Quick Facts
Transportation
Road System
Cost of Living
Newspapers
Major Employers
Taxes
Government
Quality of Life
Arts & Entertainment
Climate
Education
Health Care
Utilities
Labor Force
TRANSPORTATION
Will Rogers World Airport
Distance from Norman: 20 miles
Major Airlines: American, American Eagle, Champion, ComAir, Continental, Delta,
Frontier, Southwest, and United.
Major Freight Carrier Services: Airborne Express, AirTransport International, Emery Worldwide, FedEx,
UPS
Max Westheimer Airport - Norman
| Runway Length: |
5,200 foot north/south |
| |
4,750 foot northeast/southeast |
The airport has Medium Intensity Runway and Approach Lights
with Visual Approach Slope Indicators serving all runways. The airport
and its facilities are capable of serving executive jet aircraft. The
control tower operates seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. AV Gas
and Jet A are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. FBO is provided by Cruise
Aviation Association Inc., which sells fuel and performs aircraft repair.
Flight schools are provided through the University of Oklahoma Aviation
Division and Airman Flight
School.
Railroad
Norman is on the main line of the Santa Fe/Burlington Northern
Railroad. It is also a stop on the AMTRAK Heartland Flyer
between Oklahoma
City and Fort Worth, Texas.
Public Transportation
The Cleveland Area Rapid Transit (CART) Service provides public
transportation in and around Norman and links the service to Oklahoma
City.
Greyhound Lines Inc provides service in Norman. The Port of Catoosa
is the nearest river port approximately 100 miles away.
ROAD SYSTEM
Norman is located on I-35, and is intersected by U.S. Highway
77 and State Highway 9. Norman is just 17 miles south of I-40 and I-44.
Distance to Major Cities
| Dallas |
196 miles |
|
Kansas
City |
377 miles |
| Chicago |
813
miles |
|
St.
Louis |
527
miles |
| Houston |
438 miles |
|
New York |
1,489
miles |
| New
Orleans |
665
miles |
|
Denver |
634
miles |
| Little
Rock |
328 miles |
|
Albuquerque |
555 miles |
| Atlanta |
851
miles |
|
Los
Angeles |
1,364
miles |
COST OF LIVING
| Median Home Value |
$125,000.00 |
| Median Price Asked |
$87,000.00 |
| Median Real Estate Tax |
$826.00 |
| Median Year Structure Built |
1977 |
| Housing Units |
41,547 |
| Median Rent |
$512.00 |
| Median Family Income (2004) |
$58,043 |
| Median Household Income (2004) |
$41,629 |
| Cost of Living Index (Oklahoma City) |
87.6% |
NEWSPAPERS
The Norman Transcript- published daily
The Norman Oklahoman- supplement to the Daily Oklahoman 3 times per week
The Oklahoma Daily (OU Student Publication)- Published Monday through Friday
MAJOR EMPLOYERS
TAXES
Property Tax (Ad Valorem)
| |
Per thousand
of assessed value |
| City |
$ 2.89 |
| County |
$ 21.08 |
| Public School |
$ 67.30 |
| Technology Schools |
$ 14.38 |
| Total |
$
105.65 |
Valuation is 12% of
Fair Market Value
Sales Tax
| Oklahoma |
4.5% |
| Norman |
3.5% |
Income Tax
| Personal Income Tax |
7%
maximum |
| Corporate Tax Rate |
6% maximum |
GOVERNMENT
| Type of Government |
City
Manager/Council |
| Planning Commission |
Yes |
| Zoning Regulations |
Yes |
Norman is proud to
be an Oklahoma Certified City.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Parks & Recreation
The Parks & Recreation department features a full schedule
of programs. Norman's 55 parks cover 810 acres and include a championship
golf course, municipal swimming pool complex with a water slide, hiking
trails, Frisbee golf course, fishing, tennis courts, playgrounds, open
and covered picnic areas and indoor recreation centers.
The recreation programs include sports leagues and clinics,
dance and exercise classes and a senior citizen's center. The Griffin
Park Sports Complex encompasses 16 soccer fields, 12 baseball fields and
four football fields with support facilities. Norman also features a full
service YMCA with an indoor pool and indoor track.
Norman Public Library
The public library in Norman has a total of 351,824 items
available. This Norman branch is the headquarters of the Pioneer Library
System, serving three counties in central Oklahoma.
