Oklahoma City

For other uses, see Oklahoma City (disambiguation).

City of Oklahoma City
City
Flag of City of Oklahoma City Flag Official seal of City of Oklahoma City Seal
Nickname(s):  O.K.C.; Renaissance City; [the] 405;
Location in Oklahoma County and the state of Oklahoma.
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Counties	Canadian, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
• Mayor	Mick Cornett (R)
• City Manager	Jim Couch
Area
• City	621.2 sq mi (1,608.8 km2)
• Land	607.0 sq mi (1,572.1 km2)
• Water	14.2 sq mi (36.7 km2)
Elevation	1,201 ft (396 m)
Population  (2006)
• City	547,274
• Density	872/sq mi (336.5/km2)
• Metro	1,262,027
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	405
FIPS code	40-55000Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1102140Template:GR
Website	http://www.okc.gov/

Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County,Template:GR the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's estimated population as of 2006 was 537,734, with a 2008 estimated population of 1,206,142 in the metropolitan area. In 2008, the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,275,758 residents.

Besides Oklahoma County, the city limits extend into Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie counties. The city ranks as the seventh-largest city in the United States by land area which includes consolidated city-counties; it is the largest non-consolidated city-county city in the United States by land area. Oklahoma City is an important livestock market, featuring one of the top livestock markets in the world. Oil is a major product, as the city is situated in the middle of an oil field, with oil derricks even on the capitol grounds. The city has varied light and heavy industries, and the Tinker Air Force Base is also a vital source of civilian employment.

The city was founded during the Land Run of 1889. In 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed by Timothy McVeigh. With the Oklahoma City bombing resulting in 168 deaths, McVeigh caused the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in United States history, and the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

History

Main article: History of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City was settled on April 22, 1889, when the area known as the "unassigned lands" was opened for settlement in "The Oklahoma Land Run". Some 10,000 homesteaders settled what is now downtown Oklahoma City and created a tent city in a single day. Within 10 years the population had doubled in what became a permanent settlement and the future state capital of Oklahoma.

By the time Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907, Oklahoma City had surpassed Guthrie, the territorial capital, as the population center and commercial hub of the new state. Soon after, the capital was moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City was a major stop on Route 66 during the early part of the 20th century and was prominently mentioned in Bobby Troup's 1946 jazz classic, "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," later made famous by Nat King Cole.

Before World War II, Oklahoma City developed major stockyards and, with the 1928 discovery of oil within the city limits (including under the State Capitol), it became a center of oil production. Post-war growth accompanied Oklahoma City's location as a major interchange on the Interstate Highway System, with the convergence of I-35, I-40 and I-44 in the city. It was also aided by federal development of Tinker Air Force Base.

As with many other American cities, center city population declined in the 1970s and 80s as families moved to newer housing in nearby suburbs. Urban Renewal projects in the 1970s removed many older historic structures but failed to spark much additional development. A notable exception was the construction of the Myriad Gardens and Crystal Bridge, a botanical garden and modernistic conservatory in the heart of the city.

In 1993, the city passed a massive redevelopment package known as the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS), which aimed to rebuild the city's core. The city added a new baseball park; central library; renovations to the civic center, convention center and fairgrounds; and a canal to the Bricktown entertainment district. MAPS has become one of the most aggressive and successful public-private partnerships ever undertaken in the U.S. exceeding $3 billion. As a result of MAPS downtown housing has skyrocketed as well as increased demand for residential amenities, such as grocery and other retail stores.

The Murrah Federal Building damage

Since the MAPS projects' completion, the downtown area has seen continued development. Several of the downtown buildings are undergoing renovation/restoration projects. Notable among these was the restoration of the Skirvin Hotel in 2007. The famed First National Center is also currently being renovated.

The "Core-to-Shore" project was created to relocate I-40 one mile (1.6 km) south and replace it with a boulevard that will create an entrance to the city. This allows the central portion of the city to expand south toward the Oklahoma River, thus connecting the core of the city to the shore of the Oklahoma River.

