Union City is a town in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Union City had a population of 1,794. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan statistical area.
History
In 1889, a post office opened for the community of Union. A townsite plat was filed during the following year. Union City began in 1890 with the arrival of the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (acquired by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in 1891). The local economy was based on agriculture, and within four years the town had three grain elevators and a farm machinery dealership.
1973 tornado
On May 24, 1973, a tornado rated F4 struck the Union City area and was the first tornado widely documented by science as part of storm chasing field research. The National Severe Storms Laboratory placed numerous storm chasers around the tornado to capture the life cycle on film.
Geography
Union City is located in southern Canadian County. It is bordered to the east by Oklahoma City, to the north in part by El Reno, and to the south by Grady County, including the town of Minco. The Canadian River forms the county line and the southern boundary of Union City.
U.S. Route 81 passes through the center of the town, leading north to Interstate 40 and to El Reno, while leading south to Minco. Oklahoma State Highway 152 leads east from Union City to Mustang. Downtown Oklahoma City is to the east.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Union City has a total area of , of which is land, and (0.83%) is water.