Editing Weatherford, Oklahoma

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Weatherford
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = 
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
<!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map              = USA Oklahoma#USA
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in Oklahoma
<!-- Location -->
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|32|16|N|98|41|07|W|type:city_region:US-OK|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Oklahoma]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Custer County, Oklahoma|Custer]]
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
| government_type          = 
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = Mike Brown<ref>{{cite web|url= http://cityofweatherford.com/mayor-commissioners-wvs/ | title=MAYOR & COMMISSIONERS|publisher=City of Weatherford|access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 19.84
| area_land_km2            = 19.83
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 1627
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 12076
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_km2   = 608.87
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code              = 73096<ref name="GR7">{{cite web|url=http://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action|title=USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code|access-date=2012-02-15|author=United States Postal Service|year=2012}}</ref>
| area_code                = [[Area code 580|580]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 40-79450<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2412198<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412198}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|http://www.cityofweatherford.com/}}
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|area_total_sq_mi = 7.66
|area_land_sq_mi = 7.66
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
|population_density_sq_mi = 1576.91
}}
'''Weatherford''' is a city in [[Custer County, Oklahoma]], United States.  The population was 12,076 at the time of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=  https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Weatherford%20city,%20Oklahoma  |title=Weatherford (city), Oklahoma|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 29, 2023}}</ref> a gain of about 11.5% over the 10,833 figure from the [[United States Census, 2010|2010 census]].<ref name="2010CensusGenPop">{{cite web|title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US4079450|website=American Factfinder|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=April 29, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213042850/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US4079450|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.05|sqmi|km2}}, all land.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045213/4079450/accessible|title=Welcome to QuickFacts Weatherford city, Oklahoma|publisher=US Department of Commerce|access-date=June 11, 2017}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box   <!-- Infobox begins -->
| single line = Y
| location    = Weatherford, Oklahoma (1991–2020)
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =49.0
| Feb high F  =53.5
| Mar high F  =62.6
| Apr high F  =71.4
| May high F  =80.3
| Jun high F  =89.1
| Jul high F  =94.2
| Aug high F  =92.7
| Sep high F  =84.9
| Oct high F  =73.5
| Nov high F  =60.5
| Dec high F  =49.8
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =37.3
| Feb mean F  =41.7
| Mar mean F  =50.6
| Apr mean F  =59.2
| May mean F  =68.5
| Jun mean F  =77.6
| Jul mean F  =82.4
| Aug mean F  =80.6
| Sep mean F  =73.2
| Oct mean F  =61.2
| Nov mean F  =49.0
| Dec mean F  =38.9
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =25.7
| Feb low F  =29.9
| Mar low F  =38.6
| Apr low F  =47.0
| May low F  =56.8
| Jun low F  =66.1
| Jul low F  =70.7
| Aug low F  =68.5
| Sep low F  =61.6
| Oct low F  =48.8
| Nov low F  =37.4
| Dec low F  =28.1
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =1.06
| Feb precipitation inch  =1.18
| Mar precipitation inch  =2.28
| Apr precipitation inch  =2.79
| May precipitation inch  =4.48
| Jun precipitation inch  =3.95
| Jul precipitation inch  =2.39
| Aug precipitation inch  =3.75
| Sep precipitation inch  =2.42
| Oct precipitation inch  =3.10
| Nov precipitation inch  =1.27
| Dec precipitation inch  =1.43
<!-- Snowfall -->
| Jan snow inch  =1.2
| Feb snow inch  =2.2
| Mar snow inch  =0.5
| Apr snow inch  =0.0
| May snow inch  =0.0
| Jun snow inch  =0.0
| Jul snow inch  =0.0
| Aug snow inch  =0.0
| Sep snow inch  =0.0
| Oct snow inch  =0.1
| Nov snow inch  =0.3
| Dec snow inch  =1.4
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
| source = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00349422 |title=NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |publisher=NOAA |access-date=2025-04-03 }}</ref>
}}<!-- Infobox ends -->