Residents of Oklahoma City suffered substantial losses on April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh set off a bomb in front of the Murrah building. The building was destroyed, more than 100 nearby buildings suffered severe damage, and 168 people were killed.

Local residents rallied together in an effort to contribute however they could, with the attack serving to unite the city as it began a new era of revival. The site is now home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Since its opening in 2000, over 3 million people have visited. Every year on April 19, survivors, friends and family return to the memorial to read the names of every victim lost.

Government

Main article: Government of Oklahoma City

OKC's art deco City Hall

Oklahoma City has a council-manager form of government, with an elected mayor and council setting policy and an appointed city manager carrying out the day-to-day operations. The center of Oklahoma City's municipal government is historic City Hall, an art deco-style building situated on the western edge of the central business district in downtown. Mick Cornett serves as Mayor, having first been elected in 2004 and then re-elected in 2006. Eight councilpersons represent each of the eight wards of Oklahoma City.

Sister cities

Oklahoma City has six sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• Haikou, China
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Tainan, Taiwan
• Taipei, Taiwan
• Ulyanovsk, Russia

Geography

Oklahoma City's landscape consists mainly of rolling hills, low trees and shrubs

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 621.2 square miles (1,608.8 km²), of which, 607.0 square miles (1,572.1 km²) of it is land and 14.2 square miles (36.7 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.28% water. Oklahoma City is located in the Frontier Country region of Central Oklahoma, in the Southern Plains of North America; it is on the tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie section of the Great Plains.

Sunset over Lake Hefner in northwest Oklahoma City.

Most of the area consists of gently rolling hills, covered in places by stands of dense, low trees, along with shrubs and many varieties of prairie grasses and wildflowers. Those woodlands, mostly to the north and east of the metropolitan area, are known as the Cross Timbers. They consist of blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), post oak (Q. stellata), hickory (Carya spp.), and other plant species which become more widespread in the southeastern forests, about 100 miles (160 km) east of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

The city is roughly bisected by the North Canadian River (recently renamed the Oklahoma River inside city limits). The North Canadian was once substantial enough to flood every year, wreaking destruction on surrounding areas, including the original Oklahoma City Zoo. In the 1940s the Civilian Conservation Corps built a dam on the river, which reduced its flow for the next 50 years. In the 1990s, as part of the citywide revitalization project known as MAPS, the city built a series of low-water dams, returning water to the portion of the river flowing near downtown. The city also has three large lakes: Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser, in the northwestern quarter of the city; and the largest, Lake Stanley Draper, in the sparsely populated far southeast of the city.

The population density normally reported for the city using area of its city limits can be a bit misleading, as its urbanized zone covers roughly 244 sq mi (630 km²), compared with the rural areas incorporated by the city, which cover the remaining 377 sq mi (980 km²) of the city limits.

Oklahoma City is the second largest city in the nation in compliance with the Clean Air Act (after Jacksonville, Florida).

Climate

Main article: Climate of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.3     47 26     1.6     54 31     2.9     63 39     3     71 48     5.4     79 58     4.6     87 66     2.9     93 71     2.5     92 70     4     84 62     3.6     73 51     2.1     60 38     1.9     50 29 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: Weather.com / NWS
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     33     8 −3     40     12 −1     74     17 4     76     22 9     138     26 14     118     31 19     75     34 22     63     33 21     101     29 17     92     23 11     54     16 3     48     10 −2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

Oklahoma City lies in a temperate, sub-humid climate, with frequent variations in weather daily and seasonally, except during the consistently hot and humid summer months. 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.

The summer can be extremely hot, as was evident in 2006 with a few-weeks span of nearly 110 °F (43 °C) temperatures. The average temperature is 60.0 °F (15.6 °C), though colder though the winter months, with a 37.0 °F (2.8 °C) average in January, and warmer during the summer months, with an 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) average in July. The city receives about 33.3 inches (850 mm) of rain annually and 9.0 inches (230 mm) of snow.

