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Payne County, Oklahoma
Payne County Courthouse (cropped)
Payne County Courthouse
Seal of Payne County, Oklahoma
Seal
Map of Oklahoma highlighting Payne County
Location in the state of Oklahoma
Map of the U.S
Oklahoma's location in the U.S.
Founded May 2, 1890
Named for Capt. David L. Payne
Seat Stillwater
Largest city Stillwater
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

697 sq mi (1,805 km²)
685 sq mi (1,774 km²)
12 sq mi (31 km²),
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

81,646
113/sq mi (44/km²)
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.paynecounty.org

Payne County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 81,646.[1] Its county seat is Stillwater.[2] The county was created in 1890 as part of Oklahoma Territory and is named for Capt. David L. Payne, a leader of the "Boomers".

Payne County comprises the Stillwater, OK Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county lies northeast of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area although some consider it an extension of the Oklahoma City metro area due to commuter patterns and other indicators.

History[]

This county was established and named as the Sixth County by the Oklahoma Organic Act of 1890. It included land settled during the Land Run of 1889. The Organic Act settled a dispute between the towns of Stillwater and Perkins over which should be the county seat.[3]

Eastern Oklahoma Railway built two lines in Payne County between 1900 and 1902, then immediately leased them to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The historic civil townships of the county were abolished by 1930. One north–south line ran between Pawnee, Stillwater, Ripley and Cushing before joining another north–south line that from Newark to Shawnee. Another line was built from Guthrie along the Cimarron River to Ripley. These lines were important in getting crops from farm to market.[3]

In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed into Payne County.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 697 square miles (1,810 km2), of which 685 square miles (1,770 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (1.8%) is water.[4]

Payne County is covered by rolling plains, mostly within the Sandstone Hills physiographic region, but with the western part of the county in the Red Bed plains. The county has two significant reservoirs: Lake McMurtry and Lake Carl Blackwell. The Cimarron River and Stillwater Creek drain most of the county.[3]

Major highways[]

  • I-35 (OK) Interstate 35
  • US 177 U.S. Highway 177
  • US 412 U.S. Highway 412
  • Oklahoma State Highway 18 State Highway 18
  • Oklahoma State Highway 33 State Highway 33
  • Oklahoma State Highway 51 State Highway 51
  • Oklahoma State Highway 86 State Highway 86
  • Oklahoma State Highway 99 State Highway 99
  • Oklahoma State Highway 108 State Highway 108

Airports[]

  • KSWO - Stillwater Regional Airport, Commercial service to Dallas via American Airlines
  • KCUH - Cushing Municipal Airport

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1890 7,215
1900 20,909 189.8%
1910 23,735 13.5%
1920 30,180 27.2%
1930 36,905 22.3%
1940 36,057 −2.3%
1950 46,430 28.8%
1960 44,231 −4.7%
1970 50,654 14.5%
1980 62,435 23.3%
1990 61,507 −1.5%
2000 68,190 10.9%
2010 77,350 13.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[1]
USA Payne County, Oklahoma age pyramid

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

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 68,190 people, 26,680 households, and 15,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile (38/km2). There were 29,326 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile (16/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.33% White, 3.63% Black or African American, 4.58% Native American, 3.00% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. 2.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 26,680 households, out of which 25.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.60% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.60% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.60% under the age of 18, 25.90% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 17.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,733, and the median income for a family was $40,823. Males had a median income of $31,132 versus $21,113 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,983. About 10.80% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over.

Politics[]

