Woods County, Oklahoma

Woods County
County
Historic Central National Bank in Alva (2017)
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°46′N98°52′W / 36.77°N 98.86°W / 36.77; -98.86
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1893
Named for	Samuel Newitt Wood
Seat	Alva
Largest city	Alva
Area
• Total	1,290 sq mi (3,300 km2)
• Land	1,286 sq mi (3,330 km2)
• Water	3.5 sq mi (9 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,624
• Density	6.7/sq mi (2.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Woods County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,624. ^[1] Its county seat is Alva. ^[2] The county is named after Samuel Newitt Wood, a renowned Kansas populist. ^[3]

History

The Burnham site in Woods County is a pre-Clovis site, that is, an archaeological site dating before 11,000 years ago. ^[4] The region of Woods County, Oklahoma, was home to the Antelope Creek Phase of Southern Plains Villagers, a precontact culture of Native Americans, who are related to the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.

An early European explorer of the area now contained within Woods County was George C. Sibley, who traveled through in 1811. He visited a salt formation near the present town of Freedom, Oklahoma, then followed the Mountain Fork of the Arkansas River southeastward to the Great Salt Plains. In 1843, Nathan Boone traveled along the Cimarron River. ^[3]

The area was part of Cherokee Outlet, guaranteed to the Cherokee Nation under the Treaty of New Echota. It later became important for cattle ranching. The Dodge City and Red Fork Trail, a branch of the Chisholm Trail followed the north bank of the Cimarron River en route to Kansas. The U. S. Government acquired the Cherokee Outlet under Congressional Acts in 1889, 1891 and 1893, and divided the area into counties. One of these was designated M County, prior to opening the area for settlement. The Secretary of the Interior designated Alva as the county seat. M County was renamed Woods County by a ballot measure on November 6, 1894. The name was one of three put forth on the ballot, and was the Populists party's submission to honor Samuel Newitt Wood, a Kansas Populist. Despite the name being misspelled on the ballot, the election committee "decided to keep the s for euphony sake". ^[3] Woods County became part of Oklahoma Territory.

The Constitutional Convention of 1906 created Major County and Alfalfa County from southern and eastern parts of Woods County and added a part of Woodward County to Woods County. ^[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,290 square miles (3,300 km²), of which 1,286 square miles (3,330 km²) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) (0.3%) is water. ^[5] It is located along the Kansas border.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 64
• U.S. Highway 281
• State Highway 11
• State Highway 14
• State Highway 34
• State Highway 45

Adjacent counties

• Comanche County, Kansas (north)
• Barber County, Kansas (northeast)
• Alfalfa County (east)
• Major County (south)
• Woodward County (southwest)
• Harper County (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	17,567		—
1920	15,939		−9.3%
1930	17,005		6.7%
1940	14,915		−12.3%
1950	14,526		−2.6%
1960	11,932		−17.9%
1970	11,920		−0.1%
1980	10,923		−8.4%
1990	9,103		−16.7%
2000	9,089		−0.2%
2010	8,878		−2.3%
2020	8,624		−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 1790-1960 [7] 1900-1990 [8] 1990-2000 [9] 2010 [10]

Age pyramid for Woods County, Oklahoma, based on census 2000 data.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 8,878 people, 3,533 households, and 2,133 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile (2.7 people/km²). There were 4,478 housing units at an average density of 3.5 units per square mile (1.4/km²). ^[11] The racial makeup of the county was 88.4% white, 3.3% black or African American, 2.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, less than 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 4.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,533 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 32.3% of households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. 8.2% of the population was institutionalized The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 18.6% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.7 years. For every 100 females there were 114.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,255, and the median income for a family was $60,500. Males had a median income of $39,754 versus $23,897 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,935. About 8% of families and 16% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023 [12]
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	838	17.23%
	Republican	3,404	69.97%
	Others	623	12.81%
Total		4,865	100%

United States presidential election results for Woods County, Oklahoma ^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,955	81.23%	614	16.88%	69	1.90%
2020	2,993	81.38%	591	16.07%	94	2.56%
2016	2,947	80.34%	522	14.23%	199	5.43%
2012	2,727	80.25%	671	19.75%	0	0.00%
2008	3,043	77.71%	873	22.29%	0	0.00%
2004	3,166	77.26%	932	22.74%	0	0.00%
2000	2,774	68.56%	1,235	30.52%	37	0.91%
1996	2,151	52.44%	1,431	34.89%	520	12.68%
1992	2,225	46.58%	1,361	28.49%	1,191	24.93%
1988	2,835	60.95%	1,735	37.30%	81	1.74%
1984	3,741	74.55%	1,231	24.53%	46	0.92%
1980	3,592	68.97%	1,364	26.19%	252	4.84%
1976	2,788	51.43%	2,530	46.67%	103	1.90%
1972	4,413	76.23%	1,234	21.32%	142	2.45%
1968	3,449	63.81%	1,439	26.62%	517	9.57%
1964	2,886	51.21%	2,750	48.79%	0	0.00%
1960	4,064	68.12%	1,902	31.88%	0	0.00%
1956	3,787	64.08%	2,123	35.92%	0	0.00%
1952	4,892	70.99%	1,999	29.01%	0	0.00%
1948	2,871	49.90%	2,882	50.10%	0	0.00%
1944	3,226	56.85%	2,426	42.75%	23	0.41%
1940	3,440	49.09%	3,506	50.04%	61	0.87%
1936	2,346	35.71%	4,179	63.62%	44	0.67%
1932	2,008	31.94%	4,279	68.06%	0	0.00%
1928	3,941	70.38%	1,550	27.68%	109	1.95%
1924	2,615	52.43%	1,533	30.73%	840	16.84%
1920	2,827	60.32%	1,530	32.64%	330	7.04%
1916	1,358	41.14%	1,417	42.93%	526	15.93%
1912	1,679	48.43%	1,247	35.97%	541	15.60%

Communities

Cities

• Alva (county seat)
• Freedom
• Waynoka

Towns

• Capron
• Dacoma

Census designated places

• Avard (former town)
• Hopeton

Unincorporated communities

• Lookout
• Winchester

Former communities

A 1911 map of Woods County ^[14] shows a large number of settlements which either no longer exist or remain only as small populated places, including:

• Abbie
• Cora
• Coy
• Eagle
• Fairvalley
• Fanshaw
• Farry
• Faulkner
• Fitzlen
• Flagg
• Galena
• Gamet
• Heman
• Irene
• Kingman
• Saratoga
• Tegarden
• Whitehorse

NRHP Sites

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Woods County, Oklahoma

There are multiple NRHP sites in the county, mostly in Alva but with some in Waynoka.

See also

• Little Sahara State Park
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Woods County, Oklahoma

References

1. "Woods County, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 21, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Reichenberger, Donovan. "Woods County," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 5, 2015.
4. Buehler, Kent J. "Burnham Site". The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
8. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
10. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 17, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
11. "General Housing Characteristics: 2010 - United States – County by State; and for Puerto Rico". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
12. "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
14. "Woods County, Oklahoma 1911 Map". My Genealogy Hound. Retrieved November 14, 2021.

36°46′N98°52′W / 36.77°N 98.86°W / 36.77; -98.86