Ardmore, Oklahoma
|
|
Ardmore1.jpg
Ardmore2.jpg
Ardmore3.jpg
Ardmore is a city located in Carter County, Oklahoma. As of the 2003 census estimates, the city had a population of 23,930. It is the county seat of Carter County. Ardmore is located 90 miles equidistant from Oklahoma City and Dallas near the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 70.
Ardmore is the principal center of trade for a 10 county region in south-central Oklahoma, with a retail pull factor of 1.7 - 1.9. Ardmore's major employers are Michelin North America, with 1,900 employees and Mercy Memorial Health Center, with 900 employees. Several hundred employees work for regional distribution centers for Best Buy, Circuit City and Dollar General Stores, among others. Ardmore is also home to the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, among the nation's 50 largest private foundations, primarily engaged in agricultural bioresearch activities.
| Contents |
Brief History
Ardmore began with a plowed ditch for a Main Street in the summer of 1887 in Indian Territory. It owes much of its existence to the Santa Fe railroad, which was built through the area during that time. It became well known for its abundance of cotton growing fields and in the early 20th century grew to become the world's largest inland cotton port. After the fields were stripped of their fertility, however, the city became known for its large oil reserves. In fact, Carter County became the largest producing county in Oklahoma, and has remained an energy center for the region. Several citizens of the area profited tremendously from the nearby Healdton basin and went on to form such energy giants as Halliburton and the Noble companies, among others. Over the years, the city has seen both the riches and setbacks of the energy boom-bust cycles, but has diversified as of late to create a uniquely wealthy and vibrant city in southern Oklahoma. In the last decade, Ardmore has owed much of its growth to the creation of jobs in the retail distribution sector, with its location 1 1/2 hours from Oklahoma City and Dallas-Fort Worth as a key selling point. Amenities in the area include the Arbuckle Mountains, geologically the most important landform in the south central United States, as well as several lakes, namely Lake Murray and Lake Texoma, on the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Geography
Ardmore is located at 34°10'52" North, 97°7'46" West (34.181240, -97.129363)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 129.5 km² (50.0 mi²). 127.2 km² (49.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.74% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 23,711 people, 9,646 households, and 6,308 families residing in the city. The population density is 186.4/km² (482.7/mi²). There are 10,926 housing units at an average density of 85.9/km² (222.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 73.02% White, 11.27% African American, 8.78% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. 3.70% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,646 households out of which 30.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% are married couples living together, 14.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are non-families. 31.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 2.95.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $28,046, and the median income for a family is $37,758. Males have a median income of $28,685 versus $23,070 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,502. 18.3% of the population and 13.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.9% of those under the age of 18 and 12.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
Ardmore Chamber of Commerce (http://www.ardmore.org) Ardmore Development Authority (http://www.ardmoredevelopment.com) Ardmore Main Street Authority (http://www.ardmoremainstreet.com)