Creek County, Oklahoma - Wikipedia

County in Oklahoma, United States County in Oklahoma

Creek County, Oklahoma
County
Creek County Courthouse, Sapulpa in 2014
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°54′N 96°22′W / 35.9°N 96.37°W / 35.9; -96.37
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Founded	1907
Named after	Creek Nation
Seat	Sapulpa
Largest city	Sapulpa
Area
• Total	970 sq mi (2,500 km2)
• Land	950 sq mi (2,500 km2)
• Water	20 sq mi (52 km2)  2.0%
Population (2020)
• Total	71,754
• Density	76/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 3rd
Website	www.creekcountyonline.com

Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,754.[1] Its county seat is Sapulpa.[2]

Creek County is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area.

History

[edit]

European explorers traveled through this area early in the 19th century, after the Louisiana Purchase. In 1825, the Osage Nation ceded the territory where the Federal Government planned to resettle the Creek Nation and other tribes after their expulsion from the Southeastern part of the United States. The Creeks began migrating into this area, where they and many black families settled to begin farming and raising cattle. In 1835, Federal soldiers under Captain J. L. Dawson built the Dawson Road, following an old Osage hunting trail.[3]

Railroads gave an important boost to the local economy. In 1886, the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad built a line from Red Fork to Sapulpa. In 1898, the St. Louis and Oklahoma City Railway Company (later the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway),[4] connected Sapulpa and Oklahoma City.[3]

The present Creek County was established at the time of statehood, with a population of 18,365. The town of Sapulpa was initially designated as the county seat. This decision was challenged by supporters of the town of Bristow. An election held August 12, 1908, to choose a permanent seat was won by Sapulpa, but the dispute did not end there. After a series of court cases, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sapulpa on August 1, 1913.[3]

After oil was discovered at Glenn Pool in adjacent Tulsa County in 1905, other strikes occurred in Creek County. The Cushing-Drumright Oil Field opened in 1912, creating boom towns Drumright, Kiefer and Oilton. By 1920, the county population had increased to 62,480.[3]

Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 970 square miles (2,500 km2), of which 950 square miles (2,500 km2) is land and 20 square miles (52 km2) (2.0%) is water.[5] It is drained by the Cimarron River, and the Deep Fork and Little Deep Fork of the North Canadian River. Heyburn Lake is contained within the county. Keystone Lake is partially within Creek County.[3]

Major highways

[edit]

• I-44
• SH-16
• SH-33
• SH-48
• SH-51
• SH-66
• SH-99
• SH-117

Adjacent counties

[edit]

• Pawnee County (north)
• Tulsa County (east)
• Okmulgee County (southeast)
• Okfuskee County (south)
• Lincoln County (west)
• Payne County (northwest)

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	26,223	—
1920	62,480	138.3%
1930	64,115	2.6%
1940	55,503	−13.4%
1950	43,143	−22.3%
1960	40,495	−6.1%
1970	45,532	12.4%
1980	59,016	29.6%
1990	60,915	3.2%
2000	67,317	10.5%
2010	69,967	3.9%
2020	71,754	2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]1990-2000[9] 2010[10]

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 71,754. Of the residents, 23.5% were under the age of 18 and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males.[11][12]

The racial makeup of the county was 73.1% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 10.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 1.7% from some other race, and 12.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.8% of the population.[12]

There were 27,662 households in the county, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]

There were 31,053 housing units, of which 10.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.0% were owner-occupied and 26.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.[11]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census of 2000,[13] there were 67,367 people, 25,289 households, and 19,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 inhabitants per square mile (27/km2). There were 27,986 housing units at an average density of 29 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 82.27% White, 2.56% Black or African American, 9.08% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 5.16% from two or more races; 1.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of 2000, there were 25,289 households, out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 21.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.06. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

As of 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $33,168, and the median income for a family was $38,470. Males had a median income of $31,190 versus $21,690 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,191. About 8% of families and 13.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over. By 2021 census estimates, its median household income was $56,384.[1]

Politics

[edit]

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023[14]
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
Democratic	9,080	21.43%
Republican	28,106	66.35%
Others	7,176	16.94%
Total		42,362	100%