== History ==
Situated on land made available to homesteaders as part of the [[Land Run of 1892|Cheyenne-Arapaho Roundup and Removal]] on April 19, 1892, Weatherford was incorporated on August 3, 1898, on a townsite location chosen by banking and civic leader Beeks Erick.  By 1900, the town's population was 1,017.  The town's original post office was located approximately two miles north of town, on William John and Lorinda Powell Weatherford's homestead.  Lorinda Weatherford served as its postmaster and namesake.  In its early years, farming and ranching provided the major economic base, with corn, cotton, and [[maize]] the major crops.  Additionally, a brick plant, a cement plant, and a broom factory provided jobs as well as supplies for early residents.<ref name="EOHC-WFord">{{Cite web|url=http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=WE002|title=Weatherford, Oklahoma|website=The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society|access-date=May 25, 2016}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 1017
|1910= 2118
|1920= 1929
|1930= 2417
|1940= 2504
|1950= 3529
|1960= 4499
|1970= 7959
|1980= 9640
|1990= 10124
|2000= 9859
|2010= 10833
|2020= 12076
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR2" /><ref name="Census1910">{{cite web|title=Population-Oklahoma|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/36894832v3ch3.pdf|work=U.S. Census 1910|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1930">{{cite web|title=Population-Oklahoma|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch08.pdf|work=15th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=27 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1960">{{cite web|title=Number of Inhabitants: Oklahoma|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37749197v1p38ch2.pdf|work=18th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1990">{{cite web|title=Oklahoma: Population and Housing Unit Counts|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-38.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2"/> of 2015, there were 12,126 people, 3,991 households, and 2,187 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,699.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 4,468 housing units at an average density of {{convert|770.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 73.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 4.9% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.76% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 6.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 10.8% of the population.

There were 3,991 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 32.1% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,908, and the median income for a family was $41,401. Males had a median income of $29,683 versus $20,833 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,046. About 11.8% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
[[Kodak]]'s 50-year old manufacturing plant in Weatherford was subject to a $15 million expansion in 2017 related to [[Flexography|flexographic]] packaging plates.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kodak.com/US/en/print/About_GCG/News/Kodak_Breaks_New_Ground_for_Flexo_Growth_in_Weatherford_Oklahoma/default.htm | title= Kodak Breaks New Ground for Flexo Growth in Weatherford, Oklahoma| publisher= Kodak | access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>

Weatherford is a hub for multiple oil and natural gas industry leaders such as [[Oneok]] Field Services and [[Chesapeake Energy]],<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.google.com/search?q=oil%20and%20gas%20companies%20in%20weatherford%20ok&rllag=35539424,-98670414,2000&tbm=lcl#rlfi=hd:;si:14698315033979532880;mv:[[35.552002099999996,-98.6465319],[35.5193358,-98.73645859999999]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2 | title= Oneok Field Services| access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref> as well as a location for wind power production.

==Attractions==
[[File:Stafford Air & Space Museum, Weatherford, OK, US (106).jpg|right|thumb|[[Gemini 6A]] space capsule at the [[Stafford Air & Space Museum]]]]
The {{convert|40000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} [[Stafford Air & Space Museum]] is home to the [[Gemini 6A]] spacecraft, an actual [[Titan II]] missile, WWII [[V-2 rocket]], [[Saturn V]] F-1 engine as well as flown space suits, flight equipment, [[Space Shuttle]] engines, and a [[Moon rock]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://staffordmuseum.org/exhibits/|title=EXHIBITS|newspaper=Stafford Air & Space Museum|access-date=2016-12-23}}</ref><ref name="stafford_museum_move">{{cite web | last = Pearlman | first = Robert | title = Museum Move Reunites Historic Gemini 6 Spacecraft with its Pilot | publisher = Space.com | date = July 31, 2018 | url = https://www.space.com/41334-gemini-6-capsule-stafford-museum.html | access-date = July 31, 2018 }}</ref>  Aircraft displays include an actual [[Sopwith Pup]], [[F-86]], [[F-104]], [[T-33]], [[Northrop T-38 Talon|T-38]], [[F-16]], and a rare [[MIG-21]], as well as full-scale replicas of the ''[[Wright Flyer]]'', [[Blériot Aéronautique|Bleriot]] and ''[[Spirit of St. Louis]]''.<ref name="MuseumHistory">{{cite web | url= https://staffordmuseum.org/history/ | title= History| publisher= Stafford Air & Space Museum | access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>  Weatherford is the hometown of astronaut [[Thomas P. Stafford]], veteran of four space flights and commander of the [[Gemini 9]], [[Apollo 10]] missions and the [[Apollo–Soyuz]] project.<ref name="MuseumHistory" />  The museum is located at the [[Thomas P. Stafford Airport]].<ref name="MuseumHistory" />

