Keyes, Oklahoma

Keyes was established in 1925 by the Elkhart and Santa Fe Railway (both leased to and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway).[5][6] The company named the town after a deceased railroad engineer.[6] The line is now part of the Cimarron Valley Railroad.[7]

Keyes was also the final destination of the Beaver, Meade and Englewood Railroad, which reached town from the east on June 25, 1931.[8] That line was abandoned in 1972.[9]

Keyes is located at 36°48′30″N 102°15′00″W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all land.

Keyes is at the intersection of U.S. Route 56 and the northern terminus of Oklahoma State Highway 171.[10] Keyes is approximately 16 miles northeast of the Cimarron County seat, Boise City,[11] and about 26 miles southwest of Elkhart, Kansas.[12]

The closest major airport is Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, about 91 miles.[13]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 324 people, 131 households, and 88 families residing in the town.[15] There were 234 housing units.[15] The racial makeup of the town was 94.1% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.[15] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.2% of the population.[15]

There were 131 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families.[15] 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15] The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.08.[15]

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older.[16] The median age was 43.0 years.[16] For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.[16]

According to the 2013 American Community Survey, The median income for a household in the town was $36,827, and the median income for a family was $62,639.[17] Males had a median income of $36,750 versus $40,833 for females.[17] The per capita income for the town was $22,522.[17] About 8.1% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 53.5% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.[17]

The town's location in the Hugoton Friedrich Basin makes it an ideal source for helium production from natural gas. A helium plant was built near Keyes in 1958.[6] 169,000 million cubic feet (4.8×10⁹ m³) of liquid helium is produced annually by the Keyes Helium Company.

• Jack Hoxie (1885–1965), rodeo cowboy, Hollywood silent movie cowboy actor