Noble County, Oklahoma

Noble County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, about 70 miles north of Oklahoma City. It
had a population of 10,924 at the 2020 census, an estimated 10,899 by 2025, and covers 743 square
miles (1,920 km2) centred near 36°23′N 97°14′W.

Perry is the county seat and the county’s only city; its postal code is 73077. The county
holds 5 incorporated places and 11 unincorporated communities across the county, and it runs on
Central Time. Its FIPS code is 40103.

Towns & Villages in Noble County

Noble County has 16 named places on record: 1 city, 4 incorporated towns, 2 census-designated
places and 9 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands for
census designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural hamlets with no formal boundary.

Old Bliss sits about 1.4 miles southeast of Marland; it was one of the Miller Brothers 101
Ranch townsites and had its own post office from 1894 until the office moved to Marland in 1922,
which is why its mail now runs under Marland’s ZIP code.

ZIP Codes

• 73077 — Perry (county seat)
• 73061 — Morrison
• 74630 — Billings
• 74651 — Red Rock
• 74644 — Marland (also serves Old Bliss)
• 73757 — Lucien

Sumner, Ceres, Gansel, Otoe, Black Bear, Bills Corner, Petes Corner, Drace and McMahon have no
ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest incorporated town’s code.

Geography

Noble County sits in Oklahoma’s north-central plains, land that was part of the Cherokee
Outlet before the 1893 opening. Of its 743 square miles, 732 are land and 11 are water, about 1.4
percent. The Arkansas River forms part of the county’s northeastern boundary, and two
tributary creeks drain the rest of the county toward it: Red Rock Creek in the north and Black
Bear Creek in the south.

Kay County lies to the north, Osage County to the northeast, Pawnee County to the east, Payne
County to the south, Logan County to the southwest, and Garfield County to the west. Kay County, Osage County, Pawnee County, Payne County, Logan County and Garfield County all border
Noble County directly.

Demographics

Noble County had a population of 10,924 at the 2020 census, edging down to an estimated 10,899
by 2025. Perry and Morrison are the two largest communities, together holding roughly half the
county’s population. The county is 78.4 percent white, 9.8 percent two or more races, 9.0
percent American Indian or Alaska Native, and 3.8 percent Hispanic or Latino of any race, per the
2020 census. Median household income runs $66,365 (2024 ACS, via Data USA), above Oklahoma’s
statewide figure of $62,138 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 15 people per
square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Manufacturing employs the most workers in the county, about 834 people, followed by health
care and social assistance at 664 and educational services at 524. Ditch Witch, the Charles
Machine Works construction-equipment maker, is headquartered in Perry and employs roughly 1,300
people, making it the county’s largest single employer. The Cherokee Strip Museum, run by
the Oklahoma Historical Society, preserves the county’s land-run history in Perry. The
county’s biggest annual event is Perry’s Cherokee Strip Celebration each September,
marking the September 16, 1893, opening of the Cherokee Outlet with a parade, rodeo and
carnival.

History

The land that became Noble County was part of the Cherokee Outlet in Indian Territory until
Oklahoma Territory was created in 1890, when it was designated County P. The federal government
opened the area to non-Indian settlement in the September 16, 1893, land run, and the county was
renamed for John Willock Noble, who was serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior at the time.
Perry was established as the county seat that August.

On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Charlie Hanger stopped Timothy McVeigh on
Interstate 35 in Noble County for driving without a license tag, hours after the Oklahoma City
bombing. McVeigh was still in custody on a weapons charge when investigators identified him as a
suspect and ordered him held.

Getting There

Interstate 35 crosses the county north to south through Perry. US Routes 64, 77, 177 and 412
also run through the county, along with State Highways 15, 86, 108, 156 and 164.

• Oklahoma City — about 70 miles south
• Stillwater — about 25 miles east
• Ponca City — about 30 miles north
• Enid — about 35 miles west

Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, about 70 miles south of Perry, is the nearest major
commercial airport. Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer stops at Oklahoma City’s Santa Fe Transit
Hub, the nearest Amtrak station to the county.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Noble County located?
It sits in Oklahoma’s north-central plains, about 70 miles north of Oklahoma City, bordered
by Kay, Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Logan and Garfield counties.

What is the population of Noble County?
10,924 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 10,899.

How big is Noble County?
743 square miles (1,920 km2), of which 732 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Noble County?
Perry, established as county seat in August 1893, is the county’s only city and largest
place.

How many towns and cities are in Noble County?
Five incorporated places — Perry, Morrison, Billings, Red Rock and Marland — plus
Lucien and Sumner as census-designated places, and nine smaller unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes does Noble County use?
73077 for Perry, 73061 for Morrison, 74630 for Billings, 74651 for Red Rock, 74644 for Marland and
73757 for Lucien.

What is Noble County known for?
Perry’s Cherokee Strip Celebration marking the 1893 land run, and the April 1995 roadside
arrest of Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh on Interstate 35.

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