Del City is a city in

Oklahoma County Oklahoma County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 796,292, making it the most populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Oklahoma City, the state capital and ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States, and a part of the

Oklahoma City metropolitan area The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is an urban region in Central Oklahoma. It is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Oklahoma and contains the state capital and principal city, Oklahoma City. It is often known as the Oklahoma City Metr ...

. The population was 21,822 at the United States Census, 2020, a 2.3% increase from 2010. Del City is located near two major interstate highways, both of which connect it to

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

bisects the town from the northwest to southeast, and

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

lies just a short distance west of the city. The city borders southeast Oklahoma City,

Midwest City Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,409, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The city was developed in ...

and

Tinker Air Force Base Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, adjacent to Del City and Midwest City. The ba ...

. George Epperly, founded the city, which was incorporated by a vote of its residents in 1948. Del City is named after Epperly's eldest daughter, Delaphene Campbell. Since its incorporation Del City has expanded three times, first by annexing Carter Park in 1954, Midway Village in 1963 and the acquisition of an undeveloped piece of land between the city and Tinker AFB A large area of Del City was significantly impacted by the May 3, 1999, tornado outbreak that passed through the Oklahoma City metro area.

History

Founded in Boone Township, Oklahoma County, as a "bedroom" community, Del City lies three miles (5 km) east of Oklahoma City and one mile (1.6 km) west of

. At the turn of the 21st century, Del City was a community surrounded on the north, west, and south by

and on the east by Midwest City. Interstate Highway 40 bisects the town from the northwest to southeast. Oklahoma City streets define the boundaries: NE 10th Street on the north; Sooner Road on the east; SE 44th Street on the south; and Bryant Avenue on the west. Northwestern corner of the city is a mile from the junction of

and Interstate 40, justifying its claim to being "the Crossroads of America." In the Land Run of 1889, Jordan Pybas and his wife settled in what is present-day Del City. Five generations later the family still lives in the house that was completed in 1907. Before 1946 there were only two families living in what would become Del City. Developer George Epperly purchased a wheat field large at the corner of SE 29th Street and Sunnylane Road in 1946 with a plan to build fifty houses. In 1948 there were 582 homes in Del City, 75% of which were built by George Epperly, Despite opposition, the unincorporated Epperly Heights and its 200 families voted to approve incorporation on October 9, 1948. In February 1959, Del City adopted a charter and a council-manager form of town government. The city was named for Epperly's daughter, Delaphene Campbell. The city expanded through the annexation of Carter Park in 1954 and Midway Village in 1963. Del City attempted to annex the ''Rose Smith Addition'' but its residents incorporated and became the town of Smith Village. The city also acquired a piece of undeveloped land that separated it from

. Oklahoma City annexed this same piece of land, and a court fight ensued. In District court, Del City won and Oklahoma City appealed to the State Supreme Court. Del City officials, while awaiting the hearing, pursued negotiation again with Oklahoma City this time accepting along the Tinker AFB boundary. Del City, having expanded to its greatest possible physical limits in 1964, joined Midwest City and Norman in underwriting the Little River Reservoir Project that became Lake Thunderbird. The Del City Historical Society was organized in 1975 with Andy Evans as its first president. Several children of the Eighty-niners (89ers) still lived in the area, and they identified every original homestead within city limits. Residents also learned that their town was on the path of the 1870s Arbuckle Trail, a Texas to Kansas cattle trail. Wrestler and two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner John Smith previously resided in Del City. With home building and family-oriented amenities the founding focus, industry was slow to develop in Del City to create any jobs (99 percent of Del Citians commuted to work in 1948, while only 96 percent commuted in 2000). Don's Alley Restaurant and Midwest Trophy Manufacturing are two businesses of long standing. Don Moore opened his hamburger grill at 4601 SE 29th Street in 1955, but on October 31, 2022 it was announced that Don's Alley Restaurant would permanently close. Midwest Trophy Manufacturing began in David R. Smith's garage in Del City in 1971. Midwest Trophy Manufacturing (now known as MTM Recognition) employs over 750 people throughout North America, 400 of them in Del City. It is the city's largest industry. MTM Recognition's corporate headquarters are in Del City at 3405 SE 29th Street. Del City is represented in the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

by House District 94 Representative Andy Fugate and Senate District 46 Senator Mark Mann. On the national level Del City is represented by 4th district Representative

Tom Cole Thomas Jeffery Cole (born April 28, 1949) is the U.S. representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party and serves as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Before serving in the House of Representati ...

