Ellis County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, on the state’s western border, in the western Panhandle-adjacent region. It had a population of 3,749 at the 2020 census and covers 1,232 square miles (3,190 km2) centred near 36°13′N 99°45′W.
Arnett is the county seat; its postal code is 73832. The county has four incorporated towns, two unincorporated communities, and several ghost towns, sits in the Central time zone, and was organized in 1907.
Towns & Villages in Ellis County
Ellis County has four incorporated towns and a handful of small unincorporated places. None of the places below are cities by Oklahoma’s population threshold; all are legally towns. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnett | Town · seat | 495 | 73832 |
| Shattuck | Town | 1,249 | 73858 |
| Gage | Town | — | 73843 |
| Fargo | Town | — | 73840 |
| Catesby | Unincorp. | — | 73832 |
| Harmon | Unincorp. | — | 73858 |
The old settlement list also carried Chaney, Goodwin, and Touzalin. These are historic rural post-office or rail-siding names in the county’s records; without a current, verifiable population or ZIP for them they are omitted here rather than guessed at. Ellis County also has several ghost towns from its homestead era, including Grand, Ioland, and Peek — former post-office communities that lost their population and postal service decades ago as farm consolidation thinned the rural population.
ZIP Codes
- 73832 — Arnett (also serves Catesby)
- 73858 — Shattuck (also serves Harmon)
- 73843 — Gage
- 73840 — Fargo
Ellis County is served by just these four post office ZIP codes, one per incorporated town, covering the entire county.
Geography
Ellis County lies in the Great Plains physiographic region of northwest Oklahoma, a mix of rolling rangeland and cropland drained by the Canadian River and its tributaries. The county covers 1,232 square miles, of which 1,232 square miles is land and 0.4 square miles is water — among the largest counties in Oklahoma by land area relative to its population.
Ellis County borders Harper County to the north, Woodward County to the east, Dewey County and Roger Mills County to the south, and Hemphill County and Lipscomb County, Texas, to the west. Links: Harper County (north), Woodward County (east), Dewey County (southeast), Roger Mills County (south), Hemphill County, Texas (southwest), and Lipscomb County, Texas (west). The county line with Texas is one of the few places in Oklahoma where the Panhandle-region counties meet the rest of the state along a simple straight survey boundary rather than a river.
Demographics
Ellis County had 3,749 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 3 people per square mile — one of the most sparsely populated counties in Oklahoma. Shattuck, with 1,249 residents, is the largest town; Arnett, the county seat, is the second largest with 495. Median household income in the county runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, reflecting its farm- and ranch-dependent economy.
Economy & Local Life
Wheat, cattle ranching, and oil and gas production drive the county’s economy today. Historically the county was a major broomcorn shipping point: Shattuck once shipped more broomcorn than any other point in the country, and the crop’s fiber went to broom factories across the Midwest. Dairying and cotton were also significant in the county’s early decades, before the Dust Bowl years pushed many farms toward wheat and grazing. Ellis County Rural Health Systems and the county’s school districts are among the largest local employers outside agriculture.
History
Ellis County was organized in 1907, the year of Oklahoma statehood, and named for Albert H. Ellis, vice president of the 1906 Constitutional Convention that drafted the state’s founding document. On April 9, 1947, an F5 tornado — part of a storm system that tracked roughly 221 miles across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas — killed six people in Ellis County.
Getting There
US Highways 60, 270, 283, and 412 cross Ellis County, meeting at or near Shattuck and Arnett.
- Woodward — 30 miles east
- Elk City — 45 miles south
- Guymon — 90 miles northwest
- Oklahoma City — 145 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Woodward Airport, with fuller regional service at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ellis County, Oklahoma?
It sits on Oklahoma’s western border, roughly 130 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, bordering the Texas Panhandle.
What is the population of Ellis County?
3,749 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Ellis County?
1,232 square miles (3,190 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Ellis County?
Arnett is the county seat.
How many towns are in Ellis County?
Four incorporated towns — Arnett, Shattuck, Gage, and Fargo — plus a few small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Ellis County?
73832 (Arnett), 73858 (Shattuck), 73843 (Gage), and 73840 (Fargo).
Why is Ellis County named that?
It is named for Albert H. Ellis, vice president of Oklahoma’s 1906 Constitutional Convention.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.