Elmore City, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elmore City, Oklahoma
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Location of Elmore City, Oklahoma
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Garvin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.07 sq mi (2.78 km2) |
| • Land | 0.98 sq mi (2.54 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.24 km2) |
| Elevation | 988 ft (301 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 738 |
| • Density | 753.06/sq mi (290.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
73433, 73476
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| Area code(s) | 580 |
| FIPS code | 40-23600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412480 |
Elmore City is a small town in Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. It is about 58 miles (93 km) south of Oklahoma City. In 2020, 738 people lived there. The town was named after J. O. Elmore, a businessman.
Two main highways pass through Elmore City. Oklahoma State Highway 29 runs from west to east. Oklahoma State Highway 74 runs from north to south. The town is about 12 miles (19 km) west of Wynnewood.
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History of Elmore City
The first business in the area was a supply store. Jasper N. Black opened it in 1890 near Rock Creek. More settlers quickly arrived, and a community called Banner was formed.
Banner soon grew southwest. A post office was set up, and the name changed to Elmore. This was in honor of J. O. Elmore, another important local businessman. The word "City" was added later to avoid confusion. There was another town named Elmer in Jackson County. Elmore City officially became a town in 1898.
At the time it was founded, Elmore City was part of Pickens County in the Chickasaw Nation.
The Footloose Story
The famous 1984 movie Footloose was inspired by real events in Elmore City. For a long time, the town had a rule against public dancing. This rule was in place even before Oklahoma became a state.
In 1979-1980, high school students wanted to have a prom with dancing. They worked hard to change the rule. At the first town meeting about it, most people were against the idea. Local church leaders especially did not want dancing.
The story became big news. Local newspapers wrote about it, and then it went national. A small article even appeared in a San Francisco paper. This is where Dean Pitchford, a songwriter and screenwriter, saw it. He was looking for an idea for a movie musical, and the Elmore City story was perfect.
In the end, the town mayor supported the students. He said that a high school prom was not a "public" event. So, the school board allowed the prom to happen. The prom received national attention, and the movie Footloose was made.
Geography
Elmore City covers a total area of about 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²). All of this area is land.
Population and People
In 2010, Elmore City had 697 people. The population density was about 1,394 people per square mile (538 per km²). There were 337 homes in the town.
Most of the people in Elmore City are White (91.40%). About 4.50% are Native American, and 0.53% are Asian. About 3.57% of the people are from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 1.46% of the population.
Households
There were 328 households in Elmore City.
- About 29.6% of households had children under 18 living with them.
- 47.9% were married couples living together.
- 9.5% had a female head of household with no husband present.
- 37.5% were not families.
- 34.5% of all households were single individuals.
- 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.
The average household had 2.30 people. The average family had 2.97 people.
Age and Income
The population of Elmore City is spread out by age:
- 25.3% were under 18 years old.
- 8.9% were 18 to 24 years old.
- 25.4% were 25 to 44 years old.
- 20.4% were 45 to 64 years old.
- 20.1% were 65 years or older.
The average age in the town was 37 years.
The average income for a household in Elmore City was $23,810. For families, the average income was $25,000. About 14.7% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 20.4% of those under 18 and 15.5% of those 65 or older.
Education and Community
Elmore City has one school system called Elmore City-Pernell Public Schools. It includes Elmore City-Pernell Elementary and Elmore City-Pernell High School. The school mascot is Bogey the Badger. The school colors are purple and white.
There is also one cemetery in town, called Elmore City Cemetery.
Images for kids
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