, and by U.S. Senators James Lankford and

Markwayne Mullin Markwayne Mullin (born July 26, 1977) is an American and Cherokee Nation, Cherokee businessman and politician who has served as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Oklahoma since 2023 ...

. Del City as had four newspapers ''Del City Leader'', ''Del City Sun'', ''Del City Times'', and the ''Del City News''.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The city is located in the Frontier Country region in the center of the state. Del City lies in the Sandstone Hills region of Oklahoma, known for hills of and two species of oak –

blackjack oak ''Quercus marilandica'', the blackjack oak, is a small oak, one of the red oak group ''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''. It is native to the eastern and central United States. Description ''Quercus marilandica'' is a small deciduous tree growing to ...

(Quercus marilandica) and

post oak ''Quercus stellata'', the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges, and also grows in poor soils, and is resistant ...

(Q. stellata). Del City is in a region dominated by the

Cross Timbers The term Cross Timbers, also known as Ecoregion 29, Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains, is used to describe a strip of land in the United States that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas. Made up of a mix of prairi ...

, an area of prairie and patches of forest at the eastern extent of the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

. The region is essentially a transition buffer between the wetter and more forested Eastern Oklahoma and the semi-arid high plains of Western Oklahoma, and experiences extreme swings between dry and wet weather patterns. Climate is dominated by large differences in annual rainfall totals, with

Central Oklahoma Central Oklahoma is the geographical name for the central region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is also known by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, Oklahoma Department of Tourism designation, Frontier Country, defined as the 12 ...

's western boundary receiving far less rain than compared to its eastern boundary. Because of these convergences of dry and wet weather patterns, Del City is located at the heart of what is known as

Tornado Alley Tornado Alley, also known as Tornado Valley, is a loosely defined location of the central United States and, in the 21st century, Canada where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to st ...

, and is in one of the most tornado-prone areas in the United States. Eagle Lake is located within Del City; the lake is located in the northern part of the city and is the only large body of water. The lake is stocked with bass, catfish, bluegill, carp, vancuren trout and crappie.

Climate

Demographics

At the 2010 census, there were 21,332 people living in the city. The population of the city peaked at 28,523 in 1980, just before the oil bust and subsequent economic downturn. In 2000, the population density was . The population 66.04 percent

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 17.07 percent

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 4.03 percent Native American, 1.06 percent Asian, 0.02 percent

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, and 7.06 percent of mixed race.

Hispanics The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term. The term commonly appli ...

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...

of any race made up 7.02 percent of the population. There were 8,669 households and 5,538 families in the city in 2010. There were 9,580 housing units at an average density of . Of those 8,669 households, 27.6 percent had children under the age of 18, 38.9 percent were headed by married couples living together, 18.8 percent were headed by a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1 percent were non-families. 27.2 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.9 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04. In 2010, 26.1 percent of the population were under the age of 18, 9.01 percent from 18 to 24, 26.0 percent from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.7 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $32,218 and the median family income was $36,515. Males had a median income of $28,806 versus $21,997 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,717. About 10.5 percent of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8 percent of those under age 18 and 7.2 percent of those age 65 or over.

Government

The City of Del City has operated under a council-manager form of city government since 1959. Floyd Eason was sworn in as Mayor on April 15, 2019. Four councilpersons represent each of the four wards of Del City. The city manager is currently held by J.D. Hock. The Del City Police Department is headed by Police Chief Loyd Berger and is staffed by 34 full-time officers. The Del City Fire Department is headed by Fire Chief Zion Williams and is staffed by 30 full-time firefighters.

Economy

Del City borders

, the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma. Other major employers in the area include Rose State College, AllianceHealth Midwest, base-affiliated companies and many of the major employers in the

Education

The Mid-Del School District provides education in almost all of Del City, with one high school ( Del City High School), one middle school (Del City Middle School), three elementary schools (Del City Elementary School, Epperly Heights Elementary School and Townsend Elementary School) located in Del City. A small portion of Del City is in Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS). Zoned schools of the OKCPS portion are: Bodine Elementary School, Webster Middle School, and Capitol Hill High School. Del City also has three

private schools A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowme ...

