Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. In the 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a character in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. In 1991, the Oklahoma state legislature designated Enid the "purple martin capital of Oklahoma.""Purple Martin State Capitals ", Nature Society News, June 2006, p. 8. Enid holds the nickname of "Queen Wheat City" and "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma and the United States for its immense grain storage capacity, and has the third-largest grain storage capacity in the world.
Etymology
In summer 1889, Marcus A Low, the Rock Island general attorney, visited the local railroad station then under construction, and inquired about its name. Disliking the original name, he renamed the station Enid, after a character in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King.
A more fanciful story of how the town received its name is popular. According to that tale, in the days following the land run, some enterprising settlers decided to set up a chuckwagon and cook for their fellow pioneers, hanging a sign that read "DINE". Some other, more free-spirited settlers, turned that sign backward to read, of course, "ENID". The name stuck.
History
Prior to the Land Run of 1893, the land where present-day Enid, Oklahoma sits was part of O County in the Cherokee Outlet, and was occupied by the Cherokee people following the Treaty of New Echota and the Cherokee trail of tears.Turner, Alvin O. Cherokee Outlet Opening, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 4, 2015. Historically, the area was a hunting ground for the Wichita, Osage, and Kiowa tribes. The Chisholm Trail, stage coach lines, mail routes, and railroads passed through stations in the town which was then known as Skeleton.Fulbright, Jim, Hell on Rails: Oklahoma Towns at War with the Rock Island Railroad, Wild West Magazine, December 2007Dortch, Steven D. The Chisholm Trail, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009, Accessed April 4, 2015.
During the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, Enid was the location of a land office which is now preserved in its Humphrey Heritage Village, part of the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center. Enid, the rail station, now North Enid, Oklahoma, was the original town site endorsed by the government. It was platted by the surveyor W. D. Twichell, then of Amarillo, Texas.
The Enid-Pond Creek Railroad War ensued when the Department of the Interior moved the government site south of the station prior to the land run, which was then called South Enid. During the run, due to the Rock Island's refusal to stop, people leaped from the trains to stake their claim in the government-endorsed site.Intensive Level Historical/Architectural Survey of Enid's Downtown, Susan Roth and Associates, 1994, p. 63. By the afternoon of the run, Enid's population was estimated at 12,000 people, located in the Enid's town plat.Intensive Level Historical/Architectural Survey of Enid's Downtown, Susan Roth and Associates, 1994, p. 62.
Enid's original plat in 1893 was 6 blocks wide by 11 blocks long, with the town square on the northwest end, West Hill (Jefferson) school on the southwest end, Government Springs Park in the middle southern section, and East Hill (Garfield) school on the far northeast corner.Rockwell, Stella, ed. Garfield County, Oklahoma 1893–1982 Vol II, Josten's Publishing Company, 1982. p. 519 A year later, the population was estimated at 4,410, growing to 10,087 in 1907, the year of Oklahoma statehood."Architectural/Historical Survey of Certain Parts of Enid," Meacham and Associates, 1992, p. 21
The town's early history was captured in Cherokee Strip: A Tale of an Oklahoma Boyhood by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marquis James, who recounts his boyhood in Enid.James, Marquis, Cherokee Strip: A Tale of an Oklahoma Boyhood, pp. 18–19
He writes of the early town:
Enid experienced a "golden age" following the discovery of oil in the region in the 1910s and continuing until World War II.Intensive Level Historical/Architectural Survey of Enid's Downtown, Susan Roth and Associates, 1994, p. 70. Enid's economy boomed as a result of the growing oil, wheat, and rail industries. Its population grew steadily throughout the early 20th century in conjunction with a period of substantial architectural development and land expansion. Enid's downtown had the construction of several buildings including the Broadway Tower, Garfield County Courthouse, and Enid Masonic Temple."Architectural/Historical Survey of Certain Parts of Enid," Meacham and Associates, 1992, pp. 23–31.
In conjunction with the oil boom, oilmen such as T. T. Eason, H. H. Champlin, and Charles E. Knox built homes in the area. Residential additions during this period include Kenwood, Waverley, Weatherly, East Hill, Kinser Heights, Buena Vista, and McKinley. Union Equity, Continental, Pillsbury, General Mills, and other grain companies operated mills and grain elevators in the area, creating what is now the Enid Terminal Grain Elevators Historic District,"Architectural/Historical Survey of Certain Parts of Enid," Meacham and Associates, 1992, p. 17. and earning Enid the titles of "Wheat Capital of Oklahoma", "Queen Wheat City of Oklahoma," and "Wheat Capital of the United States".
Geography
Located in Northwestern Oklahoma, Enid sits at the eastern edge of the Great Plains. It is located north of Oklahoma City.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.12%) is water.
