Edmond today is a rapidly growing community, but it hasn't always been that way. Until the early 1880s, Edmond was home mostly to bison and black bears. In 1887 the Santa Fe railroad completed a railway from Kansas to Texas. As the train made its trek across the states, there arose a need for a watering station. Edmond was chosen because of its "good" water spring. The Santa Fe Railroad changed the town's unofficial name of "Summit" to "Edmond" on July 14, 1887. In April of 1889, the great Oklahoma land run occurred, and homesteads were staked all around the Santa Fe station. This land run was just a small taste of the boom in growth that was to occur over the next 100 years. Since then, Edmond has grown from a city populated by bison and bears into a city rapidly developing.

Edmond schools have been awarded the National Blue Ribbon Award six times since 1992. The National Blue Ribbon Award is given by the U.S. Department of Education and is based on a set of eight rigorous categories of selection criteria. For more information on the Edmond School District you can visit www.edmondschools.net.

The University of Central Oklahoma is one of the main reasons that Edmond has experienced such rapid growth. UCO was founded in 1890 as a school for teachers. The school has gone through a lot of changes since its humble beginnings, though it still maintains its roots and its rich history. UCO continues to offer programs in education and liberal arts, as well as degrees in other disciplines. Currently, the university instructs more than 14,000 students and has a full-time faculty of around 400 professors.

One of Edmond's proudest features is its wide variety of community recreational programs and facilities. The Pelican Bay Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art aquatic facility with two 150-foot water slides for kids and a lap pool consisting of six 25-yard lanes. There is a 12-foot deep diving pool, which allows diving from a one-meter board. Edmond is also home to a 17,500-square-foot skate park for those interested in skateboarding. It is one of the state's first skate parks and has several ramps, pipes, half-pipes and bowls for skaters of all levels. For the tennis player, there is Kickingbird Tennis Center. It has nine outdoor courts and three indoor courts for those rainy days. Oak Tree Golf and Country Club, which has served as the host for several PGA Tour events, is proud to be located in Edmond.