Piedmont is a city primarily in Canadian County,

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, though a small part of it is in Kingfisher County. It is 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 5,720 at the 2010 census, a 56.7 percent increase from 3,650 in 2000. Piedmont is a

home rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...

city served by a

council–manager government The council–manager government is a form of local government commonly used for municipalities and counties in the United States and Ireland, in New Zealand regional councils, and in Canadian municipalities. In the council-manager government, ...

History

The city of Piedmont was founded on land claimed during the Unassigned Land Run of April 22, 1889. The town was founded in 1903 by Dr. E. H. Long.Savage, Cynthia
"Piedmont,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society. Accessed April 17, 2015. Piedmont's success was spurred by the now-defunct St. Louis, El Reno and Western Railway that extended a line from Guthrie to El Reno, which allowed it to become an agricultural market center. However, the railroad ceased to operate in 1924. Piedmont remained a small but stable rural community for the first half of the 20th century. Starting in the 1970s, the town became an increasingly popular

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for those working in nearby

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 ...

. Development of the "Northwest Expressway" ( Oklahoma State Highway 3) resulted in population growth of 124%.

2011 tornado

On May 24, 2011, Piedmont and surrounding areas were struck by the 2011 El Reno–Piedmont tornado. Rated EF5, it destroyed about 180 homes in the city, caused over $20 million in property damage, and killed two children.

Geography

Piedmont is located in the northeastern corner of Canadian County north of

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. It is bordered to the south by the Oklahoma City limits. The center of Piedmont is about northwest of the center of Oklahoma City. 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 ...

, Piedmont has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.02%, is water.

Demographics

Piedmont also has many plains and has many crops growing, meaning many farmers. As of the census of 2010, there were 5,720 people in 1,836 households in the city. The population density was . There were 1,270 housing units at an average density of . The 2010 racial makeup of the city was 87.7% white, 1% African American, 3.4% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 3.7% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin were 4.8% of the population. Census 2000 numbers list 1,226 households, out of which 49.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.6% were non-families. 9.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.18. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $85,313 from 2006 to 2010 and the

median 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 unde ...

for a family was $57,121. Males had a median income of $37,273 versus $26,332 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,694. About 4.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Piedmont school district reports an enrollment of 4,823 students for the 2021–2022 school year. Piedmont's school district consists of 7 school facilities: Early Childhood Center, 3 Elementary Schools, Intermediate School, Middle School, and High School. School teams are known by the nickname "Wildcats."

Government

Piedmont is a

city served by a

. Jason Orr was the City Manager from July 2016 until August 2021 when he was fired by the City Council as the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector. The report revealed that Orr had violated Piedmont ordinances with the purchase of two pickup trucks by not obtaining prior Council approval and soliciting competitive bids as required. The report also revealed that Orr had contacted City Council members via phone calls prior to the purchase in February 2020 which appeared "to be an action of the Council conducted outside of an official meeting, a circumvention of the Open Meetings Act". No action was ever taken against the Council members for their actions. Josh Williams has been the City Manager since June 2022. Kurt Mayabb was the Mayor from April 2019 to November 2023. Former Mayor Pro-tem Melissa Ashford is the current Mayor until the term expires in April 2023.

Media

Piedmont and nearby communities are served by the ''Piedmont-Surrey Hills Gazette''.

References

External links

City of Piedmont official website
{{authority control Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Canadian County, Oklahoma Cities in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma