Clinton, Oklahoma

Clinton, Oklahoma
City
Location of Clinton, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Counties	Custer, Washita
Area
• Total	8.9 sq mi (23.2 km2)
• Land	8.9 sq mi (23.1 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,565 ft (477 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	8,833
• Density	989.1/sq mi (381.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	73601
Area code	580
FIPS code	40-15400Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1091467Template:GR

Clinton is a city in Custer and Washita counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 8,833 at the 2000 census.

History

The community began in 1899 when two men, J.L. Avant and E.E. Blake, decided to locate a town in the Washita River Valley.

Because of governmental stipulations that an Indian could sell no more than one half of a 160-acre (0.6 km²) allotment, the men made plans to purchase 320 acres (1.3 km²) from four different Indians - Hays, Shoe-Boy, Nowahy, and Night Killer - and paid them each $2,000 for 80 acres (320,000 m²) to begin the small settlement of Washita Junction.

Congressional approval for the sale was granted in 1902 and Washita Junction quickly developed. The first businesses were the townsite office, a newspaper called the Custer County Chronicle, and the First National Bank Building. When a post office was started, the postal department would not accept the name of Washita Junction, so the town was named after the late Judge Clinton Irwin. The Frisco Railroad later turned the town into an important shipping center for the area.

Clinton also benefited from the presence of U.S. Highway 66, fostering the locally famous Pop Hicks Restaurant, which opened in 1936. The longest running restaurant on Route 66 burned down in 1999. Like most other cities and towns on Route 66, Clinton was also the home of many other tourist businesses including several restaurants, cafes, motels and gasoline service stations. Today, cross-country generally passes Clinton to the south on Interstate 40, but Clinton remains a popular tourist stop as one of the largest cities in Western Oklahoma between Oklahoma City and Amarillo, Texas. Much of the old U.S. 66 route that passed through the city is now designated as an I-40 business loop.

In 1942, the federal government built a naval airfield at nearby Burns Flat and named it Naval Air Station Clinton. During the World War II period, the population of Clinton grew to nearly 7,000 residents. In 1949, NAS Clinton was deactivated and the airfield was deeded to the City of Clinton, specifying that the land could be recaptured in case of national emergencies. Later, the government leased the site back and used it as Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base a bomber base supporting 4123rd Strategic Wing, then the 70th Bombardment Wing, Heavy of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), operating B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. Purchasing more land, the site soon expanded to more than 3,500 acres (14 km²), where both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy utilized the airfield for both operational and training purposes. When military operations were de-emphasized, the Clinton-Sherman base was designated for closure in 1969. The entire complex was deeded to the City of Clinton in 1971 and three years later became the Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark.

Clinton was the one time home of the National Highway 66 Association which operated for almost thirty years beginning after World War II. Though the association was disbanded in the 1980s, it instilled in Clinton an adhering interest in the Mother Road and the town became home to the first state sponsored Route 66 Museum in the nation.

Geography

Clinton is located at 35°30′34″N 98°58′27″W (35.509369, -98.974063)Template:GR, sitting at an elevation of 1,592 feet (485 m). The town is located on historic U.S. Route 66, which is now Interstate 40.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.2 km²), of which, 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.

Climate

Climate data for Clinton, Oklahoma
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	85 (29)	84 (29)	95 (35)	98 (37)	106 (41)	112 (44)	112 (44)	115 (46)	111 (44)	98 (37)	89 (32)	89 (32)	115 (46)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	50 (10)	55 (13)	63 (17)	73 (23)	81 (27)	91 (33)	95 (35)	96 (36)	88 (31)	77 (25)	62 (17)	53 (12)	74 (23)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	25 (−4)	29 (−2)	35 (2)	47 (8)	56 (13)	66 (19)	69 (21)	68 (20)	60 (16)	48 (9)	34 (1)	28 (−2)	47 (8)
Record low °F (°C)	−14 (−26)	−4 (−20)	−2 (−19)	20 (−7)	31 (−1)	44 (7)	53 (12)	49 (9)	34 (1)	22 (−6)	8 (−13)	−1 (−18)	−14 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (cm)	1 (2.5)	1 (2.5)	1.6 (4.1)	2.8 (7.1)	5.1 (13)	3.5 (8.9)	2.6 (6.6)	2.3 (5.8)	2.1 (5.3)	2.6 (6.6)	1 (2.5)	1.1 (2.8)	26.5 (67)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	3.3 (8.4)	2.3 (5.8)	2.2 (5.6)	0.5 (1.3)	0.2 (0.51)	1.5 (3.8)	—	—	—	—	—	—	10 (25)
Average rainy days	2.8	2.8	4	5.9	7.2	6.2	5.1	4.6	3.7	4.4	2.3	2.9	51.9
Average relative humidity (%)	63	60	56	55	61	64	57	56	65	62	63	67	61
Source 1: weather.com
Source 2: Weatherbase.com

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,833 people, 3,331 households, and 2,265 families residing in the city. The population density was 989.1 people per square mile (381.9/km²). There were 3,818 housing units at an average density of 427.5/sq mi (165.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.92% White, 5.82% African American, 6.39% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 13.62% from other races, and 4.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.99% of the population.

There were 3,331 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,051, and the median income for a family was $32,242. Males had a median income of $24,588 versus $18,596 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,606. About 14.6% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Events

The municipal airport in Clinton was the site of the first crash of a C-5 Galaxy (68-0227) on September 27, 1974.[1]

Notable residents

• Toby Keith [2]
• Rena Rago
• Scott Hendricks
• James R. Winchester

Schools

Clinton has three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school within the public school system. There is also an alternative school that is part of the public school system.

Sports

Clinton is known for its high school football team, the "Red Tornadoes". The Red Tornadoes have won 15 state championships (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007) which ranks currently second in the state of Oklahoma behind Ada.

Sights

Museums

• Route 66 museum, located on historical U.S. Route 66
• Cheyenne Cultural Center

National Register of Historic Places

• Clinton Armory
• Crawford House
• McLain Rogers Park
• Y Service Station & Café

External links

• City website
• Clinton Chamber of Commerce
• Community profile
• Legends of America
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Clinton
• Route 66 Museum
• Cheyenne Cultural Center