Del City

Del City, Oklahoma — Born from One Man's Dream, Built by Families, Anchored by Military Pride & Still Going Strong After 75 Years

There is a story behind Del City that is unlike many other city foundings in the OKC metro. It does not begin with a land run alone, a railroad auction, or a corporate master plan, but with a Capitol Hill home builder named George Epperly, a 160-acre wheat field, and a simple, powerful idea: that what most American families wanted was to own their own home. In 1946 he bought the field at the corner of Southeast 29th Street and Sunnylane Road, built 50 houses, and watched them sell so fast that families moved in before finish work was done. In 1948, about 200 families voted to incorporate — naming the place after Epperly's eldest daughter, Delaphene, while streets carried the names of his other daughters: Doris, Mickey, and June.

That founding story — personal, practical, and deeply human — still runs through Del City. The community blends small-town steadiness with big-city access: roughly 7.5 square miles, more than 21,000 residents, tucked between Oklahoma City and Midwest City, with Interstate 40 running through the city and Tinker Air Force Base along the eastern edge. Del City has had to adapt through economic ups and downs, but it has kept a recognizable identity. Here, that is not a marketing line; it is traceable local history.

From a Wheat Field to a City — The George Epperly Story

In 1946, only a handful of families lived in what would become Del City. George Irvin Epperly, a home builder from Capitol Hill, bought the first 160 acres at Southeast 29th and Sunnylane in unincorporated Oklahoma County. He planned 50 homes between two job centers, using precut, subassembled units to control cost and speed construction. The first house was ready in January 1947; the rest sold so quickly that many buyers moved in before final trim was complete.

By the 1948 incorporation vote, the community had grown to hundreds of homes — a large share linked to Epperly's Better Built Homes. He also donated land for schools and churches. When it came time to name the city, he challenged his four daughters to suggest names, but in the end he named the town for Delaphene and used Doris, Mickey, and June for street names. Epperly died in 1975; a bust of him is displayed at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and at the Del City Municipal Building — a quiet tribute to the man who built a community because he believed working families deserved decent housing.

Growth, Peaks, and Stabilization

Del City grew from about 2,500 residents in 1950 to more than 22,000 by 2000. The population peaked around 28,500 in 1980, just before the oil bust and tough years of the 1980s. That arc mirrors wider Oklahoma cycles: rapid postwar growth, a painful contraction, and decades of steady civic rebuilding. Understanding that pattern helps explain both the city's infrastructure and the resilience of its neighborhoods.

The Crossroads of America — Location at the Heart of the OKC Metro

Interstate 40 cuts northwest to southeast through Del City; Interstate 35 lies a short distance west. The city borders southeast Oklahoma City, Midwest City, and Tinker. The northwest corner sits about a mile from the I-35/I-40 junction — the reason Del City has long called itself part of the “Crossroads of America.” From here, downtown Oklahoma City is a short drive west, Will Rogers World Airport is practical to the south, and Tinker lies immediately east — a rare mix of access for a city this size.

Tinker Air Force Base — Del City's Defining Neighbor

No institution has shaped Del City more than Tinker Air Force Base, established in 1942 and today Oklahoma's largest military installation and one of the state's largest employers. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex performs maintenance, repair, and overhaul work of national importance. Since World War II, Del City has served both military and civilian residents — a pairing that shows up in everyday civic life, hiring patterns, and the pride residents take in service.

Armed Forces Day Parade — Community Pride on Display

The annual Del City/Shriners Armed Forces Day Parade is one of the clearest expressions of that heritage. Held each May, it ranks among the largest ongoing parades in Oklahoma and draws crowds from across the metro. It runs through Del City streets with turnout that feels grounded in gratitude rather than spectacle — an honest reflection of a town tied to the military for generations.

Music Heritage — Oklahoma Country & Western Music Hall of Fame

Del City hosts the Oklahoma Country & Western Music Hall of Fame — a regional institution that celebrates Oklahoma's deep contributions to country, western swing, and bluegrass. Regular concerts and events tie living audiences to a heritage that stretches from Bob Wills' western swing to Tulsa-area innovation and beyond.

Preserving the Story — Historical Society & Layers of the Land

The Del City Preservation & Historical Society (organized in 1975) grew from residents wanting to document their town. Descendants of Land Run homesteaders helped identify original claims inside city limits; researchers also documented that Del City sits along part of the historic Arbuckle cattle trail. Beneath the postwar subdivisions and interstate lanes lies a deeper chronicle — from cattle drives to homesteads to the wartime buildup that created Tinker — giving Del City's narrative real texture.

The society's archives and exhibitions connect with the Del City Preservation Center and the city's war memorials — tangible reminders of both pioneer roots and military service.

Memorials and Outdoor Life

The Vietnam War memorial near the Del City Community Center is one of eastern Oklahoma County's most meaningful civic spaces — especially in a community where neighbors' ties to service run personally and deeply.

Outdoor amenities include the Del City Ball Park, three bicycle and pedestrian trails, Ray Trent Park, Eagle Lake (fishing and boating with nearby trails), and Eagle Harbor Aquatic Center behind the community center on SE 15th — a compact recreation footprint that punches above Del City's size.

Schools, Career Tech, and Higher Ed Reach

Del City students primarily attend Mid-Del Public Schools — an east-metro district that includes Del City High School, middle schools, and elementary campuses inside city limits, plus private options. The Mid-Del Career Technology Center offers career and technical training recognized beyond the state.

Within about twenty miles sit Rose State College, the University of Oklahoma, and other colleges — a practical educational ladder for families planning long-term.

Notable Del City Alumni — Athletics and Service

Del City High School claims outsized stories in sports and service: Olympic freestyle wrestling champion John Smith (1988 and 1992), later a storied coach at Oklahoma State; Buffalo Bills lineman Bob Kalsu, an Army officer killed in Vietnam — for whom Robert Kalsu Stadium is named — reflecting sacrifice more powerfully than any scoreboard; and MLB pitcher Nick Blackburn (Minnesota Twins). Together they mirror Del City's blend of competitiveness, grit, and duty.

Local Institutions — Don's Alley and Midwest Trophy Manufacturing

Don Moore opened Don's Alley at 4601 Southeast 29th Street in 1955; for decades it remained a working neighborhood grill — the kind of independent restaurant chains cannot clone.

Midwest Trophy Manufacturing grew from Dave Smith's Del City garage in 1971 into a major employer — at one point hundreds of local jobs — proof of Epperly's original bet that families who moved here would build businesses too.

The Del City Sasquatch — Local Legend

Every town needs a harmless myth. Del City's is the “Del City Sasquatch,” reportedly spotted between Townsend Elementary and Draper Lake — a playful story passed among neighbors who take their history seriously and their tall tales with good humor.

Daily Life — Access, Values, and Visitor Basics

Daily life mixes neighborhood calm with metro convenience: local shops, parks, and quick trips downtown for dining or events. Major highways keep regional healthcare, retail, and employers within practical reach.

City Hall can be reached at (405) 671-2820. Official information lives at cityofdelcity.gov; the chamber at delcitychamber.com. Social updates often appear through City of Del City on Facebook. Useful anchors include Eagle Harbor Aquatic Center (3701 SE 15th Street), the Del City Community Center on the same corridor, Rose State College (rosestate.edu), Mid-Del Career Technology Center (mid-del-atc.com), and Robert Kalsu Stadium at Del City High School.