Lake Thunderbird State Park
A relaxing destination for any outdoor enthusiast is provided
on this 4,621-acre lake with 86 miles of shoreline and a 1,834 acre park.
Campers will feel right at home with picnic facilities, grills,
showers, restrooms, swimming beaches, concessions, grocery store, tent
and camping facilities, horse stables, R.V. hook-ups, gift shop and two
full service marinas, Calypso Cove with 110 slips and Little River Marina
with 225 slips. .
Dining Out
Norman has a wide variety of restaurants, which will appeal
to anyone's taste. Cuisines represented in the over 175 restaurants and
cafeterias include barbecue, Mexican, Oriental, Greek, Indian, Italian,
Thai, seafood, health and natural foods.
Shopping
Sooner Mall
More than 70 local and national retailers and delicious restaurants
located under one roof. Anchor stores include Abercrombie & Fitch,
American Eagle, Dillard's, Eddie Bauer, Express, Gap, J.C. Penney,
Sears, The Limited, Old Navy, Stein Mart, and Victoria's Secret.
Campus Corner
Soak up the nostalgic university atmosphere of Campus Corner while
shopping at Harold's, Harold's Outlet, Shoetopia, Antique Garden,
Balfour and Savvy. Take time to dine at Cafe Plaid, Hideaway Pizza,
Louie's Deli & Bar, Victoria's The Pasta Shop or La Luna. When the
sun goes down, enjoy live music, dancing and fun at Campus Corner's many
pubs!
There are over 700 retail establishments in Norman.
Golf
Norman boasts three 18-hole public golf courses: City of Norman
Westwood Golf Course and Jimmie Austin University of Oklahoma Golf
Course and Belmar;
and one 18-hole private course, The Trails. Norman also has a 9 hole
course, Cobblestone.
Churches
There are a total of 122 churches in Norman representing 37 denominations.
Hotel/Motel
There are 5 bed-and-breakfasts and 14 hotels and motels
ranging from national chains to locally-owned establishments offering
a wide variety of accommodations to meet any need or budget.
Sporting Events
Norman is home to the University of Oklahoma "Sooners."
The Sooners consistently appear among the top-rated teams in the nation
in football, baseball, softball, wrestling, basketball, golf and gymnastics.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Acclaimed as one of the finest university art museums in the country.
The museum received the Weitzenhoffer collection, the single most
important collection of French Impressionist art ever given to a public
university. The collection contains 33 works by artists including Van
Gogh, Gauguin, Renoir, Monet, Degas, Pissarro and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Sam Noble
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
This world-class facility provides an exciting place to
discover Oklahoma's recent past and ancient history, including the largest
collection of invertebrate paleontology in the world.
Located on the University of Oklahoma campus, the museum's
collections include Native American artifacts, fossils of dinosaurs and
other prehistoric animals, wildlife dioramas of birds and mammals of North
America, artifacts from the Spiro Mounds archaeological site and Greek
and Roman artifacts.
Jacobson House Native American Cultural
Center
Come to the Jacobson House to see and touch the traditions of American
Indian art, history and culture.
Rupel J. Jones Theater
A 600-seat theater featuring productions by the University
of Oklahoma School of Drama, School of Dance, Musical Theater Program
and OU Summerstage Lab Theater.
Firehouse Art Center
The center for visual arts education in Norman, the Firehouse Art Center
provides an interactive experience through classes, exhibits and
events.
Sooner
Theatre
The newly-renovated theatre is the year-round host for concerts, movies,
theatrical shows and more.
Cleveland County Historical Museum
The museum is one of Cleveland County's cultural and architectural
showplaces. The house is an unaltered example of the late Victorian
Queen Anne style characterized by its turret, gables, fluted chimneys,
patterned stained glass and spindle work porch. The interior is
furnished with period pieces.
Lloyd Noble Center
Some of the hottest stars in country, rock, jazz and comedy
circuits appear in Norman at the Lloyd Noble Center, which also serves
as home to college basketball's OU Sooners. Seating capacity is 11,206.
The Norman Depot
A reminder of the origin of many Oklahoma towns, the Santa
Fe Railroad Company set out the grounds for the station two years before
the great Land Run of 1889. The restored depot serves as a center for
community events.
