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KATRINA HAYES currently lives in Ardmore, and is enrolled in Unicorn University.
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA
|settlement_type = [[City]]
|image_skyline = Ardmore_ok_dt1.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption =
|image_seal = ardokseal.png
|image_map = OKMap-doton-Ardmore.PNG
|mapsize = 250px
|map_caption = Location within the state of [[Oklahoma]]
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =
|subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]
|subdivision_name = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Oklahoma]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Carter County, Oklahoma|Carter]]
|government_type =
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = Sheryl Ellis
|established_date =
|area_magnitude = 1 E9
|area_total_km2 = 129.5
|area_land_km2 = 127.2
|area_water_km2 = 2.3
|area_total_sq_mi = 50.0
|area_land_sq_mi = 49.1
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.9
|elevation_m = 266
|elevation_ft = 873
|latd = 34 |latm = 10 |lats = 52 |latNS = N
|longd = 97 |longm = 7 |longs = 46 |longEW = W
|population_as_of = 2000
|population_note =
|population_total = 23711 (city proper)
|population_density_km2 = 186.4
|timezone = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
|utc_offset = -6
|timezone_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
|utc_offset_DST = -6 |
latitude = 34°10'52" N |
longitude = 97°7'46" W
|website = http://www.ardmorecity.com/
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code = 73401-73403
|area_code = [[Area code 580|580]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 40-02600{{GR|2}}
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 1089691{{GR|3}}
|footnotes = |
}}
'''Ardmore''' is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Carter County, Oklahoma|Carter County]], [[Oklahoma]], [[United States]].{{GR|6}} As of the 2006 census estimates, the city had a population of 24,535<ref name="ard2006pop">{{cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-40.xls | title = Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Oklahoma, Listed Alphabetically | accessdate = 2007-06-29}}</ref>, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore [[Ardmore micropolitan area|micropolitan statistical area]] totaling 56,694<ref name="ardmsapop">{{cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2007/CBSA-EST2007-01.xls | title = Estimates of Population Change for Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006 (CBSA-EST2006-06) | accessdate = 2007-04-14}}</ref> residents. Ardmore is located {{convert|90|mi|km}} equidistant from [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]] and [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]]/[[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], [[Texas]] at the junction of [[Interstate 35 (Oklahoma)|Interstate 35]] and [[U.S. Highway 70 (Oklahoma)|U.S. Highway 70]], and is generally considered the hub of the 10-county region in [[South Central Oklahoma]], also known by state tourism pamphlets as Arbuckle Country and Lake and Trail Country. Geologically, Ardmore is situated about 16 kilometers south of the [[Arbuckle Mountains]], and is located at the eastern margin of the [[Mid-continent Oil Field|Healdton Basin]], one of the most oil-rich regions of the United States.


Ardmore was named after the affluent Philadelphia suburb and historic [[Pennsylvania Main Line]] stop [[Ardmore, Pennsylvania]], which was named after [[Ardmore, Ireland]] by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1873. The name Ardmore is Gaelic signifying high grounds or hills.


== History ==
[[Image:ardmore ok5.jpg|thumb|left| Main & Washington Streets, Downtown Ardmore.]]Ardmore, [[Indian Territory]] began with a plowed ditch for a Main Street in the summer of 1887 in [[Pickens County]], [[Chickasaw Nation]]. It owes much of its existence to the construction of the Santa Fe railroad through the area during that time. It grew, as most frontier towns grew, over the years into a trading outpost for the region. A large fire in 1895 destroyed much of the fledgling town, which forced residents to rebuild nearly the entire town. In the early 1900s, Ardmore became well known for its abundance of cotton growing fields and eventually became known as the world's largest inland cotton port.


