Carter County | |
---|---|
![]() Carter County Courthouse in Ardmore | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma | |
![]() Oklahoma's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 34°15′N97°17′W / 34.25°N 97.29°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | 1907 |
Named for | Ben W. Carter |
Seat | Ardmore |
Largest city | Ardmore |
Area | |
• Total | 834 sq mi (2,160 km2) |
• Land | 822 sq mi (2,130 km2) |
• Water | 12 sq mi (30 km2) 1.4% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 48,003 |
• Density | 58/sq mi (22/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 4th |
Website | cartercountyok |
Carter County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,003. [1] Its county seat is Ardmore. [2] The county was named for Captain Ben W. Carter, a Cherokee who lived among the Chickasaw. [3]
Carter County is part of the Ardmore Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is also a part of the Texoma region.
Prior to statehood, the present Carter County, Oklahoma, was part of Pickens County in the Chickasaw Nation of the Indian Territory. [4]
After the Civil War, the government of the United States forced the Chickasaw government to allow railroads built across its territory. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (controlled by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, AT&SF) built a line north from Texas to Purcell.
In 1901-1903 the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway (acquired by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway in 1907) built a line from Arkansas to Ardmore. Oil production spurred further railroad development. In 1913–14, the Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific Railway constructed a line from Ardmore west to Ringling. In 1916, the Ringling and Oil Fields Railway laid tracks north from Ringling Junction to Healdton. These last two rail lines were abandoned in 1976. [3]
Oil and gas production began very early in the 20th century. The Healdton field opened in 1913, and led to the development of Ardmore as a major oil production center. However, a disastrous fire occurred in Ardmore in 1915, when a railroad car exploded, killing 43 people and destroying much of the downtown. Ardmore and the local oil industry recovered, and the city also became a manufacturing center. Akron Tire and Rubber Company built and operated a plant in Ardmore as early as 1915. In 1970, Uniroyal built a tire plant there. It was acquired by Michelin North America in 1990. By the start of the 21st century, manufacturing was the largest component of the county economy. [3]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 834 square miles (2,160 km2), of which 822 square miles (2,130 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (1.4%) is water. [5]
The county contains parts of several physiographic regions, including the Arbuckle Mountains, the Coastal Plains, the Red Bed plains and the Cross Timbers. The northern part of the county drains to the Washita River, while several creeks drain the southern part directly to the Red River. [3]
The Healdton Field, encompassing Healdton and located in the western portion of Carter County, produces from the Pennsylvanian Healdton sands of the Hoxbar Group and the Ordovician massive carbonate Arbuckle Group. [6] The field is located on the "Healdton uplift", a northwest–southeast trending anticline, which formed with the Wichita Orogeny, and is 8 miles long and up to 3 miles wide. [7] This was followed by deposition of the Healdton sandstones and shales on pre-Pennsylvanian eroded rocks and subsequent folding during the Arbuckle Orogeny. [8] A prospector named Palmer drilled a shallow well, 425 feet, near an oil seep in the 1890s but Federal Law prohibited oil development on "Indian lands" until the early 1900s. [9] Therefore, the discovery of the field is credited to the drilling of No. 1 Wirt Franklin in 1913. [9]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 25,358 | — | |
1920 | 40,247 | 58.7% | |
1930 | 41,419 | 2.9% | |
1940 | 43,292 | 4.5% | |
1950 | 36,455 | −15.8% | |
1960 | 39,044 | 7.1% | |
1970 | 37,349 | −4.3% | |
1980 | 43,610 | 16.8% | |
1990 | 42,919 | −1.6% | |
2000 | 45,621 | 6.3% | |
2010 | 47,557 | 4.2% | |
2020 | 48,003 | 0.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790-1960 [11] 1900-1990 [12] 1990-2000 [13] 2010 [14] |
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,621 people, 17,992 households, and 12,648 families residing in the county. [15] The population density was 55 inhabitants per square mile (21/km2). There were 20,577 housing units at an average density of 25 units per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.4% White, 7.60% Black or African American, 7.92% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from other races, and 4.45% from two or more races; 2.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to the 2020 census, its population was 48,003. [1]
As of 2000, there were 17,992 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.00 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $29,405, and the median income for a family was $36,729. Males had a median income of $30,018 versus $20,877 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,511. About 12.70% of families and 16.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 12.40% of those age 65 or over. Per 2021 census estimates, the county's median household income was $52,906 and it had a poverty rate of 14.2%. [1]
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of May 31, 2023 [16] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
Democratic | 8,419 | 28.07% | |||
Republican | 15,656 | 52.20% | |||
Others | 5,919 | 19.73% | |||
Total | 29,994 | 100% |
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 14,699 | 75.46% | 4,470 | 22.95% | 310 | 1.59% |
2016 | 13,752 | 74.20% | 4,002 | 21.59% | 780 | 4.21% |
2012 | 12,214 | 71.34% | 4,908 | 28.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
2008 | 13,241 | 70.27% | 5,603 | 29.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
2004 | 12,178 | 65.32% | 6,466 | 34.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
2000 | 9,667 | 58.74% | 6,659 | 40.46% | 132 | 0.80% |
1996 | 6,769 | 42.83% | 6,979 | 44.16% | 2,056 | 13.01% |
1992 | 5,947 | 32.38% | 7,171 | 39.04% | 5,250 | 28.58% |
1988 | 8,430 | 50.98% | 7,988 | 48.31% | 117 | 0.71% |
1984 | 11,578 | 64.96% | 6,161 | 34.57% | 83 | 0.47% |
1980 | 9,262 | 57.34% | 6,509 | 40.29% | 383 | 2.37% |
1976 | 6,668 | 44.25% | 8,319 | 55.20% | 83 | 0.55% |
1972 | 9,368 | 66.41% | 4,577 | 32.45% | 161 | 1.14% |
1968 | 5,127 | 35.73% | 5,807 | 40.47% | 3,414 | 23.79% |
1964 | 4,986 | 31.90% | 10,645 | 68.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 6,288 | 42.69% | 8,441 | 57.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 5,974 | 39.01% | 9,341 | 60.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 5,974 | 36.76% | 10,276 | 63.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 2,147 | 18.48% | 9,474 | 81.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
1944 | 2,446 | 20.99% | 9,184 | 78.81% | 24 | 0.21% |
1940 | 3,270 | 23.79% | 10,441 | 75.96% | 35 | 0.25% |
1936 | 2,247 | 19.26% | 9,387 | 80.44% | 35 | 0.30% |
1932 | 1,733 | 15.25% | 9,633 | 84.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
1928 | 6,538 | 55.80% | 5,086 | 43.41% | 92 | 0.79% |
1924 | 3,164 | 29.13% | 7,134 | 65.68% | 564 | 5.19% |
1920 | 3,561 | 35.14% | 5,997 | 59.18% | 575 | 5.67% |
1916 | 1,013 | 20.64% | 2,949 | 60.09% | 946 | 19.27% |
1912 | 652 | 20.24% | 1,860 | 57.75% | 709 | 22.01% |
Refugio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,741. Its county seat is Refugio. The county originated as a municipality of Mexico in 1834 and was classified as a county in 1837.
Murray County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,904. The county seat is Sulphur. The county was named for William H. Murray, a member and president of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and later a Governor of Oklahoma.
Johnston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,272. Its county seat is Tishomingo. It was established at statehood on November 16, 1907, and named for Douglas H. Johnston, a governor of the Chickasaw Nation.
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,337. Its county seat is Waurika. The county was created at statehood and named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson.
Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 24,725 at the time of the 2020 census, a 1.8% increase over the 2010 census figure of 24,283. The Ardmore micropolitan statistical area had an estimated population of 48,491 in 2013. Ardmore is 90 miles (140 km) from both Oklahoma City and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 70, and is generally considered the hub of the 13-county region of South Central Oklahoma, also known by state tourism pamphlets as "Chickasaw Country" and previously "Lake and Trail Country". It is also a part of the Texoma region. Ardmore is situated about 9 miles (14 km) south of the Arbuckle Mountains and is located at the eastern margin of the Healdton Basin, one of the most oil-rich regions of the United States.
Gene Autry is a town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 154 at the time of the 2020 census, down just slightly from the 158 reported in the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Healdton is a city in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 2,788 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area.
Lone Grove is a city in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,054 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Micropolitan Statistical Area of Ardmore.
Springer is a town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the community had 685 residents. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Wilson is a town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,724 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to one of the oldest Assemblies of God churches in Oklahoma, the Wilson Assembly of God Church.
Cornish is an incorporated town in eastern Jefferson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 110 as of the 2020 United States census.
Ringling is a town in Jefferson County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 869 as of the 2020 United States census. It was named for John Ringling, the founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Tishomingo is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Johnston County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,034 at the 2010 census, a decline of 4.1 percent from the figure of 3,162 in 2000. It was the first capital of the Chickasaw Nation, from 1856 until Oklahoma statehood in 1907. The city is home to Murray State College, a community college with an annual enrollment of 3,015 students. Tishomingo is part of the Texoma region.
Marietta is a city and county seat in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2010 census, a 7.4 percent increase from the figure of 2,445 in 2000. Marietta is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma, Micropolitan Statistical Area. For tourism purposes, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism includes it in 'Chickasaw Country'. It is also a part of the Texoma region.
Sulphur is a city in and county seat of Murray County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,065 at the 2020 census, a 2.8 percent gain over the figure of 4,929 in 2010. The area around Sulphur has been noted for its mineral springs, since well before the city was founded late in the 19th century. The city received its name from the presence of sulfur in the water.
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, produced from petroleum reservoirs beneath the North Sea.
The Arbuckle Mountains are an ancient mountain range in south-central Oklahoma in the United States. They lie in Murray, Carter, Pontotoc, and Johnston counties. The granite rocks of the Arbuckles date back to the Precambrian Eon some 1.4 billion years ago which were overlain by rhyolites during the Cambrian Period. The range reaches a height of 1,412 feet above sea level. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):
The Arbuckles contain the most diverse suite of mineral resources in Oklahoma: limestone, dolomite, glass sand, granite, sand and gravel, shale, cement, iron ore, lead, zinc, tar sands, and oil and gas; all these minerals are, or have been, produced commercially.
South Central Oklahoma is an amorphous region in the state of Oklahoma, perhaps encompassing 10 counties. It is centered on the Arbuckle Mountains, an ancient, eroded range traversing some 70 miles (110 km) across the region, and surrounded by rivers and lakes, notably Lake Texoma, Lake Murray and Lake of the Arbuckles. For tourism purposes, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism has more narrowly defined South Central Oklahoma, which they refer to as Chickasaw Country, as being a seven-county region including Pontotoc, Johnston, Marshall, Garvin, Murray, Carter, and Love counties. A ten-county definition might also include Coal, Atoka, and Bryan counties, although the Department of Tourism includes those in Choctaw Country. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma covers the eastern third of the region. Its headquarters is in Durant, and its capitol building, now a museum, is in Tuskahoma. The Chickasaw Nation lies within the region, with the tribal capitol building located at Tishomingo and its headquarters in Ada. The Chickasaw Nation, which runs "Chickasawcountry.com"., promotes the idea of Chickasaw Country as the 13 south-central Oklahoma counties that comprise the Chickasaw Nation, being the Tourism Department’s seven counties plus Coal, Bryan, Jefferson, Stephens, Grady, and McClain counties.
The Oklahoma City Oil Field is one of the world's giant petroleum fields and is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in the United States of America. The field was opened just south of the city limits on December 4, 1928, and first entered Oklahoma City limits on May 27, 1930.
The Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific Railway, known colloquially as the “Ringling Railroad,” ran from Ardmore, Oklahoma to Ringling, Oklahoma, with a branch to Healdton, Oklahoma. It was started in 1913, and was sold to an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) affiliate in 1926.