Ottawa County, Oklahoma

Ottawa County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, in the far northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Kansas and Missouri. It had a population of 30,285 at the 2020 census and covers 471 square miles (1,220 km2) of land, centred near 36°50′N 94°49′W.

Miami is the county seat, and its postal code is 74354. The county has two incorporated cities, six incorporated towns, and several unincorporated communities and former mining camps. Ottawa County is in the Central time zone.

Towns & Villages in Ottawa County

Ottawa County’s settlements cluster along the old Tri-State lead and zinc mining district in the north and east, and along U.S. Route 60/59 through Miami in the south. Below, Type marks incorporation status: City and City · seat for the two incorporated cities, Town for the six incorporated towns, CDP for Census-designated places, and Unincorp. for unincorporated communities and mining-era place names, several of which are now ghost towns.

Several of the unincorporated names on this list — including Cardin, Douthat, Hockerville, Picher, and Zincville — were once thriving mining camps and are now ghost towns, largely emptied out after the federal government’s Tar Creek Superfund buyout program; they are not carried in the table above because no population remains to profile.

ZIP Codes

• 74354 — Miami (also serves North Miami)
• 74339 — Commerce
• 74331 — Afton
• 74343 — Fairland
• 74363 — Quapaw
• 74370 — Wyandotte
• 74355 — Peoria

The smaller unincorporated communities and CDPs share the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than carrying one of their own.

Geography

Ottawa County sits at the northeastern tip of Oklahoma, where the state meets both Kansas and Missouri. The Ozark Plateau reaches into the county’s eastern and southern portions, while the western part lies in the flatter Neosho Lowlands. The Neosho and Spring rivers cross the county, and 14 square miles (36 km2) of the county’s area is water. Historic strip-mining pits and chat piles from the Tri-State lead-zinc district remain a visible part of the landscape north and east of Miami.

Ottawa County borders Cherokee County, Kansas to the north; Newton County, Missouri to the east; McDonald County, Missouri to the southeast; Delaware County, Oklahoma to the south; and Craig County, Oklahoma to the west.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 30,285 residents. Miami is by far the largest community, followed by Commerce; both sit inside the old mining district. Ottawa County’s median household income runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, reflecting the area’s long transition away from mining-era employment. With a land area of 471 square miles, the county’s overall population density is roughly 64 people per square mile, though most residents cluster in and around Miami.

Economy & Local Life

Lead and zinc mining drove Ottawa County’s economy from the early 1900s until the district’s collapse by the 1960s; at its 1926 peak the Tri-State district was the largest source of lead and zinc in the world. Today the county’s economy centers on Miami, home to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Integris Miami Hospital, and a stretch of historic U.S. Route 66 that draws heritage tourism. The Quapaw and Modoc tribal governments and Modoc Nation headquarters at Quapaw are also significant local employers, and combined with neighboring Delaware County, the area ranks among Oklahoma’s larger tourism destinations.

History

Ottawa County was organized in 1907, at Oklahoma statehood, and was named for the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, one of several tribal nations relocated to the area in the 19th century; the county is also home to the federally recognized Quapaw Nation, headquartered in Quapaw, and the Modoc Nation. The discovery of lead and zinc ore around Miami and Picher in the early 20th century triggered a mining boom that reshaped the county’s economy and landscape. Decades of unreclaimed mine waste later made the Tar Creek area, established as a federal Superfund site in 1980, one of the most contaminated sites in the country; a subsequent federal buyout relocated most remaining residents of Picher and several nearby mining towns.

Getting There

U.S. Route 60/59 and the historic alignment of U.S. Route 66 both run through Miami, and Interstate 44 (the Will Rogers Turnpike) crosses the county’s southern edge.

• Joplin, Missouri — 18 miles east
• Grove, Oklahoma — 25 miles southwest
• Vinita, Oklahoma — 25 miles southwest
• Bartlesville, Oklahoma — 65 miles west

The nearest commercial airport is Joplin Regional Airport in Missouri, roughly 20 miles east of Miami.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ottawa County, Oklahoma?
It occupies the far northeastern corner of Oklahoma, bordering both Kansas and Missouri.

What is the population of Ottawa County?
30,285 people, according to the 2020 census.

How big is Ottawa County?
471 square miles (1,220 km2) of land, plus 14 square miles (36 km2) of water.

What is the county seat of Ottawa County?
Miami is the county seat.

How many towns are in Ottawa County?
Two incorporated cities (Miami and Commerce) and six incorporated towns (Afton, Fairland, North Miami, Peoria, Quapaw, and Wyandotte), plus several unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Ottawa County?
Main ZIP codes include 74354 (Miami), 74339 (Commerce), 74331 (Afton), 74343 (Fairland), 74363 (Quapaw), 74370 (Wyandotte), and 74355 (Peoria).

Why are there ghost towns in Ottawa County?
Former mining camps like Picher, Cardin, and Hockerville were largely emptied out after the federal Tar Creek Superfund buyout relocated residents away from contaminated mine land.

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