| Counties of Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| Location | State of Oklahoma |
| Number | 77 |
| Populations | 2,133 (Cimarron) – 816,490 (Oklahoma) |
| Areas | 371 square miles (960 km2) (Marshall) – 2,251 square miles (5,830 km2) (Osage) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions |
|
TheU.S. state ofOklahoma has 77counties. It is ranked 20th in size and 17th in the number of counties, betweenMississippi with 82 counties andArkansas with 75 counties.[1]
Oklahoma originally had seven counties (Logan, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Canadian, Kingfisher, Payne, and Beaver) when it was first organized as theOklahoma Territory. These counties were designated numerically, first through seventh. New counties added after this were designated by letters of the alphabet. The first seven counties were later renamed. The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention named all of the counties that were formed when Oklahoma entered statehood in 1907. Only two counties have been formed since then.[2] Upon statehood, all Oklahoma counties allowedcivil townshipswithin their counties. A few years after statehood, a constitutional amendment allowed them to be abolished on a county-by-county basis, and by the mid-1930s, all Oklahoma counties had voted to do so.[3]
According to theOklahoma Constitution, a county can be disorganized if the sum of all taxable property is less than $2.5 million. If so, then a petition must be signed by one-fourth of the population and then a vote would occur. If a majority votes for dissolution of the county, the county will be combined with an adjacent county with the lowest valuation of taxable property.[4]
TheFederal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.
The area in these tables is land area, and does not include water area.
Oklahoma'spostal abbreviation isOK and itsFIPS state code is40.
| County | FIPS code[5] | County seat[6] | Est.[6] | Origin | Etymology[7] | Density | Population[8] | Area[6] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 001 | Stilwell | 1907 | Cherokee lands[9] | William Penn Adair,Cherokee tribal leader and Confederate colonel in theAmerican Civil War[9] | 34.41 | 19,821 | 576 sq mi (1,492 km2) | |
| Alfalfa County | 003 | Cherokee | 1907 | Woods County | William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray, ninthGovernor of Oklahoma;[10] also thealfalfa crops grown there[11] | 6.59 | 5,712 | 867 sq mi (2,246 km2) | |
| Atoka County | 005 | Atoka | 1907 | Choctaw lands | Captain Atoka, a notedChoctaw leader and signer of theTreaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek[12] | 14.93 | 14,600 | 978 sq mi (2,533 km2) | |
| Beaver County | 007 | Beaver | 1890 | Seventh County (entirepanhandle until 1907)[13] | TheBeaver River[14] | 2.77 | 5,025 | 1,814 sq mi (4,698 km2) | |
| Beckham County | 009 | Sayre | 1907 | Greer County and Roger Mills County[15] | J. C. W. Beckham,Governor of Kentucky[15] | 24.67 | 22,248 | 902 sq mi (2,336 km2) | |
| Blaine County | 011 | Watonga | 1890 | Part ofCheyenne andArapaho reservation.[16] | James G. Blaine, Speaker of theU. S. House of Representatives,U.S. Senator andSecretary of State[17] | 9.23 | 8,573 | 929 sq mi (2,406 km2) | |
| Bryan County | 013 | Durant | 1907 | Choctaw lands | William Jennings Bryan,Secretary of State, famous orator and three-time U.S. Presidential candidate[18] | 55.34 | 50,305 | 909 sq mi (2,354 km2) | |
| Caddo County | 015 | Anadarko | 1901 | Indian Territory | From Indian word "Kaddi" meaninglife orchief[19] | 20.61 | 26,337 | 1,278 sq mi (3,310 km2) | |
| Canadian County | 017 | El Reno | 1890 | Part ofCheyenne andArapaho reservation[20] | TheCanadian River.[21] | 201.96 | 181,760 | 900 sq mi (2,331 km2) | |
| Carter County | 019 | Ardmore | 1907 | Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation | A prominent family of early settlers, includingCharles D. Carter[22] | 59.63 | 49,135 | 824 sq mi (2,134 km2) | |
| Cherokee County | 021 | Tahlequah | 1907 | Originally settled by Cherokee Indians following theTrail of Tears | Cherokee Nation of Indians[23] | 64.89 | 48,729 | 751 sq mi (1,945 km2) | |
