Billings, Oklahoma

Billings, Oklahoma
Town
Historic building in Billings
Location of Billings, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°32′06″N97°25′21″W / 36.53500°N 97.42250°W / 36.53500; -97.42250
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Noble
Area [1]
• Total	0.67 sq mi (1.74 km2)
• Land	0.67 sq mi (1.74 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,011 ft (308 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	578
• Density	858.84/sq mi (331.56/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74630
Area code	580
FIPS code	40-06100 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2411691 [2]

Billings is a town in northwest Noble County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 509 at the 2010 census, an increase from the figure of 436 in 2000. It was the childhood home of Oklahoma governor Henry Bellmon. ^[4]

History

Billings was called "White Rock", when it was founded in 1893, at the time of the Cherokee Strip Land Run. It was then 3 miles (4.8 km) east and 2 miles (3.2 km) south of its present site. Billings' economy was based on agriculture in the surrounding area. The Enid and Tonkawa Railway (acquired by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway in 1900) built a spur line out from North Enid in 1899. The railroad, however, did not go through White Rock, so the residents soon moved to the present location. The new town opened October 23, 1899, and was renamed for M. O. Billings, a director of the Billings Town Company. ^[4]

Geography

Billings is 35 miles (56 km) from Enid and Ponca City. ^[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Billings has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Billings was 113 °F (45.0 °C) on July 7, 1996, while the coldest temperature recorded was −19 °F (−28.3 °C) on February 10–11, 2011. ^[5]

Climate data for Billings, Oklahoma, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	80 (27)	90 (32)	91 (33)	101 (38)	104 (40)	106 (41)	113 (45)	112 (44)	109 (43)	99 (37)	90 (32)	82 (28)	113 (45)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	70.0 (21.1)	75.0 (23.9)	81.7 (27.6)	86.4 (30.2)	91.8 (33.2)	97.2 (36.2)	103.1 (39.5)	102.5 (39.2)	98.1 (36.7)	89.3 (31.8)	78.5 (25.8)	69.4 (20.8)	104.8 (40.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	46.5 (8.1)	51.3 (10.7)	60.8 (16.0)	70.0 (21.1)	78.4 (25.8)	88.2 (31.2)	93.4 (34.1)	92.5 (33.6)	84.7 (29.3)	73.0 (22.8)	59.8 (15.4)	48.6 (9.2)	70.6 (21.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	34.7 (1.5)	38.9 (3.8)	48.2 (9.0)	57.2 (14.0)	67.0 (19.4)	77.0 (25.0)	81.8 (27.7)	80.5 (26.9)	72.3 (22.4)	60.0 (15.6)	47.8 (8.8)	37.4 (3.0)	58.6 (14.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	23.0 (−5.0)	26.5 (−3.1)	35.5 (1.9)	44.4 (6.9)	55.6 (13.1)	65.7 (18.7)	70.2 (21.2)	68.5 (20.3)	59.9 (15.5)	47.0 (8.3)	35.7 (2.1)	26.2 (−3.2)	46.5 (8.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	7.1 (−13.8)	10.1 (−12.2)	16.6 (−8.6)	27.3 (−2.6)	38.6 (3.7)	53.0 (11.7)	60.7 (15.9)	56.7 (13.7)	43.4 (6.3)	29.5 (−1.4)	19.1 (−7.2)	9.7 (−12.4)	1.9 (−16.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−15 (−26)	−19 (−28)	−3 (−19)	20 (−7)	30 (−1)	42 (6)	49 (9)	45 (7)	29 (−2)	11 (−12)	8 (−13)	−13 (−25)	−19 (−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.16 (29)	1.37 (35)	2.63 (67)	3.67 (93)	4.80 (122)	4.63 (118)	3.74 (95)	3.45 (88)	2.88 (73)	3.49 (89)	1.96 (50)	1.54 (39)	35.32 (898)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	2.3 (5.8)	2.0 (5.1)	1.8 (4.6)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	1.5 (3.8)	7.8 (19.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	4.7	5.0	6.7	7.1	8.2	7.2	6.0	6.9	5.5	6.4	4.2	5.0	72.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	1.2	1.2	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	1.1	4.3
Source 1: NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010) [6] [7]
Source 2: National Weather Service [5]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	406		—
1910	524		29.1%
1920	846		61.5%
1930	658		−22.2%
1940	661		0.5%
1950	620		−6.2%
1960	510		−17.7%
1970	618		21.2%
1980	632		2.3%
1990	555		−12.2%
2000	436		−21.4%
2010	509		16.7%
2020	578		13.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

As of the census ^[3] of 2010, there were 509 people, 171 households, and 95 families residing in the town. The population density was 687.2 inhabitants per square mile (265.3/km²). There were 212 housing units at an average density of 331.0 per square mile (127.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.7% White, 2.9% Native American, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.

There were 171 households, out of which 12.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.1% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,481, and the median income for a family was $40,375. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $17,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,671. About 9.6% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

• Henry Bellmon, former Oklahoma governor; was born in Tonkawa, but raised in Billings.

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Billings, Oklahoma
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. Jerry H. McKeown, "Billings," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed March 29, 2015.
5. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Norman". National Weather Service. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
6. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Billings, OK (1991–2020)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
7. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Billings, OK (1981–2010)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Billings
• Voices of Oklahoma interview with Henry Bellmon. First person interview conducted on April 14, 2009, with Henry Bellmon. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.