Weatherford also has The Oklahoma Heartland of America Museum, which opened in 2007.<ref name="Heartland">{{cite web | url= https://www.oklahomaheartlandmuseum.com/ | title= Welcome| publisher= The Oklahoma Heartland of America Museum | access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>   The 12,000 square foot building contains many artifacts from the late 1800s through the 1950s in thirty-two major historical exhibits, including a 1931 Model A Ford sports coupe, and features three historic theme buildings (diner, school house, and blacksmith's shop) on the museum grounds.<ref name="Heartland" />

The City of Weatherford has twelve parks containing over eight hundred acres, including Heritage Park, across from City Hall, which displays a wind turbine blade for close inspection.<ref name="P&R">{{cite web | url= https://cityofweatherford.com/parks-rec/| title= Parks & Recreation| publisher= City of Weatherford| access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>

===Historic places===
{{main| National Register of Historic Places listings in Custer County, Oklahoma}} 
Weatherford has four NRHP-listed sites including the [[Owl Blacksmith Shop]] at 208 W. Rainey.

==Education==
At the turn of the 20th century, Weatherford beat out several other cities vying to become the home to [[Southwestern Oklahoma State University]] (SWOSU), at the time known as Southwestern Oklahoma State College. Founded in 1901, it was first known as Southwestern State Teachers College. SWOSU became the largest institute of higher education in Western Oklahoma, with more than 4,200 undergraduates and post graduates by 2015.  SWOSU is placed in Tier 2 of the "Regional Universities (West)" category in the 2016 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Education Rankings and offers associate, bachelor's, master's and professional doctorate degree programs.  It is one of two universities in the state that feature an accredited school of pharmacy.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/southwestern-oklahoma-state-university-3181|title=Southwestern Oklahoma State University|access-date=May 25, 2016|website=U.S. News & World Report Education Rankings & Advice|publisher=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref><ref>[[List of pharmacy schools#Oklahoma]]</ref>

[[Parochial school]]s in the area include [[Association of Christian Schools International|ACSI]] accredited Western Oklahoma Christian School, which has campuses in Weatherford, as well as nearby [[Clinton, Oklahoma|Clinton]] and [[Elk City, Oklahoma|Elk City]], serving grades pre-kindergarten through six.<ref>{{cite web|title=Western Oklahoma Christian School - Locations|url=http://www.wocs.org/location.cfm|website=Western Oklahoma Christian School|access-date=May 25, 2016}}</ref>  Corn Bible Academy, located in the Washita County town of [[Corn, Oklahoma|Corn]], serves students in grades seven through twelve.<ref name=GAMEO-CBA>{{cite web|last1=Vogt|first1=JW|last2=Steiner|first2=Sam|title=Corn Bible Academy (Corn, Oklahoma, USA)|url=http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Corn_Bible_Academy_(Corn,_Oklahoma,_USA)|website=Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online|publisher=GAMEO|access-date=May 25, 2016|date=July 2008}}</ref>

[[Weatherford Public Schools]] provides public education services to the city of Weatherford as well as surrounding rural areas in southeastern Custer and northeastern [[Washita County, Oklahoma|Washita]] counties. The district operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weatherford Public Schools - Home|url=http://www.wpsok.org/|website=Weatherford Public Schools|access-date=May 25, 2016}}</ref>

[[Western Technology Center]] (WTC) provides the opportunity for adults and high school students to get occupationally-specific training. Weatherford Public Schools is a member of the WTC district.  As a member of the WTC district, high school juniors and seniors living in the Weatherford School District have the opportunity to attend classes at WTC.<ref name="WTC">{{cite web|title=Western Technology Center - About|url=http://www.westtech.edu/about/|website=Western Technology Center|access-date=May 25, 2016}}</ref>  High school students who are residents of the WTC District can enroll in WTC full-time training on a tuition-free basis.  Adult students are allowed to attend classes on a tuition basis.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