| Choctaw County | 023 | Hugo | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | Choctaw Nation of Indians[24] | 18.31 | 14,174 | 774 sq mi (2,005 km2) | |
| Cimarron County | 025 | Boise City | 1907 | Seventh County (entire panhandle until 1907)[13] | Cimarron River[25] | 1.16 | 2,133 | 1,835 sq mi (4,753 km2) | |
| Cleveland County | 027 | Norman | 1890 | County 3 in Oklahoma Territory. | Grover Cleveland, twicePresident of the United States[26] | 567.07 | 303,952 | 536 sq mi (1,388 km2) | |
| Coal County | 029 | Coalgate | 1907 | Atoka County, Choctaw Nation | Coal, the primary economic product of the region at the time[27] | 10.45 | 5,414 | 518 sq mi (1,342 km2) | |
| Comanche County | 031 | Lawton | 1907 | Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache reservation | The nameComanche comes from theUte wordkɨmantsi meaning 'enemy, stranger'.[28] | 113.56 | 121,396 | 1,069 sq mi (2,769 km2) | |
| Cotton County | 033 | Walters | 1912 | Lands ofQuapaws, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Comanche Reservation, andBig Pasture | The principal economic base of the county,cotton[29] | 8.64 | 5,503 | 637 sq mi (1,650 km2) | |
| Craig County | 035 | Vinita | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Granville Craig, a prominent Cherokee planter[30] | 19.06 | 14,506 | 761 sq mi (1,971 km2) | |
| Creek County | 037 | Sapulpa | 1907 | Creek Nation | Creek Nation of Indians[31] | 77.38 | 73,971 | 956 sq mi (2,476 km2) | |
| Custer County | 039 | Arapaho | 1892 | Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation | George A. Custer,United States Armycavalry commander during theIndian Wars[32] | 28.64 | 28,266 | 987 sq mi (2,556 km2) | |
| Delaware County | 041 | Jay | 1907 | Delaware District of Cherokee Nation | Delaware Nation of Indians[2] | 56.37 | 41,771 | 741 sq mi (1,919 km2) | |
| Dewey County | 043 | Taloga | 1892 | Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation | AdmiralGeorge Dewey, hero of theSpanish–American War[33] | 4.27 | 4,268 | 1,000 sq mi (2,590 km2) | |
| Ellis County | 045 | Arnett | 1907 | Roger Mills and Woodward counties | Albert H. Ellis, member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and first state Legislature[34] | 2.93 | 3,601 | 1,229 sq mi (3,183 km2) | |
| Garfield County | 047 | Enid | 1893 | Cherokee Outlet | James Garfield, President of the United States[35] | 58.61 | 62,007 | 1,058 sq mi (2,740 km2) | |
| Garvin County | 049 | Pauls Valley | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | Samuel Garvin, a prominent Chickasaw Indian and local merchant[36] | 32.32 | 26,149 | 809 sq mi (2,095 km2) | |
| Grady County | 051 | Chickasha | 1907 | Pickens County,Chickasaw Nation | Henry W. Grady, editor of theAtlanta Constitution[37] | 53.00 | 58,353 | 1,101 sq mi (2,852 km2) | |
| Grant County | 053 | Medford | 1893 | County L | Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States[38] | 4.12 | 4,123 | 1,001 sq mi (2,593 km2) | |
| Greer County | 055 | Mangum | 1896 | Greer County,Texas | John Alexander Greer,Lieutenant Governor of Texas[39] | 8.50 | 5,433 | 639 sq mi (1,655 km2) | |
| Harmon County | 057 | Hollis | 1909 | Greer County | Judson Harmon,U.S. Attorney General andGovernor of Ohio[40] | 4.30 | 2,315 | 538 sq mi (1,393 km2) | |
| Harper County | 059 | Buffalo | 1907 | Woodward County | Oscar G. Harper, clerk of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention[41] | 3.09 | 3,209 | 1,039 sq mi (2,691 km2) | |
| Haskell County | 061 | Stigler | 1907 | San Bois County of theChoctaw Nation | Charles N. Haskell, first Governor of Oklahoma[42] | 20.47 | 11,811 | 577 sq mi (1,494 km2) | |
| Hughes County | 063 | Holdenville | 1907 | Choctaw Nation andCreek Nation lands | William C. Hughes, member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention[2][43] | 16.57 | 13,371 | 807 sq mi (2,090 km2) | |
| Jackson County | 065 | Altus | 1907 | Greer County | EitherStonewall Jackson,Confederate general during theAmerican Civil War[44] orAndrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States[2] | 30.56 | 24,541 | 803 sq mi (2,080 km2) | |