Oklahoma City has a severe weather season from March through August, especially during April and May. Tornadoes have occurred in every month of the year. Oklahoma City has become one of the most tornado prone cities in the United States. Since the time weather records have been kept, Oklahoma City has been struck by nine violent tornadoes, eight F4's and one F5. On May 3, 1999 parts of southern Oklahoma City and nearby communities suffered one of the most powerful tornadoes on record an F-5 on the Fujita Scale, with wind speeds topping 320 mph (510 km/h). This tornado was part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	4,151		—
1900	10,037		141.8%
1910	64,205		539.7%
1920	91,295		42.2%
1930	185,389		103.1%
1940	204,424		10.3%
1950	243,504		19.1%
1960	321,599		32.1%
1970	368,164		14.5%
1980	404,014		9.7%
1990	438,922		8.6%
2000	506,132		15.3%
2007 (est.)	547,274

At the 2005-2007 American Community Survey Estimates the city's population was 72.7% White (60.7% non-Hispanic White alone), 16.1% Black or African American, 7.6% American Indian and Alaska Native (2.7% non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native alone), 4.7% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5.4% from some other race and 6.3% from two or more races. 13.9% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [2]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 506,132 people, 204,434 households, and 129,360 families residing in the city. The population density was 321.9/km² (833.8/mi²) with 2,317.4/mi² for an urban area that occupies a small portion within the city's incorporated limits, which cover hundreds of square miles of rural land. There were 228,149 housing units at an average density of 375.9/sq mi (145.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.4% White, 15.4% Black or African American, 3.5% Native American, 3.5% Asian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races based on persons indicating only one race category on Census forms. 5.6% of the population were two or more races. 10.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 204,434 households, 30.8% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. One person households account for 30.7% of all households and 8.8% of all households had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the 2000 Census Oklahoma City's age composition was 25.5% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The 1999 median income for a household in the city was $34,947, and the median income for a family was $42,689. Among full time employed persons, males had median 1999 earnings of $31,589 compared to $24,420 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,098. 16.0% of the population and 12.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

In June, 2007, the U.S. Census announced its estimate population of 547,274 and that Oklahoma City had grown 1.4 percent between July, 2006 and July, 2007. Since the official Census in 2000, Oklahoma City has grown 8.1 percent, according to the Census Bureau's estimates.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

Main article: Oklahoma City metropolitan area

Oklahoma City is the principal city of the eight-county Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area in Central Oklahoma and is the state's largest urbanized area. Based on population rank, the metropolitan area was the 46th largest in the nation as of the year 2000.

Economy

Oklahoma City is home to the Sonic Drive In headquarters

The economy of Oklahoma City, once a regional center of government and energy exploration, has diversified to include the sectors of information technology, services, health services and administration. The city has two Fortune 500 companies: Devon Energy and Chesapeake Energy and several others in the Fortune 1000 and a number of private large companies. Devon Energy revealed plans in August 2008 for a new 925-foot (282 m) tall, 1,900,000-square-foot (180,000 m²) headquarters building in downtown Oklahoma City. The city is also home to the corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive In, located in Bricktown. Other large employers in Oklahoma City include Tinker Air Force Base, the Federal Government, Dell, AT&T, Boeing, Xerox, United Parcel Service, Cox, and the state of Oklahoma. Six Flags at one point was headquartered in Oklahoma City. Six Flags announced its move to New York City from Oklahoma City on January 27, 2006.

According to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the metropolitan area's economic output grew by 33 percent between 2001 and 2005 due chiefly to economic diversification. Its gross metropolitan product totaled $43.1 billion in 2005.

In 2008 Forbes Magazine named Oklahoma City the most "recession proof city in America". The magazine reports that the city has falling unemployment, one of the strongest housing markets in the country and solid growth in energy, agriculture and manufacturing.

