Edmond housing, from the 1889 townsite to new subdivisions
Edmond started as a railroad stop and land run town in 1889, and its oldest blocks still sit around downtown and the University of Central Oklahoma. The 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse at 2nd and Boulevard was the first public schoolhouse in Oklahoma Territory, and the Territorial Normal School, now UCO, began at 2nd and University. By 1907 natural gas lines had reached town and a housing addition was going up south of 2nd Street between Broadway and Boulevard, according to Visit Edmond's city history.
Most of Edmond is much younger than that. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put the median year built for Edmond homes at 1996. About 3 in 10 houses date from the 1970s and 1980s, roughly 4 in 10 have been built since 2000, and only about 1 in 12 predates 1970. The 1980s alone brought Hafer Park, the dedication of Arcadia Lake and the Oak Tree Country Club, and growth continued: the city counted 68,315 residents in 2000 and 81,405 in 2010.
That spread shapes our work. A house near UCO may still have original drain lines and galvanized branches. A 1980s slab home is often on its second or third water heater, with copper under the floor. A recent build usually has PEX and plastic drains.
Neighborhoods and landmarks across a big city
Edmond covers about 87 square miles. It reaches from the northwest side, where Deer Creek Public Schools serve part of the city, to Arcadia Lake on the east side of Interstate 35. The city-owned KickingBird Golf Club reopened in 2023 after a $21 million renovation. Oak Tree National, the Pete Dye course that opened in 1976 and hosted the 1988 PGA Championship, sits inside an established neighborhood of its own. Mitch Park, Hafer Park and Spring Creek Park give the city its large green spaces, and Spring Creek is one of the two main waterways feeding Arcadia Lake, along with the Deep Fork River.
East of I-35 the lots get bigger and more rural, with longer water service lines, septic and aerobic systems, and long gas runs to shops and outdoor kitchens. If your property draws from a private well, we service the pressure tank too.
Edmond water: Arcadia Lake, city wells and Coffee Creek
Edmond runs its own water utility. Its 2025 water quality report lists three supplies: Arcadia Lake, built with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Deep Fork River; about 60 city wells in the Garber-Wellington aquifer; and water purchased from Oklahoma City. The city blends groundwater with lake water to limit disinfection byproducts. The Arcadia Lake treatment plant dates to 1987 and treats 12 million gallons a day, with state financing approved in 2026 to expand it to 30 million.
Demand swings with the seasons. The city's 2018 sustainability report put winter use as low as 8 million gallons a day and average summer use as high as 26 million, and the city's conservation goals target summer landscape irrigation. Edmond follows a regional conservation plan shared with Oklahoma City, with odd and even lawn watering in effect year-round.
The Coffee Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility on North Midwest Boulevard serves the majority of residents. The city notes that many other properties depend on septic or aerobic systems and recommends a professional inspection at least every three years.
Clay soil, creeks and hard freezes
Central Oklahoma sits on red shale and clay. The Oklahoma Geological Survey reports that more than 75 percent of the state has bedrock that can produce expansive soils, and that clays such as montmorillonite can swell to 1.5 to 2 times their dry volume. In Edmond that movement shows up as shifting slabs, separated sewer joints and water lines that crack where they enter the house. Creek corridors along Spring Creek and Coffee Creek add mature trees whose roots find sewer lines.
Winter is the other stress. On February 16, 2021, Oklahoma City hit minus 14°F, its second-lowest temperature on record, and every one of the Oklahoma Mesonet's 120 stations fell below zero. During that event Edmond Electric, the city-owned utility that has served Edmond since 1908, asked customers to conserve power and natural gas and to set thermostats lower. Our Edmond frozen pipe repair page covers how local homes freeze.
Permits and inspections in Edmond
Plumbing permits go through the city's Building & Fire Code Services at 22 E. Main Street. The city's permit guide says alterations to plumbing systems, including piping, need a permit, while repairs to the working parts of a faucet or valve and clearing a stoppage do not. Gas piping falls under the mechanical permit. Inspections are booked by text, with separate codes for plumbing rough-in, sewer line, water line and gas pressure tests.
