Craig County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, on the western edge of the Ozark Plateau near the Kansas border. It had a population of 14,107 at the 2020 census and covers 763 square miles (1,976 km2) centred near 36°46′N 95°13′W.
Vinita is the county seat, and its postal code is 74301. The county has one city, four incorporated towns, one census-designated place and several unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Craig County
Craig County has one city (Vinita, the county seat), four incorporated towns, one census-designated place, and a scatter of small unincorporated communities and rural place names carried on old maps. Type key: CDP = census-designated place, Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinita | City · seat | — | 74301 |
| Big Cabin | Town | — | 74332 |
| Bluejacket | Town | — | 74333 |
| Ketchum | Town | — | 74349 |
| Welch | Town | — | 74369 |
| White Oak | CDP | — | 74301 |
| Centralia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Estella | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kelso | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rogers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Success | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Todd | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list also carried Banzet, Bowlin Spring, Cocklebur Flat, Cornatzar, Hollow, Okoee, Pyramid Corners and Sunsweet as place names in Craig County; these are historic rural post office or crossroads names with no verifiable population figure or current ZIP assignment, so they are omitted from the table above pending confirmation.
ZIP Codes
- 74301 — Vinita (also serves White Oak)
- 74332 — Big Cabin
- 74333 — Bluejacket
- 74349 — Ketchum
- 74369 — Welch
Craig County has five ZIP codes; smaller unincorporated communities use the nearest post-office town’s code.
Geography
Craig County sits on the western edge of the Ozark Plateau where it meets the Osage Plains, a landscape of low rolling hills, cross-timbers woodland and pasture used mainly for cattle grazing and hay. Its streams drain generally east and south into the Neosho River, which forms part of the county’s eastern reach toward Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. The county has a total area of 763 square miles, of which about 761 square miles are land and roughly 1.4 square miles are water. Elevation across the county is generally modest, rarely rising far above the surrounding plains, and the terrain shifts from the rockier, wooded Ozark fringe in the east to flatter prairie toward the western county line.
Craig County borders Labette County, Kansas to the north, Cherokee County, Kansas to the northeast, Ottawa County to the east, Delaware County to the southeast, Mayes County to the south, Rogers County to the southwest, and Nowata County to the west.
Demographics
Craig County had a population of 14,107 at the 2020 census, spread over 761 square miles of land for a density of about 18.5 people per square mile. Vinita is by far the largest community. Median household income in the county runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, reflecting the county’s rural, agricultural economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, cattle ranching and small manufacturing anchor the local economy, alongside services and travel trade tied to Interstate 44 traffic through Vinita. Big Cabin and Ketchum draw seasonal trade from Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees traffic just east of the county.
History
Craig County was organized in 1907, the year Oklahoma became a state, from part of the former Cherokee Nation. It takes its name from Granville Craig, a well-known Cherokee farmer who lived in the Bluejacket area. Before statehood the area fell within the Cherokee Nation’s jurisdiction, and Vinita itself grew up as a railroad town at the junction of two Cherokee Nation rail lines in the 1870s. Coal mining supported the local economy in the county’s early decades, and by 1911 Vinita had one of the region’s first oil refineries, operated by Sinclair Oil into the 1920s. That industrial base has since given way to the agricultural and travel-corridor economy the county has today.
Getting There
Interstate 44 (the Will Rogers Turnpike) crosses the county through Vinita, along with U.S. Routes 59, 60 and 69 and State Highways 2, 10, 25, 66 and 82.
- Tulsa — 60 miles southwest
- Joplin, Missouri — 45 miles northeast
- Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees — 15 miles east
- Claremore — 30 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Tulsa International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Craig County, Oklahoma?
It is in northeastern Oklahoma on the Kansas border, on the western edge of the Ozark Plateau.
What is the population of Craig County?
14,107 at the 2020 census.
How big is Craig County?
763 square miles (1,976 km2), of which about 761 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Craig County?
Vinita is the county seat.
How many towns are in Craig County?
One city (Vinita), four incorporated towns (Big Cabin, Bluejacket, Ketchum, Welch), and one census-designated place (White Oak).
What ZIP codes are in Craig County?
74301, 74332, 74333, 74349 and 74369.
Who is Craig County named for?
Granville Craig, a Cherokee farmer from the Bluejacket area, at the county’s 1907 organization.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.