Choctaw County, Oklahoma

Choctaw County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, in the state’s southeastern corner about 53 miles east of Durant and 9 miles north of the Texas line. It had a population of 14,204 at the 2020 census, an estimated 14,059 by 2025, and covers 800 square miles (2,100 km2) centred near 34°02′N 95°33′W.

Hugo is the county seat and the county’s only city; its postal code is 74743. The county holds 1 city, 4 incorporated towns and 11 smaller communities, and it runs on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 40023.

Towns & Villages in Choctaw County

Sixteen named places sit inside the county line. Only five are incorporated — the city of Hugo and the towns of Boswell, Fort Towson, Sawyer and Soper. The rest are census-designated places or unincorporated communities: real places with names and mail delivery, but no town council of their own. Populations below are 2020 census counts; a dash means the place has no separate census count. In the Type column, CDP means census-designated place — a settlement the Census Bureau counts separately — and Unincorp. means an unincorporated community.

One pair on that list is easy to mix up. Fort Towson, the town, was platted in 1902 after the railroad arrived; it takes its name from the older military post of the same name, built in 1824 about two miles to the east. The post, not the town, is where Confederate forces surrendered in 1865 — see History below.

ZIP Codes

Eight ZIP codes serve Choctaw County; one of them, 74761 at Swink, is a PO-box-only designation rather than home delivery.

• 74727 — Boswell
• 74735 — Fort Towson
• 74738 — Grant
• 74743 — Hugo
• 74756 — Sawyer
• 74759 — Soper
• 74760 — Spencerville
• 74761 — Swink (PO box only)

Apple, Fallon, Frogville, Gay, Hamden, Messer, Nelson and Rufe have no ZIP of their own; mail for these unincorporated communities is delivered by rural route from the nearest post office.

Geography

Choctaw County lies on the gently rolling plain of Oklahoma’s southeastern corner, in the tourism region promoters call Choctaw Country. Of its 800 square miles, 770 are land and 29 are water, about 3.7 percent. The Kiamichi, Muddy Boggy and Clear Boggy rivers cross the county; Hugo Lake sits on the Kiamichi northeast of the county seat, and Raymond Gary Lake lies to the south. The county is one of only two in Oklahoma where American alligators occur naturally, in the bottomland sloughs near the Red River.

Six counties border Choctaw County: Pushmataha to the north, McCurtain to the east, Red River County, Texas, to the southeast, Lamar County, Texas, to the south, Bryan County to the west and southwest, and Atoka to the northwest. Links: Pushmataha, McCurtain, Red River County, Texas, Lamar County, Texas, Bryan County (page not verified for this state), and Atoka.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 14,204 residents, and the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts the county at 14,059 — a decline of about 1 percent in five years. Hugo, with 5,166 people, is the largest community; Boswell, at 579, is second. Median household income is $44,081 (American Community Survey five-year estimate), well below the Oklahoma figure of $62,138. Population density works out to roughly 18 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Health care and social assistance is the county’s largest employment sector, with about 872 residents working in it, ahead of manufacturing (610) and retail trade (603). Agriculture, ranching and timber remain mainstays outside Hugo.

Hugo has been winter quarters for touring circuses since 1941 and is nicknamed “Circus City, USA”; Carson & Barnes, Kelly Miller and Culpepper & Merriweather all base their shows there, and the Showmen’s Rest section of the local cemetery is set aside for circus performers. Goodland Academy, a boarding school founded in 1848 as a Presbyterian mission to Choctaw children, is one of the oldest schools of its kind west of the Mississippi. The Kiamichi Technology Center trains the local workforce, and Martinaire flies scheduled cargo for UPS while EagleMed flies air-ambulance missions, both out of Stan Stamper Municipal Airport at Hugo.

History

The Choctaw Nation relocated to this part of Indian Territory in 1831 and 1832, after forced removal from its homeland in the southeastern United States. The county’s name comes from Chahta, the people’s traditional founder. Oklahoma organised Choctaw County in 1907, at statehood, out of former tribal land.

Fort Towson, built in 1824 and named for General Nathan Towson, stood about two miles east of the present-day town that later took its name. On 23 June 1865, Confederate Brigadier General Stand Watie brought his Cherokee and Choctaw troops to the fort and agreed to surrender terms — the last Confederate land force to give up in the Civil War.

Getting There

No interstate crosses Choctaw County. US 70 runs east–west through Hugo, US 271 runs north–south linking Hugo to Paris, Texas, State Highway 93 serves the county’s west side, and the Indian Nation Turnpike, a toll road, starts at Hugo and runs 105 miles northwest to Interstate 40 at Henryetta.

• Durant — 53 miles west
• Idabel — 43 miles east
• Paris, Texas — 26 miles south

The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service is Texarkana Regional (TXK) in Texarkana, Arkansas, roughly 100 miles east, with American Eagle flights to Dallas-Fort Worth. The nearest Amtrak station is also in Texarkana, on the Texas Eagle route between Chicago and San Antonio/Los Angeles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Choctaw County located?
Choctaw County is in southeastern Oklahoma, United States, on the Texas line, about 53 miles east of Durant.

What is the population of Choctaw County?
14,204 at the 2020 census, estimated at 14,059 in 2025.

How big is Choctaw County?
800 square miles in total (2,100 km2) — 770 square miles of land and 29 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Choctaw County?
Hugo, population 5,166, which is also the county’s only city.

How many towns are in Choctaw County?
Five incorporated places: the city of Hugo and the towns of Boswell, Fort Towson, Sawyer and Soper. A further 11 named communities and census-designated places are listed above.

What ZIP codes cover Choctaw County?
74727, 74735, 74738, 74743, 74756, 74759, 74760 and 74761.

What is Hugo, Oklahoma known for?
Hugo is nicknamed “Circus City, USA.” It has served as winter quarters for touring circuses since 1941, and Carson & Barnes, Kelly Miller and Culpepper & Merriweather still base their shows there.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.