The
Crucible Foundry
The Crucible Foundry specializes in bronze sculpture. The Crucible
attracts artists from across the country through its growing reputation
as one of the nation's finest artistic foundries. Beside the foundry is
the Crucible Gallery and Sculpture Garden.
Little
River Zoo
Nestled in a wooded paradise near Lake Thunderbird, the zoo is home to
more than 400 animals, many of which visitors can meet on their personal
tour.
CLIMATE
| Average Annual Temperature |
70.1
° |
| Seasonal Averages: |
|
| Winter (Dec., Jan., Feb.)
|
40.0
° |
| Spring (Mar., Apr., May) |
60.5 ° |
| Summer (June, July, Aug.) |
80.9 ° |
| Fall (Sept., Oct., Nov.) |
62.2
° |
| Average Annual Rainfall |
34.0
in. |
| Average Annual Snowfall |
10.0 in. |
| Average Relative Humidity |
65% |
| Prevailing Wind Direction |
South |
EDUCATION
University of Oklahoma
Known as a major,
national research university, the University of Oklahoma serves the educational, cultural and
economic needs of Norman, the state, region and nation.
Created by the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1890, OU has 19 colleges offering
154 majors at the baccalaureate level, 152 majors at the master’s level,
74 majors at the doctoral level, eight majors at the first professional level, and five graduate certificates. OU enrolls more than 30,000 students and has more National Merit Scholars
per capita than any public university in America.
Academic Colleges and Programs
o Architecture
o Arts and Sciences
o Price College of Business
o Continuing Education
o Education
o Engineering
o Fine Arts
o Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass
Communications
o Geosciences
o Graduate College
o Honors College
o International Programs Center
o Law
o Liberal Studies
o Reserve Officers Training Corps
o University College
Health Sciences
o Allied Health
o Dentistry
o Graduate College
o Medicine
o Medicine-Tulsa Campus
o Nursing
o Pharmacy
o Public Health
o Continuing Education
Norman
Public Schools
Norman Public Schools offer a variety of programs for
students to participate in, such as Advanced Placement courses, foreign
language in grades 8-12, and fine arts opportunities. In 2004, NPS also had
24 Semifinalists in the National Merit
Scholarship Program.
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)
Of the 168 Norman High School and Norman High School North students who
took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I), the 2003-04 verbal mean score
was 578 and the 2003 math mean score was 574. This is above the 2003-04 national verbal mean score of
507 and math mean score of 519. The
state's 2003 SAT I verbal mean score was 569 and for math was 562. Three
thousand and eighty students in Oklahoma took the SAT.
American College Test (ACT)
Of the 579 Norman students who participated in the
American College Test (ACT) program in 2003-04, the composite average score
was 22.5. This is above the national average score of 20.8 and state
average score of 20.5.
94.8% of the population have achieved a high school diploma or
higher.
44.2% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher.
The national
average is 24.4%.
Moore Norman Technology Center
Norman is home to one of Oklahoma's premier technical training
centers, The Moore Norman Technology Center (MNTC).
MNTC offers courses in a number of training programs, an active and
progressive Business Training and Development Department that includes programs such as Small Business Management, Management Development, Quality
Management Systems (ISO 9000/QS 9000), Environmental Technology Center,
Customized Industry Training and Computer Training, as well as a variety
of short-term courses that can stimulate ones creative interests.
University
of Phoenix
Also located in Norman is The
University of Phoenix, an accredited university that offers a variety of
Bachelor's, Master's and Non-Degree programs for working professionals.
The University of Phoenix also offers a complete online program, with
the possibility of obtaining a Bachelor's degree in 10 different
programs or a Master's in 17 specialized areas.
Other Higher Education Institutions in
the Area
Four Year Institutions:
The University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond)
Oklahoma State University at OKC (Oklahoma
City)
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
(Chickasha)
St. Gregory's University (Shawnee)
Langston
University (Langston)
Oklahoma Christian University (Edmond)
Oklahoma Baptist University (Shawnee)
Oklahoma City University (Oklahoma City)
Southern Nazarene University (Bethany)
East Central University (Ada)
Two Year Institutions:
Oklahoma City Community College (Oklahoma
City)
Rose State College (Midwest City)
Hillsdale Freewill Baptist College (Moore)
HEALTHCARE
Norman Regional Hospital
As the leading health care organization in south central Oklahoma,
Norman Regional Hospital serves the health care needs, promotes wellness
and improves the status of health within its regional community through
an integrated system of broad-based, high-quality, cost-effective services
and by promoting community partnerships.
