Garvin County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, in the south-central part of the state along the Washita River. It had a population of 25,656 at the 2020 census and covers 814 square miles (2,110 km2) centred near 34°43′N 97°19′W.
Pauls Valley is the county seat, and its postal code is 73075. Garvin County has 3 cities, 7 incorporated towns and 1 census-designated place, plus about 16 unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Garvin County
Garvin County contains 10 incorporated places (cities and towns) and one census-designated place (CDP), along with about 16 unincorporated crossroads communities. Unincorp. entries below have no local government and no separately reported 2020 population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pauls Valley | City · seat | 6,109 | 73075 |
| Lindsay | City | 2,720 | 73052 |
| Wynnewood | City | 2,127 | 73098 |
| Elmore City | Town | 683 | 73433 |
| Maysville | Town | 1,215 | 73057 |
| Stratford | Town | 1,459 | 74872 |
| Paoli | Town | 683 | 73074 |
| Hennepin | CDP | — | — |
| Erin Springs | Town | — | — |
| Foster | Town | — | — |
| Katie | Town | — | — |
| Antioch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boudinot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brady | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carver | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Civit | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoover | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McCarty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McGee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Neill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pernell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Purdy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Satterwhite | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Story | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wallville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitebead | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 73075 — Pauls Valley (also serves Erin Springs, Foster, Antioch, Story)
- 73052 — Lindsay (also serves Purdy, McCarty)
- 73098 — Wynnewood (also serves Hennepin, Katie)
- 74872 — Stratford (also serves Neill)
- 73433 — Elmore City (also serves Pernell, Wallville, Whitebead)
- 73057 — Maysville (also serves Boudinot, Brady, Carver)
- 73074 — Paoli (also serves Civit, Eola, Hoover, McGee, Satterwhite)
The smallest unincorporated communities share the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than having one of their own.
Geography
Garvin County lies where the Red Bed Plains meet the Sandstone Hills in south-central Oklahoma. The Washita River crosses the county from northwest to southeast, joined by Rush Creek and Wildhorse Creek; the terrain is a mix of river-bottom farmland, post oak savanna, and low, timbered hills rising toward the Arbuckle uplift on the county’s southern edge. Of the county’s 814 square miles, 802 are land and 12 are water — small lakes and stock ponds rather than any single large reservoir. The county borders McClain County to the north, Pontotoc County to the east, Murray County to the southeast, Carter County to the south, Stephens County to the southwest, and Grady County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 25,656 residents, a density of about 32 people per square mile. Pauls Valley and Lindsay are the county’s two largest communities. Garvin County’s median household income runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, reflecting the county’s agricultural and rural-oil-field economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture has been Garvin County’s dominant employer since Oklahoma statehood, with cattle ranching and row crops centred on the Washita River bottoms. Oil and gas production is the other major industry, with wells scattered across the county’s rural sections. In the mid-20th century the county was one of the nation’s leading broomcorn producers, marketed under the local slogan “We sweep the world.” Pauls Valley, the seat, anchors most of the county’s retail and civic activity along Interstate 35 and is home to the Oklahoma Alligator Sanctuary and the Toy and Action Figure Museum, both local tourist draws. Lindsay and Wynnewood support smaller Main Street commercial districts serving the county’s southern and eastern communities.
History
Garvin County was created at Oklahoma statehood in 1907 from land formerly part of the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, following boundary work begun by delegates to the 1906 Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. It is named for Samuel J. Garvin, a Chickasaw rancher, merchant and banker who was prominent in the area before statehood. Pauls Valley, the seat, developed as a Santa Fe Railway stop and cattle-shipping point in the late 1800s, and its downtown retains a number of early-20th-century commercial buildings. Wynnewood and Lindsay likewise grew up as rail towns on branch lines running south and west out of the Washita valley.
Getting There
Interstate 35 runs the length of the county north–south, with US Routes 77 and 177 and State Highways 7, 19, 29 and 145 providing secondary connections.
- Oklahoma City — 60 miles north
- Ardmore — 35 miles south
- Ada — 30 miles east
- Chickasha — 30 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Garvin County?
It is in south-central Oklahoma, along the Washita River between Oklahoma City and the Red River.
What is the population of Garvin County?
25,656 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Garvin County?
814 square miles (2,110 km2), of which 802 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Garvin County?
Pauls Valley is the county seat.
How many towns are in Garvin County?
Four cities, six incorporated towns, one CDP and about a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Garvin County?
73075, 73052, 73098, 74872, 73433, 73057 and 73074.
What was Garvin County’s historic export crop?
Broomcorn — the county was a leading national producer through the mid-20th century.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.