Blanchard

The vast rural landscape of West Blanchard extends past Main Street, encompasses the small-but-mighty Middleberg community, and reaches towards Interstate 44, Amber and Pocasset. It’s the current site of a fast-growing community sprawling outward from Norman and Oklahoma City. Vast expanses of farmland are balanced by modern subdivisions that give newcomers a chance to interact with their community members more closely. West Blanchard merges with Newcastle and Tuttle at the locally dubbed “Tri-City Area,” which acts as a central shopping hub for all three communities. “Because it’s a more rural area and there’s space for everything, there’s a wide selection of home types,” shares Meghan Groff, a Realtor with Luxury Real Estate who lives and works in Blanchard. “Metal shop homes, mobile homes, and even container homes have hit the market. And of course, you have your traditional brick-and-mortar homes and a sprinkle of farm homes as well.” West Blanchard still echoes with remnants of pre-developed land: acreage with ponds full of fish, creeks and grassy plains. Few homes currently on sale in West Blanchard were built before 2010. Depending on the size and age of their lots, new homeowners may start from scratch with a blank grass slate or enjoy the shade of mature oak trees. A metal-framed ranch will go for $245,000, while 3 to 4-bedroom brick ranch-styles hover around $350,000. Plots of land range from $70,000 for a lakefront lot to $450,000 for acreage near major interstates. Many students living in Blanchard’s rural western half attend Middleberg Public School -- which earns an A from Niche – for grades prekindergarten through 8 before becoming a Blanchard High School Lion. Others make their way through the full Blanchard School District pipeline. Blanchard Elementary School earns a B from Niche, while Blanchard Intermediate School and Blanchard Middle School earn an A-minus. Regardless of the path they take, Blanchard Lion spirit and sports pair with great academics. This is especially true at Blanchard High, which earns a B-minus from Niche. While surrounding districts follow a 4-day week structure, Blanchard sticks to the traditional 5-day week. West Blanchard is car-dependent, but access to both Interstate 44 and the H.E. Bailey Turnpike gives locals a clear path to Norman in 22 miles and OKC in 38. Visitors arrive at Will Rogers World Airport 29 miles away. A family practice and an urgent care can be found in downtown Blanchard, but locals make a 15-mile drive to Grady Memorial Hospital in Chickasha. West Blanchard residents head eastward to peruse The Shops at Blanchard Town Square and walk down Blanchard’s Main Street. Local restaurant fare like Burrito Grill’s popular Mexican and vegetarian options balance out chains, and residents pop into boutiques like Threadgood Clothing Co. Outside of quick jaunts to Spencer’s Grocery, locals will head further outside Blanchard for their essentials. “The Tri-City Area is where Newcastle, Tuttle and Blanchard connect into one main hub,” Groff explains. “It's a shopping center with a Walmart and a few good restaurants.” This commercial hotspot is about 13 miles north on Oklahoma Route 76. Members of the Winter Creek Golf & Country Club enjoy expansive greens, wine tastings and other exclusive events, while a trip to Lions Park in downtown Blanchard yields an afternoon of playground fun or a walk with the dogs. Locals and visiting nature lovers can stay overnight at Tiger Safari Zoological Park and get up close to tigers, lemurs, and more with interactive exhibits. “Sports are a big factor out here in Blanchard and surrounding towns,” Groff shares. “Baseball is the primary sport, but the football team just won states and they just built a new field. All the Little League games happen at South Park.” West Blanchard residents head to downtown Blanchard’s Main Street for local events that connect the town’s past and present, like the themed Blanchard Days parade or the annual Mufflers on Main Street car show. Locals pack The University of Oklahoma stadium in Norman on Game Day. “All the communities around Newcastle are relative to oil fields and fracking,” Groff notes. “It has shifted the ground a bit and does cause earthquakes, I think 2011 was when we first really started feeling them. All the buildings are built with close tension foundations to keep things together from the shifting and dry soil.”