Blaine County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, on the western edge of the state’s Cheyenne-Arapaho land-run country. It had a population of 8,735 at the 2020 census and covers 939 square miles (2,430 km2) centred near 35°53′N 98°26′W.
Watonga is the county seat, and its postal code is 73772. The county has six incorporated towns, one city that straddles a county line, and several unincorporated communities. Oklahoma has no civil townships, so places here are organized only by city, town or census-designated status. Blaine County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Blaine County
Blaine County has 15 named places on record, split between incorporated towns and small unincorporated communities. Geary and Hydro are both mostly located in neighboring counties, with only a portion of each inside Blaine County. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watonga | City · seat | 2,690 | 73772 |
| Okeene | Town | — | 73763 |
| Canton | Town | — | 73724 |
| Geary | City | — | 73040 |
| Longdale | Town | — | 73755 |
| Hydro | Town | — | — |
| Hitchcock | Town | — | 73744 |
| Greenfield | Town | — | 73043 |
| Southard | Unincorp. | — | 73770 |
| Eagle City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Homestead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bucher | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darrow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carleton | Unincorp. | — | — |
Carleton and Carlton, both on the old list, appear to be the same small community with two spellings; the entry is kept as Carleton, the more commonly recorded spelling, and the duplicate dropped. Hydro’s ZIP code (73048) is centred in neighboring Caddo County, so no Blaine-specific ZIP is listed for it here.
ZIP Codes
- 73772 — Watonga
- 73763 — Okeene
- 73724 — Canton
- 73040 — Geary
- 73755 — Longdale
- 73744 — Hitchcock
- 73043 — Greenfield
- 73770 — Southard
Unincorporated communities such as Eagle City, Homestead, Bucher and Darrow have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest listed post office town.
Geography
Blaine County lies in west-central Oklahoma along the North Canadian River, with gypsum bluffs and mixed prairie terrain in its western reaches. Roman Nose Canyon, seven miles north of Watonga, cuts through red gypsum formations and feeds the springs that supply Roman Nose State Park’s two small lakes. The county covers 928 square miles of land and 10 square miles of water.
Blaine County borders Major County to the north, Kingfisher County to the east, Canadian County to the southeast, Caddo County to the south, Custer County to the southwest, and Dewey County to the northwest.
Demographics
Blaine County had 8,735 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 9.4 people per square mile. Watonga, the county seat, is the largest community with 2,690 residents; Okeene is the second-largest incorporated town. Median household income in the county runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, consistent with the county’s rural, agriculture-based economy.
Economy & Local Life
Wheat and hay farming and cattle ranching anchor the county’s rural economy, alongside gypsum mining and processing at the U.S. Gypsum Company plant in Southard, one of the largest wallboard plants in the region. Watonga’s former cheese factory operated from 1941 to 2007 and gave the town its best-known event, the annual Watonga Cheese Festival every October, which now also features a wine competition. Roman Nose State Park, with its lodge, golf course and hiking trails, draws regional tourism traffic.
History
Blaine County was opened to non-Native settlement in the Cheyenne-Arapaho land run of April 19, 1892, and was originally designated County “C” before being organized and renamed in 1892. It is named for James G. Blaine, the Republican candidate for U.S. president in 1884 and later U.S. Secretary of State under President Benjamin Harrison. Rail lines reached the county by the early 1900s, and a county road network followed by the 1930s, opening the wheat belt to wider markets.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 270 and 281 cross the county, along with State Highways 3, 8, 51 and 58.
- Oklahoma City — 65 miles southeast
- Enid — 45 miles northeast
- Weatherford — 25 miles south
- Clinton — 40 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Blaine County, Oklahoma?
It is in west-central Oklahoma, centred near 35°53′N 98°26′W, about 65 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
What is the population of Blaine County?
Blaine County had a population of 8,735 at the 2020 census.
How big is Blaine County?
The county covers 939 square miles (2,430 km2), of which 928 square miles are land and 10 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Blaine County?
Watonga is the county seat.
How many towns are in Blaine County?
Blaine County has six incorporated towns and one city (Geary) that is only partly within the county, plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Blaine County?
ZIP codes include 73772 (Watonga), 73763 (Okeene), 73724 (Canton), 73040 (Geary), 73755 (Longdale), 73744 (Hitchcock), 73043 (Greenfield) and 73770 (Southard).
Why is Blaine County named that?
It is named for James G. Blaine, the 1884 Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Secretary of State under President Benjamin Harrison.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.