Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

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Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Nickname: "B.A."
Location in the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°2′11″N, 95°47′1″W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Counties	Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Incorporated	1902
Government
- City Manager	Jim Twomby
Area
- City	45.6 sq mi (118.1 km²)
Population (2004)
- City	100,399
- Metro	881,815
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.brokenarrowok.gov

Broken Arrow is a city located in northeastern Oklahoma in Tulsa County. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa and now the 3rd largest city in the state (when not including the military population in the city of Lawton). As of the 2004 census estimates, the city had a total population of 100,399. However, more recent unofficial estimates put the population above 110,000. Broken Arrow also has the 3rd largest concentration of industies in Oklahoma, behind Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The city is often referred to by locals as "B.A."

Contents 1 Demographics 2 Geography 3 History 4 Awards 5 Image 6 Business 7 Education 7.1 Schools 7.2 Colleges and Universities 7.3 Other Schools 7.4 Libraries 8 Community Events 9 Transportation 9.1 Road 9.2 Rail 9.3 Air 10 Media 10.1 Newspapers 10.2 Television 11 Trivia 12 See also 13 External links

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 74,859 people, 26,159 households, and 21,162 families residing in the city. The population density was 642.4/km² (1,664.0/mi²). There were 27,085 housing units at an average density of 232.4/km² (602.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.34% White, 3.73% African American, 4.02% Native American, 1.90% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 3.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.56% of the population.

There were 26,159 households out of which 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,507, and the median income for a family was $58,891. Males had a median income of $42,397 versus $27,559 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,555. About 3.4% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Geography

Broken Arrow is located at 36°2′11″N, 95°47′1″W (36.036305, -95.783616)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 118.1 km² (45.6 mi²). 116.5 km² (45.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (1.34%) is water.

[edit] History

The name comes from a Creek community who established a new town site in a place where reeds for making arrow shafts grew plentifully. The town's Creek name, Rekackv (pronounced thlee-Kawtch-kuh), meaning broken arrow, was not "official" until the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway company built a railroad which ran through the area. MKT was granted town site privileges along the route. They sold three of the as-yet-unnamed sites in 1902 to the Arkansas Valley Town Site company. William. S. Fears, secretary of the company, was allowed to choose and name one of the locations. He selected a site about 18 miles southeast of Tulsa and about five miles north of the thlee-Kawtch-kuh settlement and named the new town site Broken Arrow.

[edit] Awards

• A recent national crime survey found Broken Arrow to be the 20th safest city in the nation and the safest city in Oklahoma.
• Broken Arrow was listed as #66 in the CNN Money list of the 100 best places to live
• The Pride of Broken Arrow marching band won 1st place in the Grand Nationals Bands Of America championship at Indianapolis in 2006.
• The Police Department has won several national awards for their work in reducing the crime rate.
• Broken Arrow has been listed as a "Tree City USA" for over 6 years in a row.

[edit] Image

• The city plans on changing its logo and having a new slogan by mid-2007.
• Broken Arrow was once known as "The city of Roses and Pure Water"
• Broken Arrow has been unofficially considered by some to be the "Church capitol of Oklahoma" due to the city's large number of churches.
• In 2005 a campaign to plant daffodils in public places around the city was begun. the project was successful and is now become an annual project.
• Plans are being made to revamp several of the city's major arterial roads with landscaping and medians to make the roads more asthetically pleasing.

[edit] Business

The city has the 3rd largest concentration of industries in the state, with industries ranging from aerospace, machine tools, plastics, and food processing, to metal fabrication, furniture, sporting goods, computers, and telecommunications. Some of Broken Arrow's largest and most notable companies and/or employers include:

• Blue Bell Creameries
• Flight Safety International
• Skycam
• R.L. Hudson and Co
• Braden-Carco-Gearmatic-Winch
• Xeta Corporation
• Addvantage Tech
• Air Cooled Exchange
• Gatesway Foundation
• MicahTek, Inc.
• Baker Oil Tools
• GAVCO Plastics
• R.D.S. Manufacturing company
• L-3 AMI Instruments
• Arrow Concrete
• Electronic Label Technology
• Russelectic
• A G Equipment
• Communications Graphics
• Hanover Company
• Paragon Films
• Kenneth Hagin Ministries
• Arkansas Valley State Bank
• First National Bank and Trust
• Neighbor Newspapers (this company owns more than 20 different newspapers in the Tulsa area including Broken Arrow's paper. The company is currently moving it's headquarters to downtown Broken Arrow)