(Destiny Christian School, Cristo Rey, and Christian Heritage Academy). Rose State Community College is located within of Del City.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

An annual Armed Forces Day Parade is put on by the city and Shriners in May each year.

Museums and other points of interest

Historical exhibits can be found at the Oklahoma County & Western Museum, Del City Preservation & Historical Society, and War Memorial. The Oklahoma Country Western Music Hall of Fame hosts regular bluegrass and country events.

War memorial

The war memorial located opposite the Del City Community Center has several monuments dedicated to those who were killed in combat who were either born or lived in Del City. The memorial is dedicated to twenty one servicemen killed while serving in various branches of the U.S. Military during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

and the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. Dedicated in November 2010, the memorials include an

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

and a Fallen Soldier Battle Cross being watched over by two crouched U.S. servicemen. The memorial also has a

time capsule A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...

Parks and recreation

Outdoor recreational areas include the Del City Ball Park, three bicycle and pedestrian trails, and Eagle Lake. The Eagle Harbor Aquatic Center water park is located behind the community center.

Religion

Del City's largest church, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, was founded in 1956 as the St. Francis Xavier Church. The parish had grown to 340 families by 1966 and broke ground on a new building on along Sunnylane Road. Its name was changed to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in 1967.

1999 tornado

A large area of Del City was significantly damaged by the Bridge Creek–Moore F5 tornado that passed through the

on May 3, 1999. The tornado first touched down southwest of the community of

Amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...

. The funnel was approximately a half-mile wide when it entered Del City as an F4 from the west near the intersection of S.E. 44th Street and Spiva Drive. The tornado continued on a north-northeast trajectory, exiting the city near Sooner Road and Woodview Drive. Hail and high winds were experienced by residents in the surrounding area. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

visited Del City and the surrounding areas a few days later to view the damage caused by the storm. The tornado was the last to be classified as an F5 tornado in the United States under the original

Fujita scale The Fujita scale (F-Scale; ), or Fujita–Pearson scale (FPP scale), is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. The official Fujita scale category is determ ...

system before the

Enhanced Fujita Scale The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated EF-Scale) is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States and France, among other countries. The EF scale is also unofficially ...

was implemented in February 2007. Even so, within a few years most of the area had been rebuilt. The only visible evidence of the tornado's path today include the cluster of newly constructed homes, the absence of large trees, and an interruption in the row of evergreen trees that lined Sooner Road between 44th Street and 29th Street. A memorial stands along a walking and bike path on Sooner Road and is dedicated to the seven people who lost their lives during the May 3 tornado. United States Air Force Staff Sergeant James Day was killed in an ATV accident on May 8, 1999, while he was patrolling an area of Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, which had been damaged in the tornado. He is also listed on the memorial. The tornado was the deadliest and most destructive of the numerous tornadoes that were part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. A 2006 National Geographic Channel documentary, '' Ultimate Tornado'', discusses unusually violent tornado events and includes footage of the outbreak. The tornado ultimately claimed a total of 36 lives throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Notable people

Nick Blackburn Robert Nicholas Blackburn (born February 24, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2007 to 2012. Early career Blackburn graduated from Del City High Scho ...

–

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player, pitched for the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

from 2008 to 2011. * Scott Inman – former Democratic Leader and member of the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's ...

(2006–2018) grew up in Del City. * Bob Kalsu – All-American tackle at the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

and NFL player for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

, attended Del City High School. Kalsu was killed in action during the

. * J. T. Realmuto – Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies * Josh Scobey – former NFL player, later played for the UFL

Las Vegas Locomotives The Las Vegas Locomotives (called the Locos for short) were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League. The team played their ...

football team. * John Smith – two-time Olympic gold medalist ( 1988,

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

) and four-time World Champion in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

. * Pat Smith – younger brother of John Smith, first ever four-time

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

National Wrestling Champion.Lee Roy, Pat Smith now in Del City High Hall of Fame
''InterMat Wrestling''. Retrieved August 28, 2022.

References

External links

City Website

Del City Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma