximately 37,000 housing units. 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 race and 5% 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 $110,811.

History

The Santa Fe rail line in Oklahoma Territory established a water and coaling station for steam engines at this location when the Santa Fe Railroad built into Indian Territory in 1887. The site for the station was chosen because it was the highest point on the line in Oklahoma County; train 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. When the town was formed after the Oklahoma 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, now BNSF, freight line still runs through the same course.
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. The original plat for Edmond was prepared by the Seminole Town and Development Company, a newly formed syndicate with ties to the railroad. 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. 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, was located on the southwest corner of East First and South Boulevard. The congregation still exists, although not in its original building or location.
In December 1890, the territorial legislature established three universities: the state university in Norman, the agricultural and mechanical college in Stillwater, and a "normal" or teaching school in Edmond.
The first classes for the Territorial Normal School 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 of Oklahoma State University's Central Hall or Oklahoma University's Science Hall.
The Edmond Sun, established by Milton W. "Kicking Bird" Reynolds on July 18, 1889, is the state's oldest continuous newspaper dating from Oklahoma Territorial days.

Notable events

Edmond was the site of the post office massacre on August 20, 1986, in which 14 people were killed and six wounded by Patrick Sherrill, an ex-postman who then committed suicide. This event was the deadliest killing in a string of U.S. postal employee murder–suicides which inspired the slang term "going postal". A memorial to the victims of the attack stands outside of the U.S. Post Office in downtown Edmond.
Edmond is the home town of Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller, America's most decorated Olympic gymnast. She won five medals in the 1992 Summer Olympics and 2 gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Interstate 35 has been designated as the Shannon Miller Parkway from the Memorial Road exit to the Logan/Oklahoma County line.
The city was the subject of a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals case challenging the depiction of a Christian cross on the city seal, raising issues concerning the Establishment 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. A replacement icon has yet to be agreed upon, resulting in the curiously vacant spot on the city's seal.
A memorial service for famed Oklahoman baseball player Bobby Murcer was held in Edmond on August 6, 2008, at the Memorial Road Church of Christ. Among the some 2,000 attending the memorial were Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, and former Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
In 2009, Edmond appeared on Newsmax magazine's list of the "Top 25 Most Uniquely American Cities and Towns," a piece written by current CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg. In determining his ranking, Greenberg cited the city's 10-day LibertyFest event, which includes the state's largest parade, as well as fireworks, a beauty pageant, kite festival, and rodeo.

Economy

The supermarket chain Crest Foods is based in Edmond. The University of Central Oklahoma is a major employer. Some of Edmond's targeted industries include Wholesale Trade; Light Manufacturing; Information; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.

Top employers

According to the City's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
#Employer# of Employees
1Edmond Public Schools2,412
2University of Central Oklahoma1,450
3City of Edmond771
4Mercy Edmond Clinics and Wellness Center429
5Integris Health Edmond347
6OU Medical Center Edmond305
7Petra Industries277
8Crest Foods226
9Adfitech217
10Summit Medical Center177

Parks

There are many parks in Edmond:

Elementary schools

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. On July 4, 2007, the City inaugurated a bronze statue of Nannita R.H. Daisey, believed to be the first woman laying claim on Oklahoma land in the first land run. In 2015 the Dave McGary sculpture of Chief Touch the Clouds was relocated to Edmond from Houston's Astrodome. The 18-foot-tall, 15-foot-wide sculpture is located on Second Street at the entrance of the University of Central Oklahoma.
Edmond residents have access to 57 Protestant and 2 Catholic congregations, 6 Latter-day Saint congregations, one Unitarian Universalist church, one Islamic mosque, and one Bahá'í center.
A 163 foot tall cross sits at the Edmond Campus of Life.Church on the corner of Edmond Road and the I-35 Service Road.

Rugby

is a developing sport in Edmond as well as in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Edmond boasts two rugby clubs: The Edmond Rugby Club and the University of Central Oklahoma Rugby Football Club.

Notable people