The US state of Oklahoma is located in the central south of the United States of America. The name Oklahoma comes from the Indian and means something like “land of the red people”. Its nickname is “The Sooner State”. The name comes from the settler period. Oklahoma’s area covers a total of 181,000 km², about half the area of Germany. A total of 3.75 million residents can be found here.
The US state of Oklahoma
Sunset in Oklahoma
The capital is Oklahoma City with about 580,000 inhabitants. Neighbors are Kansas to the north and Colorado to the northwest. To the east lie Arkansas and Missouri. On the extreme west, Oklahoma is bordered by New Mexico and on the south by Texas. The central lowlands are mainly plains, broken only in a few places by hill country. The lowland region transitions to the highlands to the east. In the extreme southeast, Oklahoma shares a portion of the Gulf Coast Plain.
To the west, the Central Lowlands merge into the Great Plains. The northeast determines the river valley of the Arkansas River the landscape. This area is very fertile and it is one of the most important agricultural regions.
The ten largest cities in Oklahoma
We created our top 10 list of the largest towns in June 2016; the official population figures come from previous years.
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is the capital of the US state of Oklahoma and its economic and cultural center. The city is the county seat of the county of the same name. It is one of the largest cities on the Great Plains and is located on the North Canadian River in central Oklahoma. According to official estimates, it had about 620,000 inhabitants in 2014, making it the most populous city in Oklahoma. Around 1.3 million people lived in the metropolitan region in 2013.
Tulsa
Tulsa is the second largest city in the US state of Oklahoma. In 2011 the city had 396,466 inhabitants. Tulsa is the county seat of Tulsa County. Tulsa’s former name was “Tulsy,” a Muskogee Indian term for “old city.” In the 1890s a trading post was established in the village as a coaching inn called Tulsey Town. In 1882, the railroad brought white settlers to Tulsa, which rose to become a cattle trading center. Tulsa is in the northeast of the state. The Arkansas River flows through the city. The city area measures about 484 square kilometers. The city is also on the famous Route 66.
Norman
Norman is about 35 km south of Oklahoma City. The city has 110,925 inhabitants (July 1, 2010), of which 25,000 are students. Norman is just off Interstate 35, which runs north to Oklahoma City and south to Dallas. The main campus of the University of Oklahoma is located in Norman. The city’s famous son is actor James Garner, who died under ominous circumstances in 2014.
Broken Arrow
Broken Arrow is a city in the US state of Oklahoma. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa, has 100,073 inhabitants (2011) and is the fourth largest city in Oklahoma. The name comes from the Muskogee Indians who founded the city. This happened when they were looking for suitable branches for their arrows. They had broken off the branches instead of cutting them off, hence the name Broken Arrow. Broken Arrow was named Oklahoma’s safest city in 2004 and 2005.
Lawton
Lawton is a southern city about 90 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The city is the county seat of Comanche County and is located south of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Mount Scott and Lake Lawtonka.
Lawton is the cultural and commercial center of the area. An important economic factor are the large granite deposits and the cotton fields near the city. Indian chief Geronimo is buried in the adjacent Fort Sill. Numerous remains refer to the more or less peaceful coexistence between the military and Indians in the Wichita Mountains.
Edmond
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County and part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area roughly in the middle of the state. Edmond has a population of 81,405 (2010), making it the sixth largest city on our top 10 list. The city is on the northern border of Oklahoma City and is connected to downtown by two major freeways: US Route 77, which runs through downtown, and Interstate 35 to the east of the city.
Moore
Moore is located in Cleveland County and is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The seventh largest city in the state has 55,081 inhabitants (2010). Located on the northern county line, Moore covers an area of 56.7 km2, of which 56.2 km2 is land and the remainder is water, according to the United States Census Bureau. In the west, north and east, the urban area is directly surrounded by Oklahoma City, to the south is Norman. Interstate 35, along with US Highway 77, runs north-south through the city.
Midwest City
As of 2010, Midwest City had a population of 54,371, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The community of Midwest City was founded in 1942 by WP “Bill” Atkinson, who was building housing for the military base. The place name is associated with Tinker Air Force Base, which was formerly known as Midwest Air Depot. The city’s largest employer is the United States Air Force, which operates Tinker Air Force Base south of the city. A General Motors plant closed in early 2006. With the Midwest City Hall Arboretum, a botanical garden is also located in the city.
Enid City
Enid or Enid City is a city in Garfield County, located on the eastern edge of the Great Plains. The city is the administrative seat of Garfield County. According to the US Census Bureau, the city of Enid has an area of 191.8 km². Of the 47,045 inhabitants, more than three quarters are white (87%), the remaining almost 13% are members of various races (Latinos, African Americans, American Indians and others). Enid owns an airfield, Woodring Regional Airport, four miles southeast of town. About 20 km south is Vance Air Force Base.
Stillwater
Stillwater is the tenth largest city in the US state of Oklahoma and the county seat of Payne County. The last American census in 2010 determined a population of 45,688. On December 12, 1884, Stillwater was incorporated as the state’s first settlement.
Geographically, Stillwater is northeast of the “Oklahoma City Metropolis,” which consists of seven administrative districts around the capital, Oklahoma City, and has a total population of 1,192,989. As a result, Stillwater is often thought of as a satellite city of Oklahoma City.
Climate and weather conditions
Oklahoma’s climate and weather is subtropical-humid in the southeast and continental-dry in the west. Large temperature fluctuations over the course of the day are typical. Summers are hot with days exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. In winter, on the other hand, it is often quite mild. Large parts of the state are regularly hit by storms, such as the insidious tornadoes. Incidentally, the top speed of the most violent tornado near Oklahoma City was an unbelievable 517 km/h.
The best travel time for the area is probably spring, when winter has left its tents and the temperatures are in a comfortable range.