Stillwater

Stillwater (Iowa-Oto: Ñápinje, meaning: "Water quiet") is a city in, and the county seat of, Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688, making it the tenth-largest city in Oklahoma. Stillwater has a diverse economy with a foundation in aerospace, agribusiness, biotechnology, optoelectronics, printing and publishing, and software and standard manufacturing. The city is home to the main campus of Oklahoma State University (the city's largest employer) as well as Northern Oklahoma College Stillwater, Meridian Technology Center and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. It was one of the 100 Best Places to Live in 2010, according to CNN Magazine and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. The City of Stillwater operates under a council-manager government system, in which an elected city council is responsible for passing ordinances and approving city policy. The population of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51, and is located near the Oklahoma-Oklahoma state line. In 1832, author and traveler Washington Irving provided the first recorded description of the area around Stillwater in his book A Tour on the Prairies. On April 22, 1889, the cannons fired signaling the first Land Run that opened up the Unassigned Lands of the Oklahoma Territory, which included Stillwater.

History

Stillwater Creek received its official name in 1884 when William L. Couch established his boomer colony on its banks. On April 22, 1889, the cannons fired signaling the first Land Run that opened up the Unassigned Lands of the Oklahoma Territory, which included Stillwater. By statehood in 1907, downtown Stillwater was home to more than 50 buildings including several banks, churches, grocery stores, hotels, and department stores. The population in 1917 was 3,000 and by World War II it had grown to over 10,000. It was one of the 100 Best Places to Live in 2010, according to CNN Money Magazine. The census of 2000, the population was 39,065; however, thePopulation was adjusted to 46,156 in 2009. The first newspaper was the Stillwater Gazette; telephone and gas service arrived in 1899; and the Eastern Oklahoma Railroad arrived in 1900. In 1952, the Industrial Foundation was established and its trustees worked to bring new industry to town: Moore Plant in 1966, Swan Hose in 1968, Mercury Marine in 1973, National Standard plant in 1988, World Color Press in 1974 and Armstrong World Industries, Inc. in 1988. The town is located in the north-central region of Oklahoma, which became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1832, author and traveler Washington Irving provided the first recorded description of the area around Stillwater in his book A Tour on the Prairies. He wrote of a glorious prairie spreading out beneath the golden beams of an autumnal sun.

Government

The City of Stillwater operates under a council-manager government system. An elected city council is responsible for making policy, passing ordinances and approving the city's budget. The council appoints a city manager who implements the policies adopted by the council. In 2009, Stillwater reported: 22 rapes, 15 robberies, 519 assaults, 308 burglaries, and 1,185 larcenies. Stillwater is located in districts 33 and 34 of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives and is represented by Republicans John Talley and Trish Ranson. As of July 2022, the city council consists of Mayor Will Joyce, Vice Mayor Alane Zannotti, and councilors Amy Dzialowski, Kevin Clark and Christie Hawkins. In the U.S. Senate, stillwater is in the 21st district and isrepresented by Republican Tom Dugger. The city encourages resident participation on the boards and committees, applications are accepted year around. Commissions and authorities oversee city policies and services.Stillwater's 2009 crime rate for serious crimes (UCR Part 1) was 3657 per 100,000 residents compared to the 2009 national crime rate of 3,466 per crimes per 100, 000 residents (FBI 2009 Crime in the United States) The city employs approximately 500 people. The mayor and council members are elected to three-year or four-year terms with at least one of the five seats up for election in April every year. Any person elected to the office of mayor or council member after January 1, 2017, is eligible to serve no more than 12 years on the council and years served do not need to be consecutive.

Geography

Stillwater is located 60 miles (97 km) north-northeast of downtown Oklahoma City and 63 miles (101 km) directly west of downtown Tulsa by road. The city has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are sunny, hot, and humid, with the temperature reaching or exceeding 100 (38 °C) ten times annually on average. Winters are generally sunny, mild, and dry, with an average January high temperature of 47 °F and an average annual snowfall of 7.5 inches (19.1 cm) The city is located in the area popularly known as "Tornado Alley" During peak storm season in the spring, tornado watches and warnings are frequent, with sirens sounding to warn townsfolk to hurry to shelters when necessary. The highest recorded temperature was 115 °F (46°C) on August 11, 1936, and the lowest recorded Temperature was 19 °F on February 1314, 1905 and February 4, 1996. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 28.3 square miles (73.3 km²), of which 27.9 sq miles (72.1 km²) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.2 km²) is water. The average annual rainfall in Stillwater is 1.7 inches (4.4 cm) and the average annual temperature is 97 degrees F (30 °C). The city's average annual precipitation is 7.1 inches (18.5 cm).

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 45,688 people, 17,941 households, and 7,920 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 79.50% White, 4.71% African American, 3.93% Native American, 5.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.19% from other races, and 5.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.26% of the population. The city's population was spread out, with 15.2% under the age of 18, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 13.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in theCity was $25,432, and the median income. for a family was $41,938. The per capita income for the city is $15,789. About 12.6%. of families and 27.3%. of the residents were below the poverty line, including 18.2%. of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was2.81. The population of the City of Laredo was 45,000 as of the Census of 2000, with 20,604 households, out of which 20.8% had children under the ages of 18 living with them.

Economy

Stillwater is home to a diverse mix of business and industry, from manufacturing to advanced technology. Among its export industries are printing and publishing, floor covering, wire products, software, food and kindred products, and research. Downtown Stillwater is a business improvement district with Main Street as its primary thoroughfare. Oklahoma State University plays a significant part of Stillwater's overall economy with more than 20,000 students, 5,500 personnel and a focus on research and technology. Stillwater has the following economic clusters: aerospace, agribusiness, biotechnology, optoelectronics, printing and Publishing, software and standard manufacturing. According to the Chamber of Commerce webpage, "Existing Industries", top employers in Stillwater are as follows: oil and gas, finance and insurance, real estate, retail, manufacturing, technology, and health care. The Strip on Washington Street features small shops, restaurants and live music. A few blocks east is Campus Corner on Knoblock Street that features unique shops and restaurants, including the original home to Hideaway Pizza. The strip is adjacent to Oklahoma State. University where University Avenue and Washington Street intersect. It is located on the east side of the city, adjacent to the University of Oklahoma campus. The city has a number of distinct shopping and entertainment areas, including downtown Stillwater, the Strip on. Washington Street, Campus Corner, and the Campus Corner Shopping Center. The town has a large number of small businesses, many of which are non-profit.

Education

Oklahoma State University has one of the highest rated veterinarian programs in the United States. Stillwater Public Schools is the city's only public school district. Northern Oklahoma College added a campus in Stillwater in 2003. The Edmon Low Library at Oklahoma State University houses approximately 3 million volumes, 190,000 government documents, 70,000 electronic and print serials. The library is active in the community, holding events and programs, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, and scholarly databases with information on a variety of topics. It is a federal depository library. It has been served by the stillwater Public Library since 1922. In 1990, Stillwater voters passed a $4.98 million bond issue for the construction of a new public library at 1107 S. Duck. There are more than 5,400 students enrolled in the district. The district includes Highland Park, Richmond, Sangre Ridge, Skyline, Westwood and Will Rogers elementary schools; Stillwater High School; Lincoln Academy (Alternative Education); Stillwater Middle School; and Stillwater Junior High. It also includes the Meridian Technology Center and also the state agency that oversees career technology schools in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. The Stillwater public library provides a core collections of more than 100,000 volumes and includes books, audio books, music CDs, DVDs, videos magazines and newspapers as well as technological services. It was established in 1922 and is located on the former site of the Stillwater Post Office.

Arts and culture

Garth Brooks, Other Lives, and The All-American Rejects launched their careers playing the local bars like Willie's Saloon, Tumbleweed Dance Hall, and Eskimo Joe's. Notable red dirt artists from Stillwater include Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, the Red Dirt Rangers, The Great Divide, No Justice, Jenny Labow, the Jason Savory Band, and the father of red dirt music, Bob Childers. Stillwater hosts several performing arts series, including performances at the City of Stillwater Community Center, the Town and Gown Community Theater. Residents also benefit from the many events and activities hosted by Oklahoma State University. Since 2012, Stillwater has hosted the annual Land Run 100, a 100-mile (161 km) bicycling endurance race around north-central Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Special Olympics Annual Summer Games take place every May and are the largest amateur sporting event in Oklahoma and the largest Special Olympics event in the United States. The Stillwater Arts Festival is a two-day, juried art show held in April that features live entertainment, artist demonstrations, and children's activities. The annual Red Dirt Film Festival is held every March and benefits Oklahoma musicians in crisis. The Point of Sheerar Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the history of Payne County. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is also located in Stillwater and celebrates the heritage of the sport, celebrating achievements of young athletes.

Sports

Oklahoma State University teams have won 52 NCAA National Championships. The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team is an NCAA Division I wrestling program. Stillwater High School is a 6A-2 school. The Pioneers compete in football, volleyball, softball, cross country, cheerleading, pom, wrestling, basketball, swimming, baseball, golf, tennis, and soccer. The team has won 34 team national championships (plus an additional three which are unofficial) and 134 individual NCAA championships. It is one of five Big 12 Conference schools which participate in wrestling. The school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City. The town is home to the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and Cowgirls football and basketball teams, as well as the Stillwater Pioneers high school football and volleyball teams. It also has a number of other sports teams, including tennis, basketball and equestrian. The city is also the home of the Oklahoma University Cowboys football team, which has won a total of 52 NCAA national championships. The football team has also won 134 individual championships, including 34 team championships and 34 team titles. The Cowboys are one of the top-ranked teams in the country in the sport of football, according to the NCAA. The university's football team is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the current season. The Cowgirls are No. 2 in the NCAA in the women's division, with a record of 14 national championships in the last season. They have won four national titles in the past season.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma = 84. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 40. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Stillwater = 5.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 48,394 individuals with a median age of 24.9 age the population grows by 24.99% in Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,624.50 residents per square mile of area (627.23/km²). There are average 2.19 people per household in the 18,566 households with an average household income of $29,511 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.00% of the available work force and has dropped -10.59% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 13.82%. The number of physicians in Stillwater per 100,000 population = 167.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Stillwater = 33.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 10.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 72. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 238. 93 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 24.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 28, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma which are owned by the occupant = 41.14%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 31 years with median home cost = $128,800 and home appreciation of -0.24%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $6.80 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $3,584 per student. There are 16.1 students for each teacher in the school, 308 students for each Librarian and 327 students for each Counselor. 4.05% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 25.91% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 22.98% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).