Neighborhoods

File:Bricktown Canal Water Taxis.jpg

Water taxis in Oklahoma City's downtown Bricktown neighborhood

Main article: Neighborhoods of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City has a wide variety of neighborhoods. Some inner-city neighborhoods are historic and stately whereas others are old and gritty, many undergoing gentrification. Inner-city neighborhoods radiate from those located in downtown and include mostly single-family detached houses with smaller yards. There are a number of apartment dwellings as well, many with a more urban style. Downtown and in the NW Business Districts there are numerous condo and loft developments and several mid- and high-rise options.

Education

Higher education

See also: List of Colleges and Universities in Oklahoma City

File:Ocu1law.jpg

Oklahoma City University School of Law, Sarkeys Law Center

The city is home to several colleges and universities, including Oklahoma City University in the Uptown area.

Main article: Oklahoma City University

OCU (formerly Epworth University) was founded by the United Methodist Church on September 1, 1904 and is renowned for its performing arts, mass communications, business, law, and athletics programs.

The University of Oklahoma has centers in the city and metropolitan area, with the OU Medical Center due east of downtown and the main OU campus located in the suburb of Norman. OU is one of only four major universities in the nation to have all six medical schools. The OU Medical Center is the nation's largest independent medical center, employing more than 12,000 people.

Park on the campus of OU Medical Center near downtown

Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City is located in the "Furniture District" on the Westside. Oklahoma City Community College in south OKC is the second-largest community college in the state.

The third-largest university in the state, the University of Central Oklahoma, is located just north of the city in the suburb of Edmond, as is Oklahoma Christian University, one of the state's private liberal arts institutions. Just east of Oklahoma City is Rose State College located in Midwest City. Northeast of the city is Langston University, the state's historically black college (HBCU), which also has an urban campus in the city.

The city is also the location of the FAA's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center on airport grounds.

Another university located in Bethany, which is surrounded by OKC city limits, is Southern Nazarene University. This university was founded by the Church of the Nazarene.

Primary and secondary

Oklahoma City Public Schools is the city's largest school district and second-largest in the state. The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City is home to some of the state's most gifted math and science pupils. Classen School of Advanced Studies is located in the Oklahoma City Public School District. It was recently named the No. 17-school in the nation according to Newsweek . In addition, Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School in OKCPS was named the top middle school in the state according to the Academic Performance Index, and recently received the Blue Ribbon School Award.

There are numerous suburban districts which surround the urban OKCPS district, such as Putnam City Public Schools in suburban northwest Oklahoma City, Moore Public Schools serving the southwest and south areas, and Mid-Del Schools, serving the eastern and southeastern parts of the metropolitan area. The city also has very well developed private and parochial schools, including Casady School, Heritage Hall] Schools, Providence Hall, and the schools of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City including Bishop McGuinness High School and Mount Saint Mary High School.

CareerTech

Oklahoma City has several public career and technology education schools associated with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the largest of which are Metro Technology Center and Francis Tuttle Technology Center.

Private career and technology education schools in Oklahoma City include Oklahoma Technology Institute, Platt College, Vatterott College, and Heritage College.

A nonprofit vocational training center for individuals with disabilities in Oklahoma City is Dale Rogers Training Center.

Culture

Museums and theater

The Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center is the new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The museum features visiting exhibits, original selections from its own collection, a theater showing a variety of foreign, independent, and classic films each week, and a restaurant. OKCMOA is also home to the most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world including the fifty-five foot Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial Tower in the Museum's atrium. The newly renovated art deco Civic Center Music Hall has performances from ballet and opera to traveling Broadway shows and concerts. Stage Center for the Performing Arts is home to many of the city's top theater companies. The building that houses Stage Center, designed by John Johansen is a modernist architectural landmark, with the original model displayed in MOMA in New York City.

The Survivor Tree on the grounds of the Oklahoma City National Memorial

Other theaters include the Lyric Theatre, Jewel Box Theatre, the Kirkpatrick Auditorium, the Poteet Theatre and the 488-seat Petree Recital Hall, at the Oklahoma City University campus. The university also opened the Wanda L Bass School of Music and auditorium in April 2006.

The Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum at Omniplex) houses exhibits on science, aviation, and an IMAX theater. The museum houses the International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF) that exhibits photographs and artifacts from a large collection of cameras and other artifacts preserving the history of photography. IPHF honors those who have made significant contributions to the art and/or science of photography.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has galleries of western art and is home to the Hall of Great Western Performers. In contrast, the city will also be the home to The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum that is under construction in 2009, on the South side of Interest 40, Southeast from Bricktown.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial in the northern part of Oklahoma City's downtown was created and the inscription on its eastern gate says, "to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995". The outdoor Symbolic Memorial can be visited 24 hours a day for free, and the adjacent Memorial Museum, located in the former Journal Record building damaged by the bombing, can be entered for a small fee. The site is also home to the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a non partisan, non profit thinktank devoted to the prevention of terrorism.

Parks and Recreation

The Myriad Botanical Gardens in downtown OKC

One of the more prominent landmarks downtown is the Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Botanical Gardens, a large downtown urban park. Designed by I. M. Pei, the Crystal Bridge is a tropical conservatory in the area. The park has an amphitheater, known as the Water Stage. In 2007, following a renovation of the stage, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park relocated to the Myriad Gardens. There is also a lake in the middle of the park inhabited by large Japanese Koi replete with waterfalls and fountains.

The Oklahoma City Zoological Park is home to numerous natural habitats, WPA era architecture and landscaping, and hosts major touring concerts during the summer at its amphitheater. Oklahoma City also has two amusement parks, Frontier City theme park and White Water Bay water park. Frontier City is an 'Old West' themed amusement park. The park also features a recreation of a western gunfight at the 'OK Corral' and many shops that line the "Western" town's main street. Frontier City also hosts a national concert circuit at its amphitheater during the summer.

Walking trails line Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser in the northwest part of the city and downtown at the canal and the Oklahoma River. Part of the east shore of Lake Hefner has been developed into upscale offices and restaurants, but the majority of the area around the lake is taken up by parks and trails, including a new leashless dog park and the postwar era Stars and Stripes Park. Lake Stanley Draper is the city's largest and most remote lake.

Other Oklahoma City parks include Martin Park Nature Center and Will Rogers Gardens.

Media

See also: Broadcast Media in Oklahoma City

The Oklahoman is Oklahoma City's major metro newspaper and is the most widely circulated in the state. The Oklahoma Gazette is Oklahoma City's independent newsweekly, featuring such staples as local commentary, feature stories, classifieds, restaurant reviews and movie listings. The Journal Record is Oklahoma City's daily business newspaper and Oklahoma City Business is a bi-monthly business publication. The City Sentinel (formerly The Mid-City Advocate) is Oklahoma City's weekly broadsheet, covering positive developments in downtown, the State Capitol district, and the neighborhoods in Oklahoma City's historic core.

There are various community and international papers in the city that cator to the ethnic mosaic of the city; such as The Black Chronicle, headquartered in the Eastside, the OK VIETIMES and Oklahoma Chinese Times, located in Asia District, and various Hispanic publications. Campus is the student newspaper at Oklahoma City University. There is currently only one operational gay publication: Gossip Boy, which despite its name has become known for adventurous undercover work and investigative journalism that has attracted a national audience.

There are also five metro lifestyle magazines produced by local publisher, Southwestern Publishing: Nichols Hills News, Edmond Monthly, Norman Living, Northwest Style and Downtown Monthly. In addition are two magazines published by Back40 Design: The Edmond Outlook and the Shawnee Outlook. Both contain local commentary and human interest pieces provided to over 150,000 Oklahomans.

