IXL, Oklahoma

{{Short description|Historical freedmen's town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}

File:Ixl OK Boundary Sign 7-2025.jpg

IXL (or I.X.L.) is an historical freedmen's town{{cite web|url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=IX001|title=IXL {{!}} The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|website=www.okhistory.org|access-date=December 26, 2018}} in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States.{{GNIS|2412798}} It is located on Oklahoma State Highway 48, about 9 miles northwest of the county seat of Okemah.{{cite web|url= https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Okemah,+OK/Ixl,+OK/@35.4793716,-96.4555983,12z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x87b40c8ed4047a8b:0x618263ba473cdf13!2m2!1d-96.3050064!2d35.4325854!1m5!1m1!1s0x87b409c98a3b23a9:0x5691521c87e51b43!2m2!1d-96.3883414!2d35.5225794!3e0?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D |title=Okemah, Oklahoma to Ixl, Oklahoma|publisher=Google Maps|accessdate=May 12, 2025}} Okemah Lake is to its east.

While founded perhaps as early as 1900, it was only incorporated in 2001{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/index.html |title=Boundary Changes |work=Geographic Change Notes: Oklahoma |publisher=Population Division, United States Census Bureau |date=May 19, 2006 |accessdate=July 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206063031/http://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/index.html |archivedate=February 6, 2006 }} and had an estimated population of 59 in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-40.csv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926135504/http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-40.csv |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2008 |title=Table 4. Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Oklahoma: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 |format=CSV |publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division |date=July 10, 2007 |accessdate=July 13, 2008 }} The population was also 59 at the time of the 2020 census.{{cite web|url= https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=IXL%20town,%20Oklahoma |title=IXL (town), Oklahoma|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 29, 2023}}

The source of IXL's unusual{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29zh3dIgmv8C&pg=PR10 | title=Welcome to Horneytown, North Carolina, Population: 15: An insider's guide to 201 of the world's weirdest and wildest places | publisher=Adams Media | author=Parker, Quentin | year=2010 | pages=x | isbn=9781440507397 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} name is disputed. A 2012 article on the town's website explained that the name derived from Indian Exchange Land, a reference to the town being on Mvskoke land.{{cite web|url=http://visitixlok.com/welcome|title=What does "IXL" mean?|last=Wallace|first=William|date=March 12, 2012|work=IXL|accessdate=June 18, 2014|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618122535/http://visitixlok.com/welcome|archivedate=June 18, 2014}} Other sources claim that the letters were taken from the names of three men.{{cite news|first=Gary |last=Horcher |title=Oklahoma's Strangely Named Towns: IXL, Oklahoma |url=http://www.kwtv.com/news/strange/ixl.htm |publisher=KWTV-DT |date=September 4, 1999 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011218005945/http://www.kwtv.com/news/strange/ixl.htm |archivedate=December 18, 2001 |accessdate=August 16, 2013 |url-status=unfit }} Some people think it’s an onomatopoeic boast suggesting "I excel."{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/other/50-strangest-town-names-in-america-and-where-they-came-from/ss-BB16Jyvn?ocid=msedgdhp#image=51 | title= 50 Strangest Town Names in America (and Where They Came From)|publisher=Coleman Andrews, MSN News, July 14, 2020|accessdate=July 17, 2020}}

This town should not be confused with Oklahoma towns in Kay County and Tillman County which also bears the "IXL" name.