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 |
1 | Edmond Public Schools | 2,412 |
2 | University of Central Oklahoma | 1,450 |
3 | City of Edmond | 771 |
4 | Mercy Edmond Clinics and Wellness Center | 429 |
5 | Integris Health Edmond | 347 |
6 | OU Medical Center Edmond | 305 |
7 | Petra Industries | 277 |
8 | Crest Foods | 226 |
9 | Adfitech | 217 |
10 | Summit Medical Center | 177 |
Parks
There are many parks in Edmond:- Bickham-Rudkin Park
- Brookhaven Park
- Centennial Park
- Chitwood Park
- Clegern Park
- Dog Park
- E.C. Hafer Park
- Fink Park
- Gossett Park
- J.L. Mitch Park
- Johnson Park
- Kelly Park
- Mathis Skate Park
- Meadow Lakes Park
- Penick Park
- Shannon Miller Park
- Stephenson Park
- Ted Anderson Park
- Westborough Park
- Whispering Heights Park
Education
Elementary schools
- Angie Debo Elementary School
- Centennial Elementary School
- Charles Haskell Elementary School
- Chisholm Elementary School
- Clegern Elementary School
- Clyde Howell
- Cross Timbers Elementary School
- Frontier Elementary School
- Heritage Elementary School
- Ida Freeman Elementary School
- John Ross Elementary School
- Northern Hills Elementary School
- Orvis Risner Elementary School
- Russell Dougherty Elementary School
- Sunset Elementary School
- Washington Irving Elementary School
- West Field Elementary School
- Will Rogers Elementary School
- Redbud Elementary
- Scissortail Elementary
Middle schools
- Central Middle School
- Cheyenne Middle School
- Cimarron Middle School
- Heartland Middle School
- Oakdale Middle School
- Sequoyah Middle School
- Summit Middle School
High schools
- Edmond Memorial High School
- Edmond North High School
- Edmond Santa Fe High School
Colleges and universities
- Herbert W. Armstrong College
- Oklahoma Christian University
- University of Central Oklahoma
Private schools
- Holy Trinity Christian School
- Mercy School Institute
- Oklahoma Christian School
- Oklahoma Christian Academy
- Providence Hall Classical Christian School
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School
- St. Mary's Episcopal School
Awards for schools
- Sequoyah Middle School became a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2004 and later won in 2015.
- Deer Creek Middle School became a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2002.
- Edmond Memorial High School became a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2001.
- Edmond Memorial High School was named the Siemens Foundation 2007-2008 award winner for the state of Oklahoma. This award is given to one high school per state, and only.033 high schools in the nation, in recognition of outstanding performance in AP math, science, and technology.
- Edmond North High School became a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2007.
- Edmond Santa Fe High School became a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2012.
Public art and landmarks
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
- Major League Baseball player Dusty Allen graduated from Edmond Memorial High School
- Actor Jim Beaver, lived in Edmond 1971–1976.
- Paul Blair, NFL offensive tackle, drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1986, graduated from Edmond Memorial High School
- Allison Brown, Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 1986, Miss Teen USA 1986
- Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown interned in the city's Emergency Management Department while receiving a B.A. in public administration/political science from Central State University, in Edmond. Brown was employed by the City of Edmond as the Assistant to the City Manager.
- New York Times best-selling author and Internet entrepreneur Joel Comm lived in Edmond from 1998 to 2007.
- Greyson Chance, Internet celebrity and recording artist who lives in Edmond
- Robert Galbreath, Jr., lived a short time in Edmond, where he served as deputy U.S. marshal and as Edmond's postmaster.
- KC Green, comic artist, graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma
- Retired Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens' nose guard Kelly Gregg, all-state football player and wrestler for Edmond Memorial and Edmond North.
- Blake Griffin, forward for the Detroit Pistons, graduated from Edmond's Oklahoma Christian School
- Johny Hendricks, UFC welterweight champion, graduated from Edmond Memorial High School 2002
- Mat Hoffman, BMX rider, graduated from Edmond Memorial High School 1990
- Hoda Katebi, Iranian-American writer and activist, graduated from Edmond Santa Fe High School in 2012
- Trey Kennedy, Internet comedian and musician
- Darci Lynne, ventriloquist and winner of season 12 of America's Got Talent
- Shannon Miller,, Olympic gold medal in gymnastics ; has earned more Olympic medals and World Championship medals than any other American gymnast; attended Edmond North High School.
- Garrett Richards, Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels, grew up and graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in 2006
- Josh Richardson, Miami Heat basketball player
- Bob Ricks, former Edmond Chief of Police and former FBI agent involved in the controversial 1993 Waco Siege
- Mookie Salaam, professional sprinter for Team USA, won the 200m NCAA Indoor National Championship with a time of 20.41. In 2013, he won a silver medal for Team USA as part of the 4 × 100 m relay team at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia.
- Bill Self, head men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, was Oklahoma Player of the Year in basketball in 1981 while playing at Edmond Memorial High School.
- Ekpe Udoh, basketball forward and center with the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association
- William C. Wantland, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire
- Brandon Weeden, graduated from Edmond Santa Fe; drafted by the New York Yankees; returned to Oklahoma State University, where he started at quarterback; drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
- Former Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, owns two homes in Edmond
- Brandon Whitaker, CFL running back, playing for the Montreal Alouettes
- Steve Zabel, NFL linebacker and tight end, drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1970, resides in Edmond
- Music industry figures Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor of the pop rock group The All-American Rejects, and Mikaila.
- Several golf PGA Tour players call Edmond home, as does the well-known Oak Tree National. Edmond's golfers include Bob Tway, Doug Tewell, Scott Verplank, David Edwards and Gil Morgan.