Oklahoma City was home to several pioneers in radio and television broadcasting. Oklahoma City's WKY Radio was the first radio station transmitting west of the Mississippi River and the third radio station in the United States. WKY received its federal license in 1921 and has continually broadcast under the same call letters since 1922. In 1928, WKY was purchased by E.K. Gaylord's Oklahoma Publishing Company and affiliated with NBC [3]; in 1949, WKY-TV went on the air and became the first independently-owned television station in the U.S. to broadcast in color.In mid-2002, WKY was purchased outright from the Gaylord family by Citadel Communications who owns and operates it to this day.

Sports

AT&T Ballpark, home of the Oklahoma Redhawks and Big XII Baseball.

Professional sports

On July 3, 2008 the city of Seattle settled with the owners of the NBA Seattle SuperSonics franchise, allowing them to move the team to Oklahoma City for the 2008-2009 season. The relocated team was named the Oklahoma City Thunder on September 3, 2008. The move gave the city its second 'permanent' major professional sports team after the AFL Oklahoma Wranglers and third major team overall considering the temporary hosting of the NBA New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.

Oklahoma City is home to several other professional sports clubs including the Oklahoma City RedHawks, a Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Other teams include the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the af2, the Oklahoma City Lightning of the National Women's Football Association, and the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League.

Ford Center in downtown is the large multipurpose arena which hosts concerts, NHL exhibition games, and the city's pro sports teams. Starting in the 2008-09 NBA Season the Oklahoma City Thunder became the major tenant. Located nearby in Bricktown, AT&T Bricktown Ballpark is the home to the city's baseball team. The Brick, as it is locally known, is considered one of the finest minor league parks in the nation.

There are several other stadiums and arenas in the city, including the arena inside the Cox Convention Center, the State Fair Arena, Taft Stadium, the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium, and Abe Lemons Arena which is located at Oklahoma City University.

Oklahoma City is host to numerous major college and amateur sporting events. The major universities in the area - (University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, and Oklahoma State University) - often schedule major basketball games and other sporting events at Ford Center, although most games are played in their campus arenas.

The Oklahoma City University Stars has a slate of sporting clubs which play on campus including a top-rated rowing program which has events on the Oklahoma River. Of special note, the university had announced its desire to possibly enter the NCAA during the 2007 athletic season.

Oklahoma City is the annual host of the Big 12 Baseball Tournament, the World Cup of Softball, and the annual NCAA Women's College World Series. The city has held the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second Round and hosted the Big 12 Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments in 2007; the city will be the site again in 2009. Since 2006, Oklahoma City has been home to the annual Bricktown Showdown Triple-A Baseball Championship game.

Other major sporting events include Thoroughbred and Quarter horse racing circuits at Remington Park and numerous horse shows and equine events that take place at the state fairgrounds each year. There are numerous golf courses and country clubs spread around the city in addition to tennis clubs and high school level sporting activities.

The Ford Center, home of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding area, the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association temporarily relocated to the Ford Center, playing the majority of its home games there during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The team became the first NBA franchise to play regular-season games in the state of Oklahoma.

The team was known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and adopted a split personality of sorts, wearing 'OKC neutral' home jerseys (with an OKC patch of sorts over an H-alternate jersey) and New Orleans jerseys during away games.

After relocating permanently to New Orleans for the 2007-2008 season, the Hornets played their final home game in Oklahoma City during the exhibition season on October 9, 2007 against the Houston Rockets, as a way to say thanks for the temporary hosting. The 'hometown Hornets' won the game 94-92.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Main article: Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City

On July 2, 2008, upon settlement of a lawsuit with the city of Seattle, the Seattle SuperSonics announced they would relocate to Oklahoma City on July 3, and begin play at Oklahoma City's Ford Center in the 2008-2009 NBA season. The team left the franchise history and team name and colors in Seattle. The team became the fourth NBA franchise to relocate since 1985; the Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento, the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis and the Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans. The new name and color scheme for the Oklahoma City Thunder was announced on September 3; other finalists included Energy, Wind, Marshalls, Barons and Bison.

