Элк-Сити, Оклахома: Обзор и статистика города

Elk City is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 11,561 at the time of the 2020 census, a slight decrease from the 11,693 figure of the 2010 census. Elk City is located on Interstate 40 and Historic U. S. Route 66 in western Oklahoma, approximately 110 mile (177 km) west of Oklahoma City and 150 mile (241 km) east of Amarillo, Texas.

In 1541, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado became the first known European to pass through the area. The Spanish conquistador was traveling northeast across the prairie in search of a place called Quivira, a city said to be fabulously wealthy with gold. Because Coronado's route across the plains is speculative, it is quite possible that the expedition passed through present day Elk City or the nearby area.

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,693 people living in the city. The population density was There were 4,973 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 88.95% White, 3.06% African American, 3.02% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.25% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.96% of the population. There were 4,159 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,268, and the median income for a family was $35,383. Males had a median income of $28,380 versus $18,977 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,654. About 15.4% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.2% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Elk City is the principal center of trade for Western Oklahoma and part of the Texas Panhandle, with a 60 mile (97 km) trade radius that serves more than 50,000 people. Petroleum, agriculture, wind energy, transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and healthcare all contribute to Elk City's economy. Since the 2000 census, Elk City has had a nearly 3% growth in jobs. Over the next decade, the number of jobs available in Elk City is expected to skyrocket by about 42%. Since Elk City lies in a rich oil and natural gas area on the shelf of Oklahoma's Anadarko Basin, the petroleum industry is the heart of the city's economy. Because of this, the city is the self proclaimed "Natural Gas Capital of the World", complete with Parker Drilling Rig #114, located downtown. The rig dominates the Elk City skyline, and at 180 feet (55 m) in height, is the world's tallest, non operating oil rig. Elk City has enjoyed significant growth due to the opening and location of oil field services and drilling companies in the city. The petroleum geologist Gustavus "Gus" E. Archie, known for Archie's law, played an important role in establishing the Elk City oil and natural gas field. Agriculture doesn't play as prominent of a role as it did in the 20th century, with the only remaining viable agricultural market being the livestock auction. Nevertheless, Elk City still serves as a vital retail center for farmers and ranchers in the area. In early 2009, Acciona Energy commissioned the first local wind farm, the Red Hills Wind Farm, located approximately 8 mile (13 km) north of Elk City. The Red Hills Wind Farm includes 82 wind turbine generators that produce 123 MW of clean energy, enough to power more than 40,000 homes. Transportation has played an important part in Elk City's economy throughout its history, beginning with the building of the famed U. S. Route 66 through the heart of the city in the early 1930s. Today, Interstate 40 serves the city, with 60,000 consumers traveling through Elk City each day, and connects with Oklahoma City to the east and Amarillo, Texas, to the west. The city is also served by Oklahoma State Highway 6, which connects Elk City with Altus to the south, and Oklahoma State Highway 34, connecting Elk City with Woodward to the north. The Elk City Regional Business Airport is located in the northeast part of the city, 1.5 mile (2 km) from the Interstate. Given that Historic U. S. Route 66 runs through Elk City, a sprawling museum complex has developed, which includes the National Route 66 Museum, the Old Town Museum, the Transportation Museum, the Farm and Ranch Museum, and the Blacksmith Museum. Each museum is housed in separate buildings, which altogether depict a mockup of early Elk City, complete with general stores, bank, a railroad depot and train caboose, opera house, and other buildings. Elk City is also in close proximity to many other attractions in Western Oklahoma, including Foss State Park, Foss Reservoir, the Washita National Wildlife Refuge, Black Kettle National Grassland, the Wichita Mountains, the Antelope Hills, the Quartz Mountains, and the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site. Bar S Foods Company operates a packaged meat warehouse and distribution center in Elk City. Great Plains Regional Medical Center is Elk City's largest employer and serves Western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle. The hospital has been named by OKCBusiness and Best Companies Group as one of the "Thirty Best Places to Work in Oklahoma" for three consecutive years: 2006, 2007, and 2008. On May 11, 2007, construction began on a new, $60 million, hospital that opened in July 2009. In June 2009, it was announced that a Walmart Supercenter would be constructed, bringing at least 150 jobs to the city. Soon afterward, a $2.2 million federal grant was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help fund the project and bring more jobs to Elk City. It opened in October 2010 off I 40 at Exit 40. Featuring area, it is the largest store between Amarillo and Oklahoma City.

Elk City features five museums: the Old Town Museum, the National Route 66 Museum, the National Transportation Museum, the Farm and Ranch Museum, and the Blacksmith Museum. Another museum, the Anadarko Basin Museum of Natural History, is currently closed due to lack of funding.