Leedey, Oklahoma

Leedey, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Leedey, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°52′07″N99°20′42″W / 35.86861°N 99.34500°W / 35.86861; -99.34500
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Dewey
Area [1]
• Total	0.45 sq mi (1.17 km2)
• Land	0.45 sq mi (1.17 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	2,057 ft (627 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	415
• Density	922.22/sq mi (356.05/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	73654
Area code	580
FIPS code	40-42050 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2412886 [2]

Leedey is a town in Dewey County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 415 at the 2020 census.

History

The town was named for Amos Leedey, an early settler. ^[4] The post office opened January 6, 1900, with Amos Leedey as the first postmaster. ^[4] Leedey became a railroad town when the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway (later part of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad) completed a line in from Elk City in 1911, and the town incorporated that same year. ^[4] Both petroleum and agriculture contributed to the town’s growth. ^[4]

On May 31, 1947, Leedey was hit by an F5 tornado. The tornado killed 7 people and heavily damaged the town. ^[5]

Geography

Leedey is located approximately 34 miles north of Interstate 40 at Exit 41, the Elk City turnoff, via Oklahoma State Highway 34.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	468		—
1930	646		38.0%
1940	574		−11.1%
1950	558		−2.8%
1960	451		−19.2%
1970	465		3.1%
1980	499		7.3%
1990	468		−6.2%
2000	345		−26.3%
2010	435		26.1%
2020	415		−4.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [6]

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 345 people, 164 households, and 105 families residing in the town. The population density was 880.3 inhabitants per square mile (339.9/km²). There were 220 housing units at an average density of 561.3 per square mile (216.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.10% White, 1.45% Native American, 0.29% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 164 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,667, and the median income for a family was $33,125. Males had a median income of $23,438 versus $14,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,151. About 18.2% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Darla Hood of the "Our Gang" series was born in Leedey on November 4, 1931.
• Pat Irwin (1921–1999), Justice of the Oklahoma State Supreme Court.

External links

• Leedey Public Schools

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Leedey, Oklahoma
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Leedey". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
5. "F5/EF-5 Tornadoes In Oklahoma (1905-Present)". National Weather Service. Norman, OK Weather Forecast Office.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.