OKLAHOMA FACTS
When the sun set on April 21, 1889 there was no town on the windswept Oklahoma plains. The next day when the sun went down there was an Oklahoma City with 10,000 settlers. At noon on the 22nd the federal government opened “unassigned lands,” land not allocated for Indian reservations, to homesteaders who raced to stake a claim around a single thread of track on the Santa Fe Railroad. Getting land in Oklahoma is a little less stressful these days but can be every bit as exciting.
Most of the Sooners stayed near the cities of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, especially after they became oil boomtowns. Oklahoma City is the only capital city in the world with oil derricks within its boundaries and Tulsa is home to some of the country’s best Art Deco architecture from the go-go days of the 1920s. That leaves most of the state still unsettled.
The Oklahoma of cowboys and wide-open spaces do not get going until the eastern part of the state shakes off the Ouachita Mountains, one of Oklahoma’s four mountain ranges. The Ouachitas are home to the oldest and largest national forest in the southern United States. The big game is so abundant here hunters have been known to gush that it is the “deer capital of the world.” The towns even have names like Antlers.
John Steinbeck, the great American novelist, who chronicled the travails of “Okies” escaping the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in The Grapes of Wrath might find it difficult to believe that boating is one of the most popular outdoor activities in 21st century Oklahoma. More than 200 artificial lakes, the most in America, make it so. Undeveloped lakefront land is never far away in the Sooner State.
Some Facts About Oklahoma
- The state name is derived from the words ‘Okla’ and ‘humma’ which means ‘red people’.
- The nickname of the state is the “The Sooner State”.
- 24% of the state’s land is forest. The state also has 34 major reservoirs.
- The only county to touch four states is Cimarron County. It touches New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Texas.
- The state has the most number of man-made lakes in the country. It has around 200 such lakes.
- “Labor Omnia Vincit” is the motto of the state. It means labor conquers all things.
- The electric guitar was invented by Bob Dunn who hails from Beggs.
- The University of Central Oklahoma is the state’s first school for higher education.
- There are four mountain ranges in the state. They are Arbuckles, Wichitas, Ouachitas, and Kiamichis.
- It is the 20th largest state and the 28th most populated state.
- Its name comes from words in the Choctaw language meaning "red people."
- Its nickname is "The Sooner State," in reference to the non-native settlers who staked their claims on the best pieces of land before the official opening date.
- The largest city and state capital is Oklahoma City, with other large cities being Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton, Edmond, and Enid.
- Nearly two-thirds of the state's population live in the metropolitan statistical areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
- Cimarron County in the panhandle is the only county in the U.S. to touch four other states, which are New Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Kansas.
- Oklahoma is a major producer of natural gas, oil, and agricultural products.
- It ranks third in the nation for production of natural gas, is the 27th most agriculturally productive state, and ranks fifth in the country in wheat production.
- It is the fifth largest producer of crude oil and has the second largest number of oil rigs in the country.
- Oklahoma is fifth in cattle production and fifth in the production of wheat. Poultry and swine are also major agricultural products.
- Other important industries include aviation, energy, transportation equipment, food processing, electronics, and telecommunications.
- The aerospace sector is also among Oklahoma's largest industries, with Tulsa being home to the largest airline maintenance base in the world. It is one of the top 10 states in aerospace engine manufacturing. It is the top manufacturer of tires in North America.
- Other manufacturing industries include biotechnology, meat processing, oil and gas equipment manufacturing, and air conditioner manufacturing.
- Four Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the state, including one of the largest truck stop and convenience store chains in the country. There are also distribution centers of several large retailers located in the state.
- Oklahoma has more than 50 public, private, and independent colleges and universities, including four tribal colleges. The largest public institutions in the state are Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Northeastern State University, all with several satellite campuses throughout the state. Oklahoma City University, University of Tulsa, and the two state universities rank among the best undergraduate business programs in the country.
- Most of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains, Cross Timbers, and U.S. Interior Highlands, and the landscape contains mountain ranges, prairie, mesas, and forests. Oklahoma is one of four states to harbor more than 10 distinct ecological regions, with 11 in its borders, which is more per square mile than any other state.
- There are four primary mountain ranges: the Ouachita Mountains, the Arbuckle Mountains, the Wichita Mountains, and the Ozark Mountains. A portion of the Flint Hills stretches into the north central area of the state. The northwestern corner of the state has a rolling flat landscape with intermittent canyons and mesa ranges. The southwestern region is partial plains dotted with small island mountain ranges.
- The central region of the state is covered by transitional prairie and oak savannahs. The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains stretch west to east over the eastern third of the state.
- There are more than 500 named creeks and rivers in Oklahoma, and it holds the nation's highest number of artificial reservoirs, with more than 200 lakes created by dams.
- Oklahoma has more than 70 state and national protected parks and wildlife areas.
- Six percent of the state's 10 million acres of forest is public land, including part of the Ouachita National Forest, the oldest and largest national forest in the southern part of the country.
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the largest of the federally protected areas, with 9,899 acres. Other notable parks include Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Okmulgee State Park, including beautiful Okmulgee Lake, Robbers Cave State Park, with scenic bluffs and the hilly woodlands of the San Bois Mountains, Beavers Bend State Park, featuring a resort lodge, cabins, RV camping along the shores of Broken Bow Lake and the Mountain Fork River, Lake Texoma State Park, an 89,000-acre reservoir that is one of the most popular lake destinations in the country, and Alabaster Caverns State Park, featuring a three quarter-mile cavern formed of alabaster, a rare form of gypsum, the largest natural gypsum cave open to the public.
- There are also hundreds of sites throughout the state on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as museums and other places of interest featuring pioneer and Native American history.
Why buy Land, Property or House in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma is a beautiful state that has a lot to offer. The crime stats indicate that the state is a lot safer than most other states in the country. The cost of living is also relatively less than in other states. The property values have been constant for some years and the state is ranked 16th out of 228 for best cities to buy a house in the United States.
There are many recreational activities to do like hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and camping. They also have casinos for those that like gambling. The education system in the state is also excellent with many top-notch universities. There are abundant job opportunities in the state.
How Is The Climate In Oklahoma?
According to Köppen’s climate classification, Oklahoma has generally a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and humid whereas winters are mild to cold in the eastern regions. Summers are quite long, humid, and cloudy. The temperature in summer goes above 100 Degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 35 days whereas it goes above 90 Degrees Fahrenheit for 65 to 115 days. During winters, the temperature goes below freezing for 105 to 140 days. The state receives an average annual rainfall of 18 inches. The month of May receives the maximum amount of rainfall.
What Is The Cost Of Living In Oklahoma?
The cost of living is calculated by taking the average cost of living in all the states of the United States. This average is taken as the base and considered as 100. An index is calculated for each state and compared with this base. An index above 100 indicates that the state is expensive. On the other hand, if the index is less than 100 then it indicates otherwise. The cost of living in Oklahoma is 83. This indicates that the state is relatively cheaper than other states. Housing is the biggest factor that contributes in bringing the index down.
How Is The Real Estate Market Performing In Oklahoma?
The real estate market is very hot. The average value of a house in Oklahoma is $128,800. This is a 4.6% rise from last year’s values. It is anticipated that home values are going to rise by 4% next year. The average price of a house that is listed in the state is $194,500. The average price of selling is $147,700. The average price of rent is $1,000. Oklahoma may not only be a good investment option but also a decent place to settle down.
More Information About Oklahoma
Oklahoma is located in the South Central United States, and borders Colorado and Kansas to the north, Missouri and Arkansas to the east, Texas to the south, and New Mexico to the west.