==Wind energy==
[[File:Weatherford Oklahoma wind turbine blade 2642750096 0df17a75ff o.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Wind turbine blade on display in Weatherford]]
[[File:Weatherford Oklahoma wind power poster 2641925283 9315bb44cb o.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|right|Wind power promotional poster near the blade display]]
Weatherford is home to the [[Wind power in Oklahoma|wind power]] facility called the Weatherford Wind Energy Center, with 98 GE 1.5 MW Wind Turbines, for a total [[nameplate capacity]] of 147&nbsp;MW.<ref name="awea_projects_oklahoma">{{Cite web|url=http://www.awea.org/projects/Projects.aspx?s=Oklahoma |title=U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Oklahoma |date=2008-11-19 |publisher=[[American Wind Energy Association]] |access-date=2009-01-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231004302/http://www.awea.org/projects/Projects.aspx?s=Oklahoma |archive-date=December 31, 2008 }}</ref>

==Transportation==
Weatherford was, for many years, situated on a main line of the now defunct [[Rock Island Railroad]], which is still in operation by [[Farmrail Corporation]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/odot/documents/Rail%20Map%202018-2020.pdf |title=Oklahoma 2018-2020 State Railroad Map|publisher=Oklahoma Department of Transportation|accessdate=August 30, 2023}}</ref> With the advent of the automobile, the city was initially located on State Highway 3 starting in the early 1920s, which was redesignated as [[U.S. 66|U.S. Route 66]] in 1926 and paved entirely across Western Oklahoma by 1932. Route 66, which followed Main Street through the city, was lined with various tourist businesses including cafes, motels and gasoline stations like most other cities along the highway. Several blocks of Main Street were also paved in brick until the mid-1950s when it was widened to a four-lane thoroughfare.
[[Interstate 40]] was completed east and west of the city in 1960 generally paralleling the old U.S. 66 alignment, which was retained as frontage road. The I-40 bypass skirting Weatherford to the south was completed in July, 1970 the same day the I-40 bypass was opened to traffic {{convert|15|mi|km}} to the west at [[Clinton, Oklahoma|Clinton]] and followed shortly thereafter by bypasses at Elk City and Sayre.
In addition to Route 66 and I-40, Weatherford is also served by north–south [[Oklahoma State Highway 54|State Highway 54]].

The Thomas P Stafford Airport (KOJA; FAA ID: OJA), two miles northeast of town, features a 5100’ x 75’ paved runway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/KOJA |title= Thomas P Stafford Airport |publisher=AirNav.com|access-date=December 23, 2020}}</ref>

Commercial air transportation is available at [[Will Rogers World Airport]], about 69 miles to the east.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Weatherford,+OK/Will+Rogers+World+Airport+(OKC),+7100+Terminal+Dr,+Oklahoma+City,+OK+73159/@35.4643791,-98.8127128,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x87ac26415fe3985d:0xbc605109ceae91c4!2m2!1d-98.7075744!2d35.5261633!1m5!1m1!1s0x87b2120d7b2a7fdd:0xce9dc2593921ae7c!2m2!1d-97.5962241!2d35.395456!3e0?entry=ttu | title=Weatherford, Oklahoma to Will Rogers World Airport|publisher=Google Maps|accessdate=March 18, 2024}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{See also| Southwestern Oklahoma State University#Notable alumni|l1=List of Southwestern Oklahoma State University notable people}} <!-- Please put college students in this list instead of the city article -->
* [[Jeff Banister]] – Manager of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)]] 
* [[Brett Chapman]] – Attorney and advocate for [[Native American civil rights]]
* [[Paul D. Eaton]] – U.S. Army Major General (retired), former commanding general in Iraq
* [[Gordon Friesen]] – writer
* [[Cliff Keen]] – former head [[Collegiate wrestling|wrestling]] coach, [[University of Michigan]]
* [[Braden Looper]] – Major League Baseball pitcher
* [[James C. Nance]] – Oklahoma community newspaper chain publisher and former [[Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives]], [[President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate]] and member [[Uniform Law Commission]]
* [[Wes Sims (American football)|Wes Sims]] – Professional football player
* [[Thomas Patten Stafford|Thomas P. Stafford]] – Astronaut, orbited the Moon on [[Apollo 10]]
* [[Stanley Vestal]] – Author of the [[American Old West]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cityofweatherford.com/ City of Weatherford]
* [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=WE002 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture]

{{Custer County, Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Custer County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma]]

[[fr:Weatherford]]