There are many new commercial developments happening in the city. Stone Wood Hills is a large, mixed use development located next to a highway. It is anchored by a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. The development will have at least 3 hotels, a conference center, a lifestyle center, several restaurants, and many other retail, entertainment, and dining establishments. It was announced in 2006 that another large lifestyle center will be built next to Stone Wood Hills. There is another large development called The Park at Adam's Creek. Phase 1 is anchored by Lowe's Home Improvement. There are several restaurants there, and more retail is soon to be built there. In addition, there are many new business opening up around the city. There are also more than 11 industrial parks. There are also plans to revitalize the city's downtown area.

[edit] Education

[edit] Schools

• Broken Arrow Public Schools. There is 1 senior high school, 2 intermediate high schools, five middle schools, and fourteen elementary schools.
• Union Public Schools

There are several private schools in the city as well.

[edit] Colleges and Universities

• NSU Broken Arrow

[edit] Other Schools

• Tulsa Technology Center Broken Arrow Campus
• Rhema Bible College

[edit] Libraries

• Broken Arrow Central library
• South Broken Arrow library

[edit] Community Events

• Rooster Days (May 10-13 at Central Park in downtown Broken Arrow)
• The Broken Arrow Civitan Christmas Parade (downtown Broken Arrow)
• Rhema Christmas lights tour (November 24 to January 1 at Rhema Bible Church)
• The Historical Society Holiday Home Tour (Downtown Broken Arrow)
• Tuesdays in the park Concert series (every Tuesday in June at Central Park in downtown Broken Arrow)
• Blue Bell Creameries' "Taste of Summer" (June 23 at the Blue Bell Creameries factory)
• Freedom Live/Rockets over Rhema (July 1, 2007 at Rhema Bible Church)

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Road

• Highway 51 (Broken Arrow Expressway)
• Creek Turnpike

[edit] Rail

Plans are being considered to add passenger rail service to Broken Arrow using an existing Union Pacific rail line that runs from downtown Tulsa through downtown Broken Arrow.

[edit] Air

Broken Arrow is serviced by the Tulsa International Airport

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspapers

Broken Arrow has one newspaper, the Broken Arrow Ledger. It is published every Wednesday and Saturday.

[edit] Television

Cox Cable channel 24 is the Broken Arrow municipal information channel. It displays, among other things, information about city departments, upcoming events, and general information about the city.

[edit] Trivia

• Broken Arrow was the first city in the state and the 6th city in the nation to elect a woman as mayor.
• Broken Arrow has the 3rd largest concentration of industries in the state.
• In 2006, the northern area of the city was badly damaged by flooding.
• Rooster Days, a local annual festival, is the oldest annual event in the state. It started in the 1930s when chicken farmers would come into town to sell chickens, eggs, and other agricultural products.
• The city was once home to a car company. In 1960 Glenn Pray bought the entire stock of car parts left over from the original Auburn-Cord Duesenberg car company of Auburn, IN. Pray then moved the entire operation to Broken Arrow where he continued to manufacture cars until 1981.^{[citation needed]}
• The 1950 western, "Broken Arrow" had it's world premiere at the Nusho Theater which was located on the northwest corner of Main Street and Commercial Street in downtown Broken Arrow. The city celebrated with, among other things, a parade down Main Street. The building that the Nusho Theater occupied still stands and has most recently housed an insurance company.

[edit] See also

Pride of Broken Arrow

[edit] External links

• http://www.brokenarrowok.gov/ (City government's web site)
• http://www.brokenarrow.org/ (Chamber of Commerce web site)
• http://www.brokenarroweconomicdevelopment.com/ (economic development website)
• http://www.okmet.org/bb/index.php?board=5.0/ (discussion of news and development in the Tulsa area.)
• http://www.ba.k12.ok.us/ (Broken Arrow Public Schools)
• http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top100/index3.html (best places to live survey)
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 36.036305° -95.783616°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA