The Community
Norman
The University of Oklahoma's main campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma. Norman is the third largest city in Oklahoma (just over 90,000 residents by the Census Bureau Estimate, 1996), and is roughly 190 square miles in area (Lake Thunderbird is contained within the city limits). It is located approximately 20 miles south of the State Capital in Oklahoma City along Interstate 35, and approximately 15 miles south of the intersection of Interstates 40 and 35.
By car, Norman is approximately two hours from Tulsa; two hours from Dallas; six hours from Kansas City; and eight hours from St. Louis. Norman's airport, Max Westheimer Field (located on OU's North Campus), handles light civil aviation; for regular commercial flights, Norman is 30 minutes from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma, the 46th state, entered the Union in 1907, 17 years after the founding of The University of Oklahoma, and two years before Dean Julien C. Monnet founded the College of Law. A mixture of rural agricultural and urban communities, Oklahoma is surrounded by Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. It slopes gently down from northwest to southeast, from the Black Mesa (elevation: 4973 ft) in the Panhandle to McCurtain County (elevation: 287 ft) in the southeast corner.
Geography
The western half of Oklahoma is covered by expansive tall-grass prairie; in sharp contrast, the eastern half is dominated by forest. Norman lies on the border of the two regions: east Norman is covered in thick deciduous forest (mostly blackjack, white, pin, and red oaks, with flowering dogwoods and redbuds, as well as many other species), while the trees become more sparse on the west side of town, leading into the western prairies. Many of the trees in the areas surrounding the University are only there because the University's first President, David Ross Boyd, began a massive forestation project (in the earliest pictures of the University, there are no trees visible for miles around the campus).
Demographics
Oklahoma's population is just over 3.2 million people. According to census data, this breaks down to 82.1% white, 8% American Indian, 7.4% African American, 2.7% Hispanic, and 1.1% Asian. Oklahoma has the largest American Indian population of any state, with just over 250,000. In fact, the name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw words okla (people) and humma (red), so the state's name literally means red people.
Climate
Norman's climate is classified as temperate, with an annual mean temperature of 61.4 degrees Fahrenheit and precipitation of 35.4 inches. We normally have mild winters and hot summers (in late July and August the temperatures can be in the 90s and low 100s during the day); humidity is normally fairly low, and rainfall is moderate, though it can be quite heavy for short periods of time. As Will Rogers said, if you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait five minutes. Late spring and fall are known as tornado season, and Oklahoma is known as the buckle on the tornado belt, but there hasn't been a confirmed tornado in Norman in almost 50 years (though there have been around 50 in the rest of Cleveland County since 1950).
Economy
As you might guess, The University of Oklahoma is Norman's major economic influence. Norman is considered a part of the Greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area, though it is not really a suburb of Oklahoma City (the two cities have grown toward each other, and now share a few common miles of city limits). In addition, a large number of Norman residents work in Oklahoma City; at one point, it was estimated that a majority of Cleveland County (where Norman is located) residents worked outside of the county. Oklahoma's economy was built upon and has been highly dependent upon both agriculture and the petroleum industry, though moves have been made to reduce the state's dependence upon them. The University, state government (Oklahoma City is the state capital, after all), the Federal government (through the FAA's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and the Air Force's Tinker Air Force Base), and General Motors are all major employers in the metro Oklahoma City area, supported by numerous other businesses, both large and small.
Employment
There are many jobs to be had in the metro Oklahoma City area. To help you deal with part-time jobs and internships during law school and employment after graduation, the College of Law maintains the Office of Legal Career Services. In addition, the University runs a campus-wide Career Services office, which is available to all OU students, including law students, although it is highly recommended that you use the Office of Legal Career Services if you're seeking employment in the legal field.
Housing
Housing in Norman (and the metro Oklahoma City area) is generally less expensive than most other areas of the country: the cost of living is 10% below the national average, and housing costs are 20% below the national average. The University has housing available for single or married students, and there are numerous options for students who choose to live off-campus. Click here for more information about Norman from the Norman Economic Development Coalition (offsite, opens in a new window).
On-campus housing options range from dormitory rooms to campus apartments. Click here to learn more about on-campus housing from OU Housing and Food Services (opens in a new window).