On April 18, 2008, the NBA gave conditional approval for the Seattle Supersonics franchise to move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-2009 season provided the ownership could free themselves from the legal challenges that existed with the City of Seattle with a 28-2 vote by its board of owners.

On July 2, 2008 the City of Seattle reached an agreement to terminate the Sonics' lease and allow the team to relocate to Oklahoma City. Clay Bennett determined that as of July 3, 2008 the relocation of the now defunct Seattle SuperSonics would commence.

Professional teams

Club	Sport	League	Stadium
Oklahoma City Thunder	Basketball	National Basketball Association	Ford Center
Oklahoma City RedHawks	Baseball	Pacific Coast League	AT&T Bricktown Ballpark
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz	Arena Football	af2	Cox Convention Center
Oklahoma City Lightning	Football	Women's Football: Women's Football Alliance	Taft Stadium

Oklahoma City was home to the following defunct sports teams:

• Oklahoma Wranglers : Arena Football League
• Oklahoma City 89ers : American Association (20th century) minor league baseball (name changed to RedHawks upon their absorption into the Pacific Coast League)
• Oklahoma City Cavalry : CBA Basketball Team
• Oklahoma City Stars : CHL Hockey Team
• Oklahoma City Coyotes : RHI Roller Hockey Team
• Oklahoma City Dolls : All-woman American Football League franchise
• Oklahoma City Indians : Minor league baseball in the Texas League
• Oklahoma City Blazers (original); CHL Hockey Team (1965-72; 1973-77; 1992-2009)
• Oklahoma City Warriors; AHA Hockey Team (1933-36)

The city was also the temporary home of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is an integral point on the U.S. Interstate Network. Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44 bisect the city, Interstate 240 connects I-40 to I-44 in South OKC, the Lake Hefner Parkway (SH-74) runs through Northwest Oklahoma City, Kilpatrick Turnpike makes a loop around North and West Oklahoma City, Airport Rd. (SH-152) runs through Southwest Oklahoma City and leads to Will Rogers World Airport, Broadway Extension (US-77) connects Central Oklahoma City to Edmond, and Interstate 235 spurs from I-44 in North Central OKC into downtown Oklahoma City.

Riders prepare to board the Amtrak Heartland Flyer

As reported by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in 2005, the busiest freeway in Oklahoma City, and in the state of Oklahoma, is Interstate 44, with an average of 118,000 to 132,000 vehicles daily. The I-40 Crosstown Oklahoma City Crosstown Construction Project will relocate a stretch of highway near downtown several blocks to the south. It is expected to be completed in 2012.

Oklahoma City is served by two primary airports, Will Rogers World Airport and the much smaller Wiley Post Airport (incidentally, the two honorees died in the same plane crash in Alaska). Tinker Air Force Base, in East OKC, is the largest military air depot in the nation, a major maintenance and deployment facility for the Navy and the Air Force, and the second largest military institution in the state (after Fort Sill in Lawton).

Amtrak has a train station downtown, with daily service to Fort Worth and the nation's rail network via the Heartland Flyer. Oklahoma City once was the crossroads of several interstate railroads, but commercial passenger service has long since been discontinued. Oklahoma City has no light rail or commuter rail service, although there is growing interest in incorporating light rail into the city's future transportation planning. A short heritage rail line is under re-construction that will connect Bricktown and the Adventure District in NE Oklahoma City, including the Oklahoma Railroad Museum.

Greyhound and several other intercity bus companies serve Oklahoma City at Union Bus Station, Downtown. METRO Transit is the public transit company. Their bus terminal is located downtown at NW 5th Street and Hudson Avenue.

See also

• Coyle v. Smith
• List of famous Oklahoma City Area Citizens

External links

• Wikitravel has a travel guide about Oklahoma City
• New York Times travel story on Oklahoma City
• Convention & Visitors' Bureau
• Official City Website
• American Factfinder/Census page
• City-Data page