Norman Regional Hospital is a 288-bed general acute care facility
with 156 medical doctors representing a broad range of medical and surgical
specialties in more than 27 areas.
Norman Regional Hospital's network of care also includes additional
outpatient facilities located throughout our service area. These facilities
allow more convenient access to prevention and wellness programs, fitness,
home health, physical therapy, occupational health and minor emergency
care.
Other facilities, including Norman Regional Family Medicine
Centers, provide health care services to smaller, surrounding communities.
J. D. McCarty Center for Handicapped
Children
A rehabilitation hospital where Oklahoma's children with development
disabilities learn to move, act, play, think and communicate better and where parents find relief from overwhelming responsibilities. Both
inpatient and outpatient care are available.
Oklahoma Veteran's Center, Norman Division
A state-of-the-art 301-bed long term nursing care center,
the Oklahoma Veteran's Center's services include doctors and social workers
on every unit and physical therapy.
Senior Care
Norman features a vast array of services available for our
senior adults, which includes nursing homes, senior assisted living centers
with Alzheimer Units and Independent Living Centers.
UTILITIES
Electricity
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative
Gas
Oklahoma Natural Gas
Telecommunications
SBC
Cox Communications
| Digital Services Available |
YES |
| Fiber Optics Available |
YES |
| Point of Presence |
YES |
Water
Supplier:
City of Norman
Source of Water: Lake Thunderbird/Wells
| Water System Capacity |
21,000,000
GPD |
| Storage Capacity |
13,500,000
GPD |
| Daily Consumption |
16,000,000
GPD(maximum) |
|
4,500,000
GPD(minimum) |
Sewer
Sewer Treatment Authority:
City of Norman
| Sewage Capacity |
18,000,000
MGD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sanitation and Sewage Treatment
Norman utilizes Active Sludge (70%) and Rotating Biological
Contactors (30%) to treat its wastewater.
The city's sewage treatment system is currently operating
at approximately 83% of capacity.
LABOR FORCE
| Number of workers unemployed wanting
to work |
2,634 |
| Number of workers underemployed |
6,816 |
Skills From Underemployed
| Executive, Administrative and Managerial |
1,306 |
| Professional Specialty |
389 |
| Technicians & Related Support |
988 |
| Sales |
1,581 |
| Administrative Support, Including Clerical
|
1,198 |
| Service Occupations |
157 |
| Precision Production, Craft, Repair |
599 |
| Machine Operation, Assemblers &
Inspectors |
0 |
Transportation & Material Moving |
0 |
| Farming, Forestry & Fishing |
0 |
Other |
598 |
| Total |
6,816 |
30% of the Norman Labor Force commute
outside of Norman for their jobs.
Mean Wages
| Managerial Occupations |
$55,306 |
| Business & Financial Operations
Occupations |
$38,276 |
| Sales & Related Occupations |
$28,755 |
| Life, Physical & Social Occupations |
$37,379 |
| Office & Administrative Support
Occupations |
$22,884 |
| Arts, Design, Sports & Media
Occupations |
$34,958 |
Workforce Size - By Industry (Cleveland
County)
| Forestry, Fishing, Hunting, &
Agriculture |
69 |
| Mining |
142 |
| Utilities |
334 |
| Construction |
3,755 |
| Manufacturing |
3,266 |
| Wholesale Trade |
1,938 |
| Retail Trade |
9,145 |
| Transportation & Warehousing |
393 |
| Information |
1,590 |
| Finance & Insurance |
2,443 |
| Real Estate-Rental &
Leasing |
1,180 |
| Professional, Scientific &
Technical Services |
2,860 |
| Management of Companies &
Enterprises |
384 |
| Admin., support, waste mgmt, remediation |
4,100 |
| Educational Services |
13,243 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance |
6,856 |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation |
1,161 |
| Accommodation & Food Services |
7,727 |
| Other Services (Except Public Adm.) |
1,816 |
| Public
Administration |
1,831 |
| Total |
64,233 |
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