After the fields were stripped of their fertility, however, the city fortunately found itself positioned next to one of the largest oil fields ever produced in Oklahoma, the [[Healdton, Oklahoma|Healdton]] Oil Field. After its discovery in 1913, entrepreneurs and wildcatters flooded the area, and [[Carter County, Oklahoma|Carter County]] quickly became the largest oil-producing county in Oklahoma, and has remained so ever since<ref name="carteroil">{{cite web | url = http://www.occeweb.com/Divisions/OG/AnnualReports/2006%20Oil%20and%20Gas%20Report.pdf | title = 2005 Oil & Gas Annual Report (charting oil production from 1975-2005), Oklahoma Corporation Commission (PDF) | accessdate = 2007-05-01}}</ref>. Ardmore has remained an energy center for the region ever since, with the region's natural wealth giving birth to such energy giants as [[Halliburton]] and the [[Noble Energy]] companies, among others. Ardmore also learned the perils of being energy-rich with yet another disaster in 1915, when a railroad car containing casing gas exploded, killing 45 people and destroying much of downtown, including areas rebuilt after the 1895 fire. The disaster, which made national news at the time, gave residents the resolve to establish the city's first fire department to ensure that such events would not compound themselves in the future. The city has not experienced any major setbacks since the 1915 fire, save for a 1995 tornado that nearly destroyed the [[Uniroyal|Uniroyal Goodrich]] (now [[Michelin]]) Tire Plant in west Ardmore. Despite a shift at the plant working at the time, miraculously no one was killed as the tornado ripped through the area, thanks to the public being alerted by area news and tornado sirens.


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. A new [[MG (car)|MG]] Automobile Plant was announced for the area but has yet to materialize, although the Ardmore Airpark has made improvements to accommodate the revived auto brand manufacturer. 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, Oklahoma|Lake Murray]] and [[Lake Texoma]], on the Texas-Oklahoma border.


LIGHTING YOUR HAND ON FIRE CAUSES CANCER!
Ardmore gained relative notoriety in May 2003 when the 51 Democrats from the [[Texas Legislature]] defected to Ardmore as to avoid a hotly-contested [[2003 Texas redistricting|redistricting battle]], which inevitably led to a case that was settled in June 2006 by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]. The event drew several protesters and celebrities to the Holiday Inn, which housed the runaway legislators.

==Geography==
[[Image:ardmore ok p1.jpg|thumb|right|600px| Panorama looking east, Downtown Ardmore.]]Ardmore is located at {{coor dms|34|10|52|N|97|7|46|W|city}} (34.181240, -97.129363){{GR|1}}.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 50.0&nbsp;square miles (129.5&nbsp;km²), of which, 49.1&nbsp;square miles (127.2&nbsp;km²) of it is land and 0.9&nbsp;square miles (2.3&nbsp;km²) of it (1.74%) is water.
===Topography===
Ardmore is located about 16 km south of the [[Arbuckle Mountains]], an ancient, eroded range spanning some 100 km across southern Oklahoma. The geology is highly variegated within the area, with uplifted and folded ridges visible within the shoreline of some of the lakes surrounding Ardmore. The city of Ardmore has no intracity streams or rivers, but is part of the [[Washita River|Washita]] and [[Red River]] watersheds, with two tributaries, Caddo and Hickory creeks, flanking the broad, low valley in which Ardmore is situated. Ardmore is also 5 km north of [[Lake Murray, Oklahoma|Lake Murray]], an impoundment of the two arms of Anadarche Creek, which eventually flows into the western reaches of [[Lake Texoma]].

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 23,711 people, 9,646 households, and 6,308 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 482.7 people per square mile (186.4/km²). There were 10,926 housing units at an average density of 222.4/sq&nbsp;mi (85.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.02% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 11.27% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 8.78% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.99% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.55% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.37% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.70% of the population.

There were 9,646 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,046, and the median income for a family was $37,758. Males had a median income of $28,685 versus $23,070 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,502. About 13.6% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

== Culture ==
[[Image:ardmore ok4.jpg|thumb|right|Central Park, view towards Historic Bandstand, Downtown Ardmore.]]
[[Image:ardmore ok7.jpg|thumb|right|Charles B. Goddard Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Downtown Ardmore.]]Being home to many pioneers in the dawn of the American oil industry, Ardmore has been blessed with riches far beyond most cities of its size, as well as the colorful past that often accompanies such 'instant' wealth. Such wealth has been channeled into many philanthropical endeavors, as well as reinvested into the area in various art and infrastructure endowments.

Such amenities include:
* [http://www.godart.org Charles B. Goddard Center for the Visual and Performing Arts], sponsors various exhibits and productions brought into the region.
* [http://www.gshm.org/ Greater Southwest Historical Museum]
* [http://www.ardmorelittletheater.com/ Ardmore Little Theatre]
* [http://www.ardmoreconventioncenter.com Ardmore Convention Center], newest convention facility in region.
* Hardy Murphy Coliseum, historic WPA-built facility that hosts rodeos, cutting shows and various regional events.



Ardmore has many civic organizations committed to its betterment.
The Ardmore Masonic Lodge is one of the oldest civic organization in Ardmore.

== Famous people from Ardmore ==
* [[Rue McClanahan]], Emmy award winning actress best known for her role of [[Blanche Devereaux]] on ''[[The Golden Girls]]''
* [[Mark Gastineau]], Former All-Pro [[NFL]] defensive star for the [[New York Jets]], was born at Ardmore in 1956.<ref name="gastineau">{{cite web | url = http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2473406/ | title = IMDB: Mark Gastineau | accessdate = 2008-03-26}}</ref>.

* [[John Hinckley Jr.]], the man who shot former President [[Ronald Reagan]] in a failed assassination attempt in 1981. Hinckley was born in Ardmore only because his family was traveling through town when his mother went into labor.

== Education ==
=== Colleges and Universities ===
Ardmore is home to the [[Ardmore Higher Education Center]] (a consortium-model system of [[higher education]]) which offers courses and [[Academic degree|degrees]] to the local population from four participating [[Institution of higher education|institutions of higher education]]: [[Murray State College]], [[Southeastern Oklahoma State University]], [[East Central University]] and [[Oklahoma State University]] (from the [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]] [[campus]]).

=== Primary and secondary schools ===
[[Ardmore City Schools]] [http://www.ardmore.k12.ok.us/] operates public schools in Ardmore.

[[Ardmore-Plainview Public Schools]] [http://www.plainview.k12.ok.us/] operates public schools in Ardmore.

[[Dickson Public Schools]] [http://www.dickson.k12.ok.us/], within close proximity, however, more importantly part of the incorporated town limits of Dickson, which operates this public school district adjacent to the city limits of Ardmore.

[[Ardmore-Oak Hall Episcopal School]] [http://www.oakhallschool.com/] one of only three episcopal diocesan schools in the state of Oklahoma.

===CareerTech===
[[Southern Oklahoma Technology Center]], a career and technical education school for high school, college and adult continuing education in technology and career development. It is run by the state of Oklahoma with taxpayer assistance. It also serves as a training facality for the TASO (Training Alliance Services of Oklahoma) in which businesses train their employees to help perform their jobs better with better training.

== Newspapers & Media ==
[[Image:Tucker Tower.jpg|thumb|right|Tucker's Tower, on the eastern shore of Lake Murray, which borders the southern city limits of Ardmore.]]

=== Newspaper ===
* [http://www.ardmoreite.com The Daily Ardmoreite], local newspaper since 1893.

=== Television ===

* [[KTEN]] - Channel 10 (NBC)
* [[KTEN]] - DT Channel 10-2 (The CW Texoma)
* [[KXII]] - Channel 12 (CBS)
* [[KXII]] - DT Channel 12-2 (My Texoma)
* [[KXII]] - DT Channel 12-3 (FOX Texoma)
* [http://www.cableone.net CableONE (Cable Operator)]

=== Radio ===



'''FM'''
* [http://www.kccu.org KLCU] - 90.3 (Public/NPR - Cameron University, Lawton)
* [http://www.texomarocks.com KTRX] - 92.7 (Classic Rock)
* [http://www.kkaj.com KKAJ] - 95.7 (Country)
* [http://www.kicm.com KICM] - 97.7 (Country)
* [http://www.kynz.com KYNZ] - 107.1 (Oldies)

== Transportation ==
[[Image:ardmore ok6.jpg|thumb|right|Historic Santa Fe Rail Station & adjacent track yard. This facility serves as the Amtrak station for Ardmore on the Heartland Flyer route]].

===Highways===
[[Interstate 35 (Oklahoma)|Interstate 35]] is located within the city limits of Ardmore, as it transverses the United States from Duluth, Minnesota to Laredo, Texas.

Ardmore has four exits off of I-35:
* Exit 29 ([[U.S. Highway 70 (Oklahoma)|US-70]] East)
* Exits 31A-B ([[State Highway 199 (Oklahoma)|State Highway 199]] East/[[U.S. Highway 70 (Oklahoma)|US-70]] West, respectively)
* Exit 32 (12th St NW)
* Exit 33 ([[State Highway 142 (Oklahoma)|State Highway 142]]).

In addition to Interstate 35, Ardmore is also home to the junction of [[U.S. Highway 70 (Oklahoma)|US-70]] and [[U.S. Highway 77 (Oklahoma)|US-77]], [[State Highway 142 (Oklahoma)|SH-142]], and [[State Highway 199 (Oklahoma)|SH-199]]. Ardmore is connected to [[Lake Murray, Oklahoma|Lake Murray]] via [[State Highway 77S (Oklahoma)|SH-77S]].

