Norman

Sister cities

• Colima
• Clermont-Ferrand
• Arezzo
• Seika

History

The Oklahoma region became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Before the American Civil War, the U.S. government began relocating the Five Civilized Tribes—the five Native American tribes that the United States officially recognized via treaty—to Oklahoma. Treaties of 1832 and 1833 assigned the area known today as Norman to the Creek Nation. After the Civil War, the Creeks were accused of aiding the Confederacy; as a result they ceded the region back to the United States in 1866. In 1887, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway began service to the area, early settlers decided to keep the name "Norman." The new Norman was a sundown town. African Americans were not allowed to live within the city limits or stay overnight until the early 1960s, nor could they study at the University of Oklahoma. In 2020, the Norman City Council issued an apology. Norman has grown throughout the decades. By 1902 the downtown district contained two banks, two hotels, a flour mill, and other businesses; by 1913 over 3,700 people lived in Norman when the Oklahoma Railway Company decided to extend its interurban streetcar running from Oklahoma City to Moore into Norman, spurring additional population growth. The rail lines eventually transitioned to freight during the 1940s as the United States Numbered Highway system developed. The population reached 11,429 in 1940. With the completion of Interstate 35 in June 1959, Norman found its role as a bedroom community to Oklahoma City increasing rapidly; in 1960 Norman's population was 33,412 but by the end of the decade had grown to 52,117. Today the airstrip is called the University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport. Following the war the remaining military presence and post-war veterans who came to Norman to get an…

Geography

As of 2010, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The center of this large incorporated area is from the center of Oklahoma City, and separated primarily by Moore, is in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Norman and the surrounding areas are mostly flat with an elevation near . The terrain in the western section of Norman is prairie, while the eastern section, including the area surrounding Lake Thunderbird, consists of some of lakes and Cross Timbers forest. }} Norman falls within a temperate, humid subtropical climate region that is identified as "Cfa" class on the Köppen climate classification. On average Norman receives about of precipitation per year; The risk for tornadoes is greatest in the springtime months of March through June when the majority of all reported tornadoes occur. There have been several other tornado events in recent years. On May 10, 2010, numerous tornadoes occurred in Cleveland County, resulting in the loss of multiple homes and businesses within Norman city limits. Weak tornadoes also struck Norman on April 13, 2012 and May 6, 2015.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,849
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  7,317
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  6,249
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  6,057
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,456
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,277
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  4,534
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,087

Largest nearby schools

• NORMAN NORTH HS
  High · Norman · 2,401 students · 20.5:1 ratio
• NORMAN HS
  High · Norman · 2,137 students · 20.7:1 ratio
• WHITTIER MS
  Middle · Norman · 1,016 students · 17.2:1 ratio
• NOBLE HS
  High · Noble · 883 students · 18.8:1 ratio
• HIGHLAND EAST JHS
  Middle · Moore · 789 students · 19.2:1 ratio
• IRVING MS
  Middle · Norman · 788 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• ALCOTT MS
  Middle · Norman · 713 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• CURTIS INGE MS
  Middle · Noble · 712 students · 16.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.54 — 2026-09-27
  4 km NNE of Tatums, Oklahoma
• M 2.57 — 2026-09-14
  6 km E of Calumet, Oklahoma
• M 2.9 — 2026-09-11
  5 km N of Stroud, Oklahoma
• M 3.29 — 2026-09-04
  2 km SSW of Dibble, Oklahoma
• M 2.56 — 2026-06-13
  6 km ENE of Edmond, Oklahoma
• M 2.7 — 2026-05-20
  5 km N of Stroud, Oklahoma