Ada, Oklahoma

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Ada, Oklahoma
Nickname: City of Pure Spring Water
Location in the state of Oklahoma
Location in the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 34°45′49″N 96°40′6″W / 34.76361, -96.66833
Country United States
State Oklahoma
County Pontotoc
Government
 - Mayor Frank Stout
Area
 - Total 15.8 sq mi (40.8 km²)
 - Land 15.7 sq mi (40.7 km²)
 - Water .1 sq mi (.2 km²)  0%
Elevation 1,010 ft (308 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 16,008
 - Density 999.3/sq mi (385.8/km²)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 74820-74821
Area code(s) 580
FIPS code 40-00200[1]
GNIS feature ID 1089523[2]
Website: City website

Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States.[3] The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census.

Contents

[edit] History

In April 1889, Jeff Reed (a native Texan) was appointed to carry the mail from Stonewall to Center, two small communities in the Indian Territory. With his family and his stock he sought a place for a home on a prairie midway between the two points. He found that place in a pleasant setting where he constructed a log house and started Reed's Store. Other settlers soon came along and built homes nearby. In 1891, a post office was established and named after Reed's oldest daughter - Ada.[4] Ada was incorporated as a city in 1901.[5]

[edit] Ada Today

Ada, located in the rolling hills of southeastern Oklahoma is home to a four-year university, a world-class EPA water laboratory, the State's law-enforcement training center, and the headquarters of the Chickasaw Nation Indian tribe. Ada is an Oklahoma Main Street City, a Certified City, a Tree City USA member, and a National Weather Service StormReady Community.[6]

[edit] National Register of Historic Places

Pontotoc County Court House
Pontotoc County Court House

The following sites in Ada are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:[7]

[edit] Geography

Ada as seen from the South
Ada as seen from the South

Ada is located at 34°45′49″N, 96°40′6″W (34.763661, -96.668214)[8]. Ada is 88 miles (142 km) from Oklahoma City, 122 miles (196 km) from Tulsa, and 133 miles (214 km) from Dallas, Texas.[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.8 square miles (40.8 km²), of which, 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.44%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2006 census,[1] Ada's 16,008 residents consisted of 6,697 households and 3,803 families. The population density was 999.3 people per square mile (385.9/km²). The 7,472 housing units were dispersed at an average density of 475.9/sq mi (183.8/km²). Ada's 2006 racial makeup was 73.81% White, 3.54% African American, 15.10% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 5.81% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.89% of the population.

Of Ada's 6,697 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. The 15.8% of those 65 years or older living alone made up a substantial portion of the 37.1% single-person households. Average household size was 2.20 persons; average family size was 2.91.

The age breakdown in 2006 was 22.3% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% aged 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. The disparity between the number of males and the number of females seems to be decreasing: for every 100 females aged 18 or over, there were only 84.5 males, but when all females and males were taken into account, there were 100 females for every 88.4 males.

Median household income was $22,977, while median family income was $31,805. Males had a median income of $25,223 versus $17,688 for females. Ada's per capita income was $14,666. Some 14.8% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.8% of those under 18 and 11.4% of those 65 or over.

[edit] Major Employers

Several Ada employers have 100 or more employees:[10]

[edit] Education

[edit] Higher Education

East Central University, located in Ada, is a four-year institution. Also nearby are Seminole State College in Seminole and Murray State College in Tishomingo, both located within 40 miles (60 km). The University of Oklahoma in Norman is 65 miles (105 km) away, while Oklahoma State University in Stillwater is a little over 100 miles away. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area, just over 80 miles distance, also contains numerous post-secondary educational institutions.

[edit] Primary and Secondary

Ada Public Schools has six primary and secondary schools.

  • Glenwood Early Childhood Center houses six educational programs geared toward early childhood (4-5 years old).
  • Hayes Grade Center serves first and second grade students.
  • Washington Grade Center serves third and fourth grade students.
  • Willard Grade Center serves fifth and sixth grade students.
  • Ada Junior High School enrolls seventh through ninth grade students.
  • Ada High School serves sophomores, juniors and seniors.[11] The high school is home to the Ada High School Cougars, who have won 19 state football championships (1951-2, 1955-7, 1959, 1962, 1964-5, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, and 1993-6) - the most in Oklahoma. Ada High School is also the home of Cougar News Network, a high school news program, which appears on local cable TV.

There are also two public school systems just outside of the Ada City Limits, Byng and Latta.

[edit] Technical Schools

Pontotoc Technology Center (formerly Pontotoc Area Vo-Tech) is located in Ada. Other area technical centers include the Sulphur Skills Center (30 miles away), the Mid-America Area Vo-Tech at Wayne (38 miles away) and The Gordon Cooper Vo-Tech School at Shawnee (55 miles away).

[edit] Libraries

Ada's public library, the Hugh Warren Memorial Library, offers visitors a wide variety of materials for all ages and interests including books, video cassettes, filmstrips, magazines, newspapers, books-on-tape, and CD-ROM computer software. Also available to the public are a copy machine, fax machine, and a typewriter.[12] On the campus of East Central University is the Linscheid Library, which is open to the general public at no cost (with the exception of some services).[13]

[edit] Notable natives and residents

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ History of Ada. City of Ada, OK. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  5. ^ About Ada. City of Ada, OK. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  6. ^ About Ada. City of Ada, OK. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  7. ^ Pontotoc County, OK. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
  8. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  9. ^ About Ada. City of Ada, OK. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  10. ^ Major Employers. Ada Jobs Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.
  11. ^ Welcome to Ada Public Schools. Ada Public Schools. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  12. ^ City Services. City of Ada. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
  13. ^ Linscheid Library. East Central University. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
  14. ^ Dan Cody - Baltimore Ravens.... Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
County seat: Ada
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Ada
Pontotoc County map
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