===Airports===
Ardmore has two general aviation airports, [[Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport]] and [[Ardmore Industrial Airpark]]. The nearest scheduled air service occurs at [[Will Rogers World Airport]] in [[Oklahoma City]] and [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]], both {{convert|90|mi|km}} from Ardmore. Ardmore is linked by rail with the DFW Airport via the [[Heartland Flyer]] to [[Trinity Railway Express]] connection.

===Rail===
Ardmore has one principal rail line<ref name="bnsfmap">{{cite web | url = http://www.bnsf.com/tools/reference/division_maps/div_tx.pdf | title = Rail Network Map, BNSF Texas Operating Region, 2005 (PDF) | accessdate = 2007-07-05}}</ref>, that being one of the [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe]] mainlines running from [[Fort Worth, Texas]] to [[Oklahoma City]] (also connecting with Kansas City & Chicago), formerly part of the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe]] rail network before the merger with [[Burlington Northern]]. The line dates back to 1887, and the first train arrived the 28th of July in that year<ref name="ardhist">{{cite web | url = http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/CoeArdmoreHistory.doc | title = Events in the Early History of Ardmore, Oklahoma | accessdate = 2007-07-05}}</ref>. The company has multiple parallel tracks (5+) running through central Ardmore (MP 450.5), added concomitantly with the rise of the trading status of the city and region throughout the early 1900s. There is also a lightly-used transverse rail spur from the BNSF line to the [[Michelin]] Tire Plant in west Ardmore, mainly intended for the transport of raw materials to the factory.



===Mass Transit===
The historic Santa Fe depot in downtown Ardmore is also [[Ardmore, Oklahoma (Amtrak station)|a stop]] on Amtrak's ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' train route, with daily service to/from [[Oklahoma City]] and [[Fort Worth]].

Ardmore also has a scheduled stop on the Greyhound/Jefferson Bus Lines system.

Southern Oklahoma Rural Transit System (SORTS) provides transit services for the public in Ardmore and the surrounding areas.

Historically speaking, Ardmore had a fairly extensive [[Railway electric traction|traction]] ([[streetcar]]/[[interurban]]) railway system, franchised in February 1905, that linked outlying areas, such as the Dornick Hills Country Club, to the central business district<ref name="ardhist">{{cite web | url = http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/CoeArdmoreHistory.doc | title = Events in the Early History of Ardmore, Oklahoma | accessdate = 2007-07-05}}</ref>. The main part of the [[streetcar]] line originally ran down the center lane of Main Street. Service ended in 1922.

==Economy==
Ardmore is the principal center of trade for a 10 county region in [http://wikitravel.org/en/Lake_and_Trail_Country 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]], [[Dollar Tree]] (Marietta) and [[Dollar General|Dollar General Stores]], among others. Several hundred more were employeed by the [[1-800-Flowers.com]] Service Center, one of the top employers of women in the area but now closed due to not being able to hire enough quality people due to the pay rate of only $7.25 per starting hour. The {{convert|85000|oilbbl/d|m3/d|abbr=on}} [[Valero Energy Corporation|Valero]] [[Refinery]] in northeast Ardmore employs some 250 area residents. Ardmore is also home to the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, among the nation's 50 largest private foundations, primarily engaged in [[agricultural biotechnology|agricultural bioresearch]] activities.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ardmorecity.com City of Ardmore - Official Web Site]
* [http://www.ardmore.org Ardmore Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.ardmoreconventioncenter.com Ardmore Tourism Authority]
* [http://www.ardmoredevelopment.com Ardmore Development Authority]
* [http://www.ahec.osrhe.edu/ The Ardmore Higher Education Center home page]
* [http://www.ardmoreforum.com Ardmore Forum]
{{Geolinks-US-cityscale|34.18124|-97.129363}}
* [http://www.ardmore-ok.com]Ardmore OK Visitors Guide

{{Carter County, Oklahoma}}

[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Carter County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:County seats in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Ardmore micropolitan area]]

[[fr:Ardmore (Oklahoma)|Ardmore]]
[[io:Ardmore, Oklahoma]]
[[nl:Ardmore (Oklahoma)|Ardmore]]
[[vo:Ardmore (Oklahoma)|Ardmore]]

Revision as of 00:22, 21 August 2008

KATRINA HAYES currently lives in Ardmore, and is enrolled in Unicorn University.



LIGHTING YOUR HAND ON FIRE CAUSES CANCER!

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