Vian is a town in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census. It has three highways running through it: SH 82, or Thornton Street; U.S. 64, or Schley Street; and I-40. It is home to the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge on the Arkansas River. It is a major destination on I-40 in Sequoyah County, for it is the only way to Tahlequah and Lake Tenkiller for miles. It is also the only I-40 Exit that goes on OK-82, and it is Exit 297. Lodging in Vian Includes the El Siesta Motel, the place where Timothy McVeigh was said to have stayed the night before he bombed The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. There are a few restaurants in Vian, including a Subway at I-40 and SH 82. Other than three grocery stores, commerce in Vian is mostly thrift shops. Other than that, Vian is mostly a bedroom community.
Geography
Vian is located at 35°29′52″N 94°58′15″W / 35.49778°N 94.97083°W / 35.49778; -94.97083 (35.497910, -94.970841).[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,362 people, 503 households, and 339 families residing in the town.[1] The population density was 1,702.3 people per square mile (657.3/km²). There were 558 housing units at an average density of 697.4 per square mile (269.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 51.54% White, 6.98% African American, 26.51% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 14.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 503 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $18,264, and the median income for a family was $24,167. Males had a median income of $26,731 versus $16,806 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,471. About 28.2% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.2% of those under age 18 and 33.5% of those age 65 or over.
Vian in Popular Culture
A scene in the 1974 movie, Where the Red Fern Grows, was filmed in Vian. In the movie, it was credited as Tahlequah.[citation needed]
Notable residents
References
| Best Weather on the Web