Climate Enid's weather conditions are characterized by hot summers, cold, often snowy winters, and thunderstorms in the spring, which can produce tornadoes. The greatest one-day precipitation total by an official rain gauge in Oklahoma was in Enid when fell on October 11, 1973.Johnson, Howard L., "Climate ," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture . Retrieved June 25, 2010. Temperatures can fall below in the winter, and reach above in the summer. The highest recorded temperature was in 1936. The lowest recorded temperature was , in 1905. The warmest month is July. January is the coolest month. The maximum average precipitation occurs in June.
An ice storm struck Northwest Oklahoma in late January 2002. The storm caused over $100 million of damage, initially leaving some 255,000 residences and businesses without power. A week later, 39,000 Oklahoma residents were still without power. Enid, with its population of 47,000, was entirely without electricity for days. The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reported over 31,000 electrical poles were destroyed across the state. The American Red Cross set up a shelter at Northern Oklahoma College.
Some other notable storms in Enid's history include: March 16, 1965: an F4 tornado away from the city center injured seven people and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages. October 11–13, 1973: Oklahoma's greatest urban rainfall on record occurred. Known as the "Enid flood", an intense thunderstorm was centered over Enid with rainfall accumulations between 15 and 20 inches within a area. About fell in three hours.Water-Supply Paper 2502, Summary of Significant Floods in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, 1970 Through 1989, United States Geological Survey Enid received , forcing residents to cut holes in rooftops to reach safety. Nine people died.Painter, Brian, "Remembering deadly 1973 flood," The Daily Oklahoman, October 5, 2008 May 2, 1979: an F4 tornado away from the Enid city center killed one person, injured 25 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages. April 25, 2009: an EF2 tornado damaged the Chisholm Trail Expo Center. No one was injured or killed. April 23, 2026: an EF4 tornado, which would be part of a larger tornado and severe weather outbreak struck Vance Air Force Base and southern portions of the city, destroying multiple homes and causing significant damage. At least 10 injuries were reported, with no fatalities. This tornado would spark a tornado emergency. In the end, the tornado had max estimated windspeeds of 180 mph. Later surveys suggested the tornado may have harbored winds exceeding the threshold for EF5 intensity, but the official rating remains at EF4.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Enid city, Oklahoma – Racial and ethnic composition !Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) ! !2010 !2000 !1990 !1980 |- |White alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |64.5%(33,088) |77.7%(38,390) |85.3%(40,109) |90.1%(40,827) |92.5%(46,567) |- |Black alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.2%(1,620) |3.5%(1,722) |3.9%(1,815) |4.4%(1,978) |4%(2,004) |- |American Indian alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.2%(1,106) |2.1%(1,054) |2.1%(967) |2.2%(992) |1.3%(676) |- |Asian alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |1.2%(638) |1.1%(520) |1%(468) | |1.2%(537) | |0.7%(347) |- |Pacific Islander alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |5.6%(2,896) |2.2%(1,075) |0.6%(268) |- |Other race alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.2%(128) |0.1%(57) |0.1%(51) |0%(14) |0.1%(57) |- |Multiracial (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |6.8%(3,470) |3%(1,495) |2.4%(1,135) |— |— |- |Hispanic/Latino (any race) |style='background: #ffffe6; |16.3%(8,362) |10.3%(5,066) |4.7%(2,232) |2.1%(961) |1.4%(712)
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Enid had a population of 51,308, a median age of 35.2 years, and 26.0% of residents were under the age of 18, while 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 96.9 males. The population density was 693.9 per square mile.
96.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 19,733 households in Enid, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.7% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 22,866 housing units, of which 13.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.1% were owner-occupied, and 39.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0%, and the rental vacancy rate was 15.7%.
QuickFacts reports an average household size of 2.55, that 49.4% of residents identify as female, 8.3% were foreign born, 13.2% had some form of disability, and 3,365 were veterans.
The most reported ancestries in 2020 were: English (18.2%) German (15.1%) Mexican (13.6%) Irish (11.1%) Marshallese (5.6%) African American (2.9%) Scottish (2%) Cherokee (2%) French (1.6%) Italian (1.5%)
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Percent White 68.7% Black or African American 3.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 2.7% Asian 1.3% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5.7% Some other race 7.6% Two or more races 10.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 16.3%
Political affiliation Enid has been predominantly a Republican stronghold since its days as part of Oklahoma Territory, owing to the influence of settlers from neighboring Kansas.Gaddie, Ronald Keith, "Republican Party ", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society.Brown, Kenny L.,Oklahoma Territory ", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society. Enid was named one of the top 10 most conservative cities in America in 2021 with over 60% of voters registering as Republicans.