Oklahoma County is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
central part of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 796,292, making it the most populous county in Oklahoma. The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
,
the state capital and largest city. Oklahoma County is at the heart of the
Oklahoma City metropolitan statistical area. Oklahoma County is one of seven counties in the United States to share the same name as the state it is located in (the other six being
Arkansas County,
Hawaii County
Hawaiʻi County (; officially known as the County of Hawaiʻi) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaiʻi, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a wh ...
,
Idaho County,
Iowa County,
New York County
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...
(Manhattan), and
Utah County
Utah County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Utah. The county seat and largest city is Provo, which is the state's fourth-largest city, and the largest outside of Salt Lake County. As of the 2020 United States census ...
), and the only one of the seven to contain the state capital, and one of two to contain a city of the same name as well.
History
The area that would someday be called Oklahoma County was originally inhabited by members of the indigenous nations of the Southern Plains, but by the 1830s the land would become part of the territory assigned to the Seminoles and Creeks after their removal from their ancestral lands in the Southeastern USA.
As a result of the Reconstruction era treaties signed between the US government and the Seminole and Creek nations in 1866, the land was taken from tribal jurisdiction but not assigned to other tribal governments, which in time led it to be called the
Unassigned Lands
The Unassigned Lands in Oklahoma were in the center of the lands ceded to the United States by the Creek (Muskogee) and Seminole Indians following the Civil War and on which no other tribes had been settled. By 1883, it was bounded by the Cher ...
. In 1889, the US federal government held a
land run
A land run or land rush was an event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened to homestead on a first-arrival basis. Lands were opened and sold first-come or by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run. The ...
for the Unassigned lands, which led to the rapid settlement of the area.
By 1890, Oklahoma County was called "County Two" and was one of seven counties established by the Organic Act of 1890.
[Wilson, Linda D]
"Oklahoma County,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 4, 2015.
County business initially took place in a building at the intersection of California Avenue and Robinson Street until the construction of the first
Oklahoma County Courthouse
Oklahoma County Courthouse in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma was designed by prominent Oklahoma architect Solomon Layton and partners George Forsyth and Jewel Hicks of the firm Layton & Forsyth, and was built in 1937. It replaced the original courtho ...
at 520 West Main Street in the 1900s. In 1937, the county government was moved to a building at 321 Park Avenue, which now serves only as the county courthouse.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.3%) is water.
Transit
*
Embark
*
Oklahoma City Streetcar
The Oklahoma City Streetcar (OKC Streetcar), also known as the MAPS 3 streetcar, is a streetcar system in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that opened in 2018 and is operated by Embark_(transit_authority), Embark. The system serves the ...
*
Flixbus
FlixBus (; styled FLiXBUS) is a German brand that offers low-cost Intercity bus service, intercity coach services in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. It is owned by , which also operates FlixTrain, FlixCar, , and Greyhound Lines. F ...
*
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...
*
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
''(
Heartland Flyer
The ''Heartland Flyer'' is a daily passenger train that follows a route between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. It is operated by Amtrak and jointly funded by the states of Oklahoma and Texas.
The train's daily round-trip begin ...
)'' at
Oklahoma City station
Major highways
*
*
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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*
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*
*
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Adjacent counties
*
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States:
* Logan County, Arkansas
* Logan County, Colorado
* Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895)
* Logan County, Illinois
* Logan County, Kansas
* Logan County ...
(north)
*
Lincoln County (east)
*
Pottawatomie County (southeast)
*
Cleveland County (south)
*
Canadian County (west)
*
Kingfisher County (northwest)
National protected area
*
Oklahoma City National Memorial
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. It is situated on the form ...
Demographics
According to the
2010 U.S. census, there were 718,633 people, 277,615 households, and 172,572 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 319,828 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 64.6%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 15.4%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 3.5%
Native American, 3%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 8.1% from
other races, and 5.3% from two or more races; 15.1% of the population were
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race. Throughout its population, 12.4% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 12.3%
Mexican, 10.1%
Irish, 7.9%
English, and 7.7%
American ancestries according to the 2010 census. 84.4% spoke
English and 11.5%
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
as their first language.
At the
2020 U.S. census, its population increased to 796,292, with a 2022-estimate at 802,559. Racially, the 2021
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimated 54.5% were
non-Hispanic white
Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
, 15.8% Black or African American, 4.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.8% multiracial, and 18.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. An estimated 10.2% of its population between 2017 and 2021 were foreign-born residents.
In 2010, there were 277,615 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.26. As of 2021,
there were 313,822 households with an average of 2.48 people per household. The median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $164,000 from 2017 to 2021, and the median gross rent was $929.
In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $42,916, and the median income for a family was $54,721. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $25,723. About 11.70% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over. In 2021, its median household income was $58,239 with a per capita income of $34,129. Approximately 16.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
Politics
Since the second half of the 20th century, Oklahoma County has been quite conservative for an urban county. It swung from a 20-point victory for
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
in
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
to a 15-point victory for
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
in
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, ...
. It has gone Republican in all but one presidential election since then; it narrowly voted for
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...
in 1964. This mirrors the growing Republican trend in Oklahoma since the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was one of the few areas in the South where
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
didn't do well.
However, the Republican share of votes for president has decreased in every election since the 2004 election (with the exception of 2024). In the
2022 Oklahoma gubernatorial election, Democratic candidate
Joy Hofmeister received her largest vote share of any county, with 55.0% of the vote and a modest improvement over the 2018 Democratic candidate,
Drew Edmonson. Incumbent Republican
Governor Mary Fallin was the last member of her party to win the county with 51.3% in 2014. Also, in the
2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma, Democrat
Kendra Horn received 52.3% of the vote in Oklahoma County, which was the only county in the state to vote for a Democratic House candidate, thereby changing parties. Horn would carry the county again in her
2022 Senate run, becoming the first Democratic Senatorial candidate to carry the county since
David Boren
David Lyle Boren (April 21, 1941 – February 20, 2025) was an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and thr ...
's
1990 landslide. In the
2020 United States Presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
, Republican
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
narrowly carried the county (1% margin), down from 10 points in 2016. It was also the best showing for a Democrat in the county since LBJ. In 2024, Trump won the county, but again by a narrow plurality. However, his margin of victory was slightly larger while receiving fewer votes than in 2020.
County commissioners
County offices
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Oklahoma Senate
Congressional
Party registration
Communities
Cities
*
Bethany
Bethany (,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac language, Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā''), locally called in Palestinian Arabic, Arabic Al-Eizariya or al-Aizariya (, "Arabic nouns and adjectives#Nisba, lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
of Lazarus (name), L ...
*
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
*
Del City
*
Edmond
*
Harrah
*
Midwest City
Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,409, making it the eighth largest city in the state.
The city was developed in ...
*
Nichols Hills
*
Nicoma Park
*
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
(county seat)
*
Spencer
*
The Village
*
Warr Acres
Towns
*
Arcadia
*
Forest Park
*
Jones
Jones or Joneses may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname
* List of people with surname Jones, including fictional characters
** Justice Jones (disambiguation)
** Judge Jones (disambiguati ...
*
Lake Aluma
*
Luther
*
Smith Village
*
Valley Brook
*
Woodlawn Park
Unincorporated communities
*
Four Counties Corner (formerly Lockridge)
*
Newalla
*
Wheatland
Education
School districts include:
[ ]
Text list
/ref>
K-12:
* Bethany Public Schools
* Choctaw/Nicoma Park Schools
The Choctaw-Nicoma Park School District is the 19th largest school district in Oklahoma with an enrollment of around 5,800 as of 2019–20, including elementary through high school students at nine sites.
Choctaw-Nicoma Park is a public school ...
* Crooked Oak Public Schools
Crooked may refer to:
* Crooked Creek (disambiguation)
* Crooked Island (disambiguation)
* Crooked Lake (disambiguation)
* Crooked River (disambiguation)
* Crooked Harbour, Hong Kong
* Crooked Forest, West Pomerania, Poland
* Crooked Bridge ...
* Deer Creek Public Schools
Deer Creek School District serves students in northwestern Oklahoma County and southwestern Logan County in Oklahoma. As of April 2025, the district enrolls 7,921 students.
There are eight schools in the district: Deer Creek High School, Deer ...
* Edmond Public Schools
Edmond Public Schools is a public school district located in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, Oklahoma. As of October 2020, the school district has an enrollment of 23,496 students and employs over 3,000 people. Edmond Public Schools consi ...
* Harrah Public Schools Harrah or Harrah's may refer to:
Places
* Harrah, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
* Harrah, Oklahoma, US
* Harrah, Washington, US
* Harrah, Yemen
* Harrah, or Harrat al-Sham, a region of rocky, basaltic desert straddling parts of Syria, Jordan, ...
* Jones Public Schools
* Luther Public Schools
Luther most commonly refers to:
* Martin Luther (1483–1546), German priest credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation
Luther may refer to:
People
* Luther (given name)
* Luther (surname)
Places
* Luther (crater), a lunar crate ...
* McLoud Public Schools McLoud may refer to:
* McLoud, Oklahoma, a town in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States of America
* McLoud High School, a high-school in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States of America
*John William McLoud, attorney and namesake of ...
* Midwest City-Del City Schools
* Millwood Public Schools
* Moore Public Schools
* Mustang Public Schools
Mustang Public Schools, often shortened to MPS, is a public school system headquartered in Mustang, Oklahoma and serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in Mustang and Oklahoma City.
The district, mostly in Canadian County, includes all of ...
* Oklahoma City Public Schools
* Piedmont Public Schools
* Putnam City Public Schools
The Putnam City School District is a public school district based in northwest Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It serves approximately 19,000 students and includes 27 schools. Syriac language, Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā''), locally calle ...
* Western Heights Public Schools
Elementary only:
* Crutcho Public School
* Oakdale Public School
See also
* List of counties in Oklahoma
The U.S. state of Oklahoma has 77 counties. It is ranked 20th in size and 17th in the number of counties, between Mississippi with 82 counties and Arkansas with 75 counties.
Oklahoma originally had seven counties (Logan, Cleveland, Oklahoma, ...
*
References
External links
Oklahoma County Government's website
Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control
Oklahoma City metropolitan area
1890 establishments in Oklahoma Territory
Populated places established in 1890