Tipton, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tipton, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Tipton, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Tillman
Area
• Total	1.17 sq mi (3.03 km2)
• Land	1.17 sq mi (3.03 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,306 ft (398 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	864
• Density	737.83/sq mi (284.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	73570
Area code(s)	580
FIPS code	40-73850
GNIS feature ID	2413393

Tipton is a small town located in the western part of Tillman County, Oklahoma, in the United States. In 2020, about 864 people lived there.

Tipton is also known for the Tipton Home, which started in 1921. It was originally called Tipton Orphans' Home and was a place for children to live. It moved to Tipton in 1924 and has been helping children ever since.

History of Tipton

The area where Tipton is now was first called Farmersville. Later, its name changed to Stinson, after W. A. Stinson, who owned the land. In 1909, the town moved closer to a new railway line. The people then voted to change the name again to Tipton. This new name honored John J. Tipton, who was the conductor of the first train to pass through the area. A post office opened in Tipton on September 18, 1909. In 1910, the town had 441 residents.

During World War II, the U.S. government built a special camp near Tipton. This camp was used to house German soldiers who had been captured during the war.

Tipton has experienced some strong weather. On November 7, 2011, a very powerful tornado, called an EF4 tornado, struck near the town. It was the first time such a strong tornado happened in Oklahoma during November. Another large tornado nearly hit the town on May 16, 2015.

Even though Tipton is in a hot and dry area, the soil around the town is very good for farming. When irrigation (bringing water to crops) became common, the area became perfect for growing cotton. The town's economy has always been based on supporting the local farms. The number of people living in Tipton grew until 1940, then it went down for a while. It reached its highest population in 1980 with 1,475 people, but has since become smaller again.

Geography and Environment

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tipton covers an area of about 3.03 square kilometers (1.17 square miles). All of this area is land.

Tipton is located over a special underground water source called the Tillman Terrace Aquifer. This aquifer is connected to the North Fork of the Red River. The farmland around Tipton is famous for its excellent soil. A type of soil called "Tipton loam" is thought to be one of the best soils in the United States for farming. A lot of the farmland is used to grow cotton, which is watered using irrigation. Other crops grown here include alfalfa, corn for silage (animal feed), and wheat. Farmers also used to grow "truck crops" (vegetables for market) in this area until the 1950s, and these crops have recently started to be grown again.

On June 27, 1994, Tipton recorded a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). This tied the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 916 people living in Tipton. The town had 396 households and 270 families. The population density was about 1,403.9 people per square mile.

About 25.2% of the people in Tipton were under 18 years old. The median age in the town was 41 years. This means half the people were younger than 41 and half were older.

The average income for a household in Tipton in 2000 was $24,432. For families, the average income was $30,735. About 19.3% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 20.6% of those under 18 and 19.4% of those aged 65 or older.

See also

In Spanish: Tipton (Oklahoma) para niños