Political culture

[edit] United States presidential election results for Creek County, Oklahoma[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1908	1,761	50.09%	1,413	40.19%	342	9.73%
1912	1,902	41.54%	1,681	36.71%	996	21.75%
1916	2,820	36.92%	3,496	45.77%	1,323	17.32%
1920	7,948	56.88%	5,408	38.70%	618	4.42%
1924	8,894	50.21%	7,969	44.99%	851	4.80%
1928	12,254	67.92%	5,693	31.55%	95	0.53%
1932	6,786	34.36%	12,963	65.64%	0	0.00%
1936	7,257	36.46%	12,540	63.01%	106	0.53%
1940	9,468	46.20%	10,976	53.55%	51	0.25%
1944	7,549	47.38%	8,342	52.36%	41	0.26%
1948	6,532	41.53%	9,198	58.47%	0	0.00%
1952	9,257	51.21%	8,818	48.79%	0	0.00%
1956	8,295	53.87%	7,102	46.13%	0	0.00%
1960	8,785	58.61%	6,205	41.39%	0	0.00%
1964	6,355	39.25%	9,836	60.75%	0	0.00%
1968	6,934	43.34%	5,151	32.20%	3,913	24.46%
1972	12,396	75.11%	3,705	22.45%	402	2.44%
1976	8,458	48.08%	8,964	50.96%	169	0.96%
1980	11,749	59.55%	7,339	37.20%	641	3.25%
1984	15,011	66.34%	7,465	32.99%	152	0.67%
1988	11,308	53.89%	9,512	45.33%	162	0.77%
1992	10,055	39.84%	9,118	36.13%	6,065	24.03%
1996	9,861	43.91%	9,674	43.08%	2,922	13.01%
2000	13,580	57.20%	9,753	41.08%	408	1.72%
2004	18,848	65.50%	9,929	34.50%	0	0.00%
2008	20,187	70.82%	8,318	29.18%	0	0.00%
2012	18,986	72.70%	7,128	27.30%	0	0.00%
2016	21,575	74.84%	5,841	20.26%	1,414	4.90%
2020	23,294	76.36%	6,577	21.56%	634	2.08%
2024	24,098	76.96%	6,643	21.22%	571	1.82%

Communities

[edit]

Cities

[edit]

• Bristow
• Drumright (partly in Payne County)
• Mannford
• Oilton
• Sapulpa (county seat) (partly in Tulsa County)

Towns

[edit]

• Depew
• Kellyville
• Kiefer
• Lawrence Creek
• Mounds
• Shamrock
• Slick

Census-designated place

[edit]

• Milfay
• Oakhurst (partly in Tulsa County)
• Olive

Other unincorporated communities

[edit]

• Bowden
• Gypsy
• Hilton
• Silver City

Townships

[edit]

Creek County historically had civil townships. These civil township boundaries (and their names) were still used by the United States Census for counting purposes up to and including the 1960 census.

Education

[edit]

K-12 school districts include:[16]

• Bristow Public Schools
• Cleveland Public Schools
• Depew Public Schools
• Drumright Public Schools
• Jenks Public Schools
• Kellyville Public Schools
• Kiefer Public Schools
• Mannford Public Schools
• Mounds Public Schools
• Oilton Public Schools
• Olive Public Schools
• Paden Public Schools
• Sapulpa Public Schools
• Tulsa Public Schools

Elementary school districts include:[16]

• Allen-Bowden Public School
• Gypsy Public School
• Jennings Public School
• Keystone Public School
• Lone Star Public School
• Pretty Water Public School

NRHP sites

[edit] Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Creek County, Oklahoma

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Creek County, Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ a b c d e Linda D. Wilson, "Creek County." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
4. ^ "St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company, Originally St. Louis and Oklahoma City Railway Company, Kellyville, Creek Nation, I.T." U.S. National Archives. January 1904. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
8. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 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 March 27, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
10. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
11. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
12. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. ^ "Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County" (PDF). OK.gov. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
16. ^ a b Geography Division (December 22, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Creek County, OK (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2025. - Text list

External links

[edit]

• www.creekcountyonline.com The official county government website
• www.creekcountysheriff.com The official website for the Creek County Sheriff's Office
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Creek County
• Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory

Places adjacent to Creek County, Oklahoma
Payne County Pawnee County Lincoln County Creek County Tulsa County Okfuskee County Okmulgee County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Creek County, Oklahoma, United States
County seat: Sapulpa
Cities	Bristow Drumright‡ Mannford‡ Oilton Sapulpa‡ Stroud‡
Towns	Depew Kellyville Kiefer Lawrence Creek Mounds Shamrock Slick
CDPs	Milfay Oakhurst‡ Olive
Othercommunities	Bowden Gypsy Hilton
Ghost town	Silver City
Indian reservation	Muscogee Nation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Oklahoma portal United States portal

v t e Tulsa metropolitan area
Counties	Creek Okmulgee Osage Pawnee Rogers Tulsa Wagoner
Principal city	Tulsa
Cities over 20k	Bixby Broken Arrow Jenks Owasso Sapulpa
Cities 10k-20k	Claremore Glenpool Okmulgee Sand Springs
Cities 5k-10k	Catoosa Collinsville Coweta Henryetta Skiatook Verdigris Wagoner
Cities andtowns 1k-5k	Barnsdall Beggs Bristow Chelsea Cleveland Drumright Fairfax Hominy Inola Kellyville Kiefer Mannford Morris Oologah Pawhuska Pawnee

v t e State of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (capital)
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35°54′N 96°22′W / 35.90°N 96.37°W / 35.90; -96.37

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