Heavener, once known as Choctaw City, is located in southeastern Oklahoma north of the Ouachita National Forest. The name was changed in the late 1800's after Mr. Joe Heavener, owner of the land on which the town now rests. Some local attractions are Cedar Lake, the Ouachita National Forest, and the Runestone State Park.
Cecil Leachman Arena located at the north end of town
The average January temperature in Heavener is 41 degrees Fahrenheit with a July
temperature average of 80 degrees. The area receives an average of 45 inches of rain
annually and 5 inches of snow. The average number of flying days is 332.
Data from the 1990 population census place the Heavener population at 2,601. This is a decrease of 6.3% from 1980. Approximately 6% of the population of LeFlore County resides in Heavener.
| Area | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 1992 est. |
|
| City | 2,566 | 2,776 | 2601 | 2,560 |
|
| County | 32,137 | 40,698 | 43,270 | 43,536 |
|
| 30 Mile Radius | N/A | N/A | 47,300 | 47,600 |
In Heavener, 84.39% of the population is White, 15.11% is Native American, and the
remaining .5% is comprised of all other races.
The LeFlore County labor force was 23,460 in 1992. Participation rate in the county labor force constitutes 63% of males and 46% of females.
| City Labor Force Factor | Male | Female | Total |
|
| Civilian Labor Force | 521 | 405 | 926 |
|
| Employed | 493 | 385 | 878 |
|
| Estimated Labor Availability within 30 miles | 1,020 | 790 | 1,810 |
Heavener's property tax rate is $79.52 per $1,000 assessed value for the year 1993. The
fractional assessment percentage for real and personal property is 11.00%. The property
tax is ditrubuted as follows:
| City | County | School | Other | Total |
|
| $0.00 | $21.50 | $50.02 | $8.00 | $79.52 |
Utility services are provided primarily by the following carriers:
| Electric - | Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. |
| Natural Gas - | Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. |
| Telephone - | Altell |
Water System
| Storage Capacity | Daily Consumption | Pressure In Mains | Source | Capacity | |
| 1,610,000 | Max: 600,000 | 70 PSI | Wister Lake | 3,300,000 | |
| Min: 400,000 | 60 PSI |
Heavener is located at the intersection of US 59, US 270, and SH 128. This makes for a large ammount of commercial semi-truck traffic. At least ten motor freight companies serve Heavener on an as-needed basis. The nearest interstate highway is I-40, which approximately 50 miles north in Sallisaw Oklahoma.
Kansas City Southern Railroad, which operates ten local trains daily, is the only rail provider for Heavener.
The nearest local airport is in Poteau Oklahoma, 15 miles to the north. The nearest commercial airport is 50 miles from Heavener in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. It has a 5,000 foot ashpalt runway. This airport is a full service field with several major commercial airlines in operation. The most active Air Carriers in Ft. Smith are American Eagle, Atlantic Southwest, Northwest Airlink.
The nearest water transportation available is in the port of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. It is
50 miles from Heavener and has a channel depth of 9 feet. It is connected via the Arkansas
River to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.