Edmond Oklahoma is located in the center of the state, only about ten miles north of Oklahoma City. It is a city in its own right in spite of being part of the urban sprawl that is the greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The town is a suburb of the larger city to the south, and most tourists who come here do so for business or something related to Oklahoma Central University.

Edmond is also a good place to stay if your main destination is Oklahoma City. You can find less expensive accommodations that are in a quieter area, but still have easy access to the city. Additionally, you will also be only ten miles from Guthrie, a thriving center of tourism with many attractions and things to do.

The history of Edmond Oklahoma as a modern city began in the late 1880s, when the Santa Fe Railroad laid its tracks through what was then Oklahoma Territory. A water and coaling station was established here because it was on a high point, meaning the engines could easily accelerate downhill on departure in either direction. The station was named for Edmund Burdick, freight agent for the railroad. Then came the famous Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889, and a town grew up around the station almost overnight.

Oklahoma Map

You can see some of this history, as the first schoolhouse in the Oklahoma Territory (1889) still stands here in town. You can visit on the first two Saturdays of each month or by appointment. The Territorial Normal School (now the University of Central Oklahoma) held its first classes here in 1891.

On the western outskirts of Edmond Oklahoma is lovely Lake Arcadia with 26 miles of shoreline. Here you can enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, and picnicking. There are also 140 campsites and spaces for recreational vehicles and campers.

Edmond sits on the original Route 66, and the state continues to maintain the original route and calls it by the same historic name and number. Take a drive on the "Mother Road" to visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, which houses a world-class collection of western themed fine art, artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs chronicling the Old West. There is a superb collection focusing on the Native American peoples and the 39 tribes of the state, including priceless Lakota beadwork, clothing, jewelry, blankets and other woven items, pottery, and drums. You might also take a day to have fun at the Frontier City Theme Park, with typical waterpark and amusement park thrill rides.

Most of the Edmond OK hotels are well-known franchises catering to business travelers or those who have come only to spend a night en route to or from somewhere else. These include a Best Western, Holiday, Inn, Hampton Inn, and Fairfield Inn. However, there are a number of wonderful bed and breakfasts, many in lovingly restored Victorian homes that are part of the city's history. One of these is the Arcadian Inn, located at 328 East First Street on the southwest corner of the university campus. Enough of these have appeared in Edmond since the late 1980s, that this city may well soon rival Guthrie as the bed and breakfast capital of Oklahoma. A hallmark of this inn is the delicious homemade breakfasts served individually in each room.