Payne County is very conservative for a county dominated by a college town. While many such counties swung hard to the Democrats in the 1990s, Payne County has gone Republican in every election since 1968 and all but twice since 1944. Since 1968, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton are the only Democrats to cross the 40 percent mark.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of January 15, 2019[10]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
style="background-color:#3333FF;" width=10px | Democratic 13,074 32.55%
style="background-color:#FF3333;" width=10px | Republican 20,139 50.14%
style="background-color:#ffffcc;" width=10px | Others 6,952 16.65%
Total 40,165 100%
United States presidential election results for Payne County, Oklahoma[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 17,813 60.09% 10,904 36.78% 926 3.12%
2016 16,651 59.98% 8,788 31.66% 2,321 8.36%
2012 16,481 64.18% 9,198 35.82% 0 0.00%
2008 18,435 63.49% 10,601 36.51% 0 0.00%
2004 19,560 65.95% 10,101 34.05% 0 0.00%
2000 15,256 61.15% 9,319 37.36% 372 1.49%
1996 11,686 48.07% 9,985 41.08% 2,637 10.85%
1992 13,032 42.20% 9,886 32.01% 7,962 25.78%
1988 16,027 59.57% 10,568 39.28% 310 1.15%
1984 20,811 72.64% 7,653 26.71% 184 0.64%
1980 15,955 62.10% 7,466 29.06% 2,270 8.84%
1976 13,481 56.43% 9,987 41.81% 420 1.76%
1972 17,019 73.77% 5,644 24.46% 407 1.76%
1968 9,577 53.73% 5,772 32.38% 2,475 13.89%
1964 7,936 47.12% 8,906 52.88% 0 0.00%
1960 9,943 63.59% 5,694 36.41% 0 0.00%
1956 9,381 59.75% 6,320 40.25% 0 0.00%
1952 10,605 62.04% 6,490 37.96% 0 0.00%
1948 5,799 43.97% 7,390 56.03% 0 0.00%
1944 6,048 51.68% 5,624 48.06% 30 0.26%
1940 6,772 46.58% 7,704 52.99% 63 0.43%
1936 4,783 37.02% 8,081 62.54% 57 0.44%
1932 3,874 33.13% 7,819 66.87% 0 0.00%
1928 7,864 72.19% 2,904 26.66% 125 1.15%
1924 4,817 48.49% 4,342 43.71% 774 7.79%
1920 4,583 54.76% 3,238 38.69% 549 6.56%
1916 1,767 36.74% 2,140 44.50% 902 18.76%
1912 1,669 41.65% 1,534 38.28% 804 20.06%
1908 2,244 48.52% 1,980 42.81% 401 8.67%



Economy[]

Agriculture was the basis of the county economy for more than fifty years. The primary crops were cotton, corn and wheat.[3]

World War II caused hundreds of students at Oklahoma A & M to leave school for military service. To offset this loss to the local economy, civic and college leaders lobbied military officials and Oklahoma Senator Mike Monroney to have the school designated as a war training center. This resulted in the establishment of twelve training programs for the Navy, with nearly 40,000 people.[3] The wartime experience showed local political leaders that it would be essential to diversify the county's economic base. They formed an Industrial Foundation to attract manufacturing plants and industrial jobs. This effort succeeded and accelerated an increase in population.[3]

Education[]

Old Central

"Old Central", first building constructed for Oklahoma A&M College, ca. 1894

Educational entities located in Payne County include:

  • Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
  • Oklahoma State University-Stillwater
  • Northern Oklahoma College

Communities[]

Cities[]

Towns[]

  • Glencoe
  • Mulhall (mainly in Logan County)
  • Orlando (partly in Logan County)
  • Ripley

Census-designated places[]

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Oak Grove
  • Vinco
  • Yost Lake

NRHP sites[]

The following sites in Payne County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

  • James E. Berry House, Stillwater
  • Campus Fire Station, Stillwater
  • Citizens Bank Building (Stillwater, Oklahoma), Stillwater
  • Cottonwood Community Center, Stillwater
  • Cushing American Legion Building, Cushing
  • Cushing Armory, Cushing
  • William Frick House, Stillwater
  • Hoke Building, Stillwater
  • Hopkins Sandstone House and Farmstead, Ripley
  • Irvings Castle, Ingalls
  • Josephine Reifsnyder Lustron House, Stillwater
  • Magruder Plots, Stillwater
  • Murphy House, Stillwater
  • Oklahoma A & M College Agronomy Barn and Seed House, Stillwater
  • Old Central, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
  • Payne County Courthouse, Stillwater
  • Perkins Downtown Historic District, Perkins
  • Pleasant Valley School, Stillwater
  • Selph Building, Stillwater
  • Stillwater Santa Fe Depot, Stillwater
  • Jim Thorpe House, Yale
  • Walker Building, Stillwater

Other landmarks include:

  • Allen Williamson Bridge - Memorial bridge near Ripley, named after the Oklahoma Representative Allen Williamson.

References[]

External links[]

Coordinates: 36°05′N 96°58′W / 36.08, -96.97


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Payne County, Oklahoma. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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