| Jefferson County | 067 | Waurika | 1907 | Comanche County and part of Chickasaw Nation | Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States[45] | 7.08 | 5,374 | 759 sq mi (1,966 km2) | |
| Johnston County | 069 | Tishomingo | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation land | Douglas H. Johnston, Governor of theChickasaw Nation[46] | 15.96 | 10,293 | 645 sq mi (1,671 km2) | |
| Kay County | 071 | Newkirk | 1893 | County K, Cherokee Strip | Originally designated as county "K"[47] | 47.27 | 43,437 | 919 sq mi (2,380 km2) | |
| Kingfisher County | 073 | Kingfisher | 1890 | Unassigned Lands | Either for thekingfisher bird[2] or King David Fisher, an early settler in the area[48] | 17.52 | 15,820 | 903 sq mi (2,339 km2) | |
| Kiowa County | 075 | Hobart | 1901 | Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Indian Reservations | Kiowa Nation of Indians[49] | 8.13 | 8,257 | 1,015 sq mi (2,629 km2) | |
| Latimer County | 077 | Wilburton | 1907 | Choctaw Nation land | James S. Latimer, member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention[50] | 13.17 | 9,509 | 722 sq mi (1,870 km2) | |
| LeFlore County | 079 | Poteau | 1907 | Choctaw Nation[51] | A Choctaw Indian family of French descent[2] | 31.43 | 49,854 | 1,586 sq mi (4,108 km2) | |
| Lincoln County | 081 | Chandler | 1891 | County A inOklahoma Territory | Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenthpresident of the United States | 36.47 | 34,972 | 959 sq mi (2,484 km2) | |
| Logan County | 083 | Guthrie | 1890 | County 1 inOklahoma Territory | John A. Logan,American Civil War general | 72.30 | 53,860 | 745 sq mi (1,930 km2) | |
| Love County | 085 | Marietta | 1907 | Pickens County,Chickasaw Nation,Indian Territory | Overton Love,Chickasaw judge and prominent landowner | 20.24 | 10,423 | 515 sq mi (1,334 km2) | |
| Major County | 093 | Fairview | 1907 | Woods County, Oklahoma Territory | John C. Major, member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention | 7.91 | 7,569 | 957 sq mi (2,479 km2) | |
| Marshall County | 095 | Madill | 1907 | Pickens County,Chickasaw Nation,Indian Territory[52] | The maiden name of a member of the Constitutional Convention's mother | 43.52 | 16,147 | 371 sq mi (961 km2) | |
| Mayes County | 097 | Pryor | 1907 | Saline District,Cherokee Nation[53] | Cherokee leaderSamuel Houston Mayes | 61.20 | 40,144 | 656 sq mi (1,699 km2) | |
| McClain County | 087 | Purcell | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation land | Charles M. McClain, member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention | 84.97 | 48,434 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) | |
| McCurtain County | 089 | Idabel | 1907 | [54] | The McCurtain family, a prominentChoctaw landowning group | 16.63 | 30,805 | 1,852 sq mi (4,797 km2) | |
| McIntosh County | 091 | Eufaula | 1907 | Creek Nation land[55] | The McIntosh family, a prominentCreek landowning group | 31.79 | 19,710 | 620 sq mi (1,606 km2) | |
| Murray County | 099 | Sulphur | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation land | Governor of OklahomaWilliam H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray | 32.90 | 13,754 | 418 sq mi (1,083 km2) | |
| Muskogee County | 101 | Muskogee | 1907 | Muskogee District ofCreek Nation and part of Illinois and Canadian Districts ofCherokee Nation[56] | Muskogee Nation of Indians | 82.00 | 66,752 | 814 sq mi (2,108 km2) | |
| Noble County | 103 | Perry | 1897 | County P inOklahoma Territory.[57] | U.S. Secretary of the InteriorJohn Willock Noble | 14.89 | 10,896 | 732 sq mi (1,896 km2) | |
| Nowata County | 105 | Nowata | 1907 | Cooweescoowee District ofCherokee Nation[58] | The town ofNowata, Oklahoma. The exact origin is unknown, but the two most common stories are that railroad surveyors used theDelaware wordnoweta forwelcome or that a sign was posted indicating that local springs had no water:No wata | 16.92 | 9,561 | 565 sq mi (1,463 km2) | |
| Okfuskee County | 107 | Okemah | 1907 | Creek Nation land | Creek town of the same name inCleburn County, Alabama | 18.18 | 11,364 | 625 sq mi (1,619 km2) | |
| Oklahoma County | 109 | Oklahoma City | 1890 | Unassigned Lands inIndian Territory, the County 2 inOklahoma Territory[59] | From twoChoctaw wordsokla andhumma, meaningpeople andred | 1,151.61 | 816,490 | 709 sq mi (1,836 km2) | |
| Okmulgee County | 111 | Okmulgee | 1907 | Creek Nation land | Creek word meaningboiling water | 53.21 | 37,084 | 697 sq mi (1,805 km2) | |
| Osage County | 113 | Pawhuska | 1907 | Coterminous with Osage Reservation | The Osage Indian Reservation, inhabited by theOsage Nation | 20.66 | 46,495 | 2,251 sq mi (5,830 km2) | |
| Ottawa County | 115 | Miami | 1907 | Multiple tribal reservations inIndian Territory.[60] | Ottawa Native American people | 64.55 | 30,404 | 471 sq mi (1,220 km2) | |
| Pawnee County | 117 | Pawnee | 1897 | Cherokee Outlet, then County Q inOklahoma Territory[61] | TheSkidi Pawnee Native American people | 28.26 | 16,111 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) | |
| Payne County | 119 | Stillwater | 1890 | County 6 inOklahoma Territory in 1889, renamed to Payne County in 1907[62] | David L. Payne, the key figure in opening Oklahoma to white settlement | 122.74 | 84,199 | 686 sq mi (1,777 km2) | |
| Pittsburg County | 121 | McAlester | 1907 | Choctaw Nation land[63] | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 33.23 | 43,395 | 1,306 sq mi (3,383 km2) | |
| Pontotoc County | 123 | Ada | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation[64] | Pontotoc is aChickasaw word meaningcat tails growing on the prairie | 53.21 | 38,310 | 720 sq mi (1,865 km2) | |
| Pottawatomie County | 125 | Shawnee | 1891 | Creek Nation andSeminole Nation lands.[65] | ThePottawatomie Native American people | 94.47 | 74,446 | 788 sq mi (2,041 km2) | |
| Pushmataha County | 127 | Antlers | 1907 | Pushmataha District of theChoctaw Nation[66] | ThePushmataha District of theChoctaw Nation | 7.73 | 10,800 | 1,397 sq mi (3,618 km2) | |
| Roger Mills County | 129 | Cheyenne | 1895 | County F inOklahoma Territory[67] | U.S. SenatorRoger Q. Mills | 2.89 | 3,304 | 1,142 sq mi (2,958 km2) | |
| Rogers County | 131 | Claremore | 1907 | Cooweescoowee District,Cherokee Nation,Indian Territory[68] | Clem V. Rogers, a member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and the father of entertainerWill Rogers | 150.18 | 101,371 | 675 sq mi (1,748 km2) | |
| Seminole County | 133 | Wewoka | 1907 | Seminole Nation[69] | TheSeminole Native American people | 36.95 | 23,351 | 632 sq mi (1,637 km2) | |
| Sequoyah County | 135 | Sallisaw | 1907 | Sequoyah District and part of Illinois District,Cherokee Nation | Sequoyah (George Guess), invented theCherokee syllabary[70] | 60.17 | 40,555 | 674 sq mi (1,746 km2) | |
| Stephens County | 137 | Duncan | 1907 | Comanche County,Oklahoma Territory | John Hall Stephens, a Texas congressman and advocate of Oklahoma statehood | 50.26 | 44,075 | 877 sq mi (2,271 km2) | |
| Texas County | 139 | Guymon | 1907 | Seventh County (entire panhandle until 1907)[13] | The neighboringU.S. state ofTexas | 10.10 | 20,577 | 2,037 sq mi (5,276 km2) | |
| Tillman County | 141 | Frederick | 1907 | Comanche County, Oklahoma[71] | U.S. SenatorBenjamin Tillman ofSouth Carolina | 7.72 | 6,736 | 872 sq mi (2,258 km2) | |
| Tulsa County | 143 | Tulsa | 1907 | Cherokee Nation andCreek Nation land. | Derived from Tulsey Town, Alabama, an oldCreek settlement. | 1,216.69 | 693,514 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) | |
| Wagoner County | 145 | Wagoner | 1907 | Cherokee Nation land[72] | Bailey P. Waggoner, attorney of theMissouri Pacific Railroad, which established the town ofWagoner[7] | 162.09 | 91,257 | 563 sq mi (1,458 km2) | |
| Washington County | 147 | Bartlesville | 1907 | Cooweescoowee District ofCherokee Nation.[73] | FirstPresident of the United StatesGeorge Washington | 129.64 | 54,060 | 417 sq mi (1,080 km2) | |
| Washita County | 149 | New Cordell | 1897 | County H inOklahoma Territory[74] | TheWashita River | 10.80 | 10,839 | 1,004 sq mi (2,600 km2) | |
| Woods County | 151 | Alva | 1893 | County M inOklahoma Territory.[75] | Kansaspopulist and territorial legislatorSamuel Newitt Wood | 6.67 | 8,582 | 1,287 sq mi (3,333 km2) | |
| Woodward County | 153 | Woodward | 1893 | County N inOklahoma Territory[76] | Santa Fe Railroad directorB. W. Woodward | 16.10 | 19,991 | 1,242 sq mi (3,217 km2) |