Chickasha ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,051 at the 2020 census, a 0.1% increase from 2010.

History

250px|thumb|left|Chickasha in 1927

Chickasha was founded by Hobart Johnstone Whitley, a land developer, banker, farmer and Rock Island Railroad executive. At the time of its founding, Chickasha was located in Pontotoc County, Chickasaw Nation. The founding took place in 1892 when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway (Rock Island) built a track through Indian Territory. A post office was established in June 1892. One of the earliest industrial plants to come to Chickasha was the Chickasha Cotton Oil Company, which was established in 1899. The town incorporated in 1902. From 1910 to 1927, the town was served by the Chickasha Street Railway, the town's own electric trolley system.

In 1908, the Oklahoma Industrial Institute and College for Girls was established in Chickasha. A local rancher named J. B. Sparks donated land for the school in memory of his daughter, Nellie. The girl was a Chickasaw descendant, and the land had been part of her allotment. The Nellie Sparks Dormitory commemorated her. The school was renamed as the Oklahoma College for Women in 1916. It became coeducational in 1965, and was renamed the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts. It was renamed again in 1975 as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.22%, is water.

|source 2 = National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Chickasha had a population of 16,051. The median age was 36.4 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.1 males age 18 and over.

There were 6,035 households in Chickasha, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.4% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

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| White || 72.5%

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| Black or African American || 7.0%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 6.3%

|-

| Asian || 0.5%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 2.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 11.0%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 9.2%

|}

2022 American Community Survey estimates

According to the 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, there were 16,231 people, 6,222 households, and 3,773 families residing in the city. There were 7,585 housing units.

The racial makeup of the city was 72% White, 7% Black or African American, 4% Native American, 0% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0% from other races, and 9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8% of the population.

thumb|alt=A statue of a woman in Native American costume in front of a yellow brick three-story building.|[[Te Ata Fisher|Te Ata statue in front of Trout Hall on the USAO campus]]

A leg lamp statue mimicking the one in A Christmas Story stands downtown since 2022 because former Chickasha native and University of Oklahoma professor Noland Eugene James claimed he developed the leg lamp as a concept that later became the film’s iconic prop. Warner Bros. Discovery sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding the Chickasha display in 2025, but did not take further action. The story of the statue is covered in the 2025 documentary Fragilé.

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma hosts an annual festival, the Spring Triad, which is made up of the Montmartre Chalk Art Festival, the Droverstock music festival, and the Scholastic Meet. The event is held annually on the first Thursday of April. The art festival is held around the USAO Oval, where over 700 artists compete in a chalk art contest. Droverstock features over 12 hours of live music from various bands of all styles and genres. There are also many vendors, inflatables, and activities associated with the festival. The competition is the largest academic meet in the state. Overall, the day-long event attracts thousands into the community. The concert has featured rock and roll groups such as The Byrds, The Grass Roots, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Jefferson Airplane, The Lovin' Spoonful, Firefall, John Conlee, Dr. Hook and Bad Company.

From a small local swapmeet, the Chickasha Pre-war Swap Meet has evolved to be one of the significant swapmeets for owners and collectors of cars from before 1942 (World War II). According to numerous posts in the forum of the Model T Club of America, the Chickasha Pre-war Swap Meet is considered the best Ford Model T swapmeet in the US.

Parks and recreation

Lake Chickasha is a City-owned lake located northwest of town in neighboring Caddo County. It offers recreation such as swimming, boating, and water sports, as well as hiking, camping, and playground usage.

Shannon Springs Park has a splash pad and pool, free fishing for those under 16 or over 65, playground equipment, an outdoor amphitheater, pavilions and more.

A branch of Washita Valley Head Start and Washita Valley Early Head Start provides education for young children near or below the poverty line before pre-kindergarten.

Chickasha is the current location of a historic schoolhouse that served black children in Grady County. Verden Separate School was built by African American Allen Toles on his own property in the nearby town of Verden in 1910. The school operated until 1935. The school building was rediscovered by historians in 2004 and restored and relocated to Chickasha.

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Oklahoma's public liberal arts college, is located in Chickasha. It was founded in 1908 by the Oklahoma State Legislature as Oklahoma Industrial Institute and College for Girls. The school's name was officially changed to Oklahoma College for Women in 1916. In 1965, the school became coeducational, and its name was changed to Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts. The school is currently known as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Chickasha is served by Interstate 44, US Route 62, US Route 81, US Route 277, US Route 62, State 39, State 19, and State 92.

Chickasha Municipal Airport (KCHK; FAA ID CHK), owned by the city and about 3 miles northwest, has multiple runways, the longest of which is 5101 ft by 100 ft and concrete-surfaced.

Commercial air transportation is available at Will Rogers World Airport, about 38 miles northeast.

Rail freight service is provided by Union Pacific. Union Pacific honors Chickasha as a “Train Town USA,” one of 131 communities out of the 7,300 communities it serves, because of the town's unique, long-standing relationship with the railroad.

Notable people

  • Stephen Alexander, American football tight end who played for the Washington Redskins
  • Patricia Barchas, anthropologist from Stanford University who created the academic field of social neuroscience
  • Dudley Dickerson, actor and comedian
  • Dane Evans, professional CFL quarterback
  • Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, African-American lawyer, administrator and activist
  • Shug Fisher, western film and TV character actor, singer, songwriter, comedian and member of the Sons of the Pioneers
  • Emmett Goodwin, former chief of police in Chickasha who was murdered by a fellow officer
  • Jeane Porter Hester, cancer researcher and co-developer of the IBM 2997 computerized blood cell separator
  • Harry Franklin "Cowboy" Hill, college football player for the University of Oklahoma and professional player from 1923 to 1926
  • Kendra Horn, congresswoman
  • Terry Humphrey, Major League Baseball player
  • Jed Johnson, newspaper editor and politician, served as representative in the U.S. Congress
  • Jed Johnson, Jr., son of Jed Johnson, U.S. representative from Oklahoma
  • JaCoby Jones, Major League Baseball player, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers
  • Merle Kilgore, country music personality
  • Cleavon Little, actor and comedian
  • Jack McCracken, basketball player in the 1930s and 1940s
  • Don McNeill, American tennis player
  • Scott Meacham, Oklahoma politician
  • Orville Moody, professional golfer
  • Lee Pace, actor best known for his roles in The Hobbit and Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Sam Rayburn, defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins
  • Leon Polk Smith, painter
  • Randy Souders, artist born in Chickasha
  • Robert Streb, PGA tour golfer
  • Mary Frances Thompson (Te Ata Fisher), Chickasaw actress; attended USAO in Chickasha
  • Kelby Tomlinson, Major League Baseball player with the San Francisco Giants from 2015 to 2018
  • Bill Wallace, children's author; the Early Childhood Education Center in Chickasha bears his name
  • Reggie Willits, former baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels
  • Dean Wooldridge, prominent engineer in the aerospace industry

References

Sources

  • City of Chickasha official website
  • Chickasha Chamber of Commerce
  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Chickasha