McIntosh County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, wrapped around the shoreline of Eufaula Lake in the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 18,941 at the 2020 census and covers 712 square miles (1,840 km2), of which 618 square miles (1,600 km2) are land and 94 square miles (240 km2) are water, centred near 35°23′N 95°40′W.
Eufaula is the county seat, and its postal code is 74432. The county has two incorporated cities (Checotah and Eufaula), five incorporated towns, and more than a dozen unincorporated communities. McIntosh County runs on Central time. Most of the county lies within the jurisdiction of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, with a small eastern portion under the Cherokee Nation.
Towns & Villages in McIntosh County
Twenty places from the county’s historical settlement rolls are listed below. Seven are incorporated (two cities, five towns); the rest are unincorporated communities, several of them former rail sidings or river landings that never organized a town government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eufaula | City · seat | 2,766 | 74432 |
| Checotah | City | 3,018 | 74426 |
| Hanna | Town | — | 74845 |
| Hitchita | Town | — | 74438 |
| Rentiesville | Town | — | 74459 |
| Stidham | Town | — | 74461 |
| Vernon | Town | — | — |
| Brush Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carters Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duchess Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fame | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lenna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mellette | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Onapa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pierce | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Raiford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richardsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Texanna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vivian | Unincorp. | — | — |
Checotah, on the Muskogee County line, is the county’s largest city; Eufaula, on the lake’s western shore, is the seat. Oklahoma has no civil-township government, so places here are grouped only as cities, towns, and unincorporated communities.
ZIP Codes
- 74426 — Checotah
- 74432 — Eufaula
- 74438 — Hitchita (PO Box delivery)
- 74845 — Hanna
- 74459 — Rentiesville (PO Box delivery)
- 74461 — Stidham
The remaining unincorporated communities, including Vernon, are served by the nearest post office town’s ZIP code rather than one of their own.
Geography
McIntosh County sits in the Ozark Plateau’s southern fringe where it meets the prairies of east-central Oklahoma, and its landscape is dominated by Eufaula Lake, the largest reservoir wholly within the state. The Deep Fork River, the North Canadian River, and the Canadian River all flow into the county and feed the lake, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formed by damming the Canadian River near Eufaula. Lake Eufaula State Park, on the lake’s shore near Checotah, is the county’s principal recreation area.
McIntosh County borders Muskogee County to the north, Haskell County to the east, Pittsburg County to the southeast, Hughes County to the southwest, Okfuskee County to the west, and Okmulgee County to the northwest.
Demographics
McIntosh County had 18,941 residents at the 2020 census, spread across 618 square miles of land for a density of about 31 people per square mile. Checotah (3,018) and Eufaula (2,766) are the two largest communities, together home to roughly a third of the county’s population. Median household income in the county runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, consistent with the rural, lake-recreation economy of most of east-central Oklahoma’s smaller counties.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism and recreation tied to Eufaula Lake anchor the local economy — boating, fishing, and lakefront property draw visitors and part-time residents from across Oklahoma and Texas. Agriculture, cattle ranching, and timber remain significant in the county’s rural townships. Checotah, calling itself the “Steer Wrestling Capital of the World,” is the hometown of Grammy-winning singer Carrie Underwood, who referenced the town and its highways in a song on her debut album. The Honey Springs Battlefield, a Civil War site a few miles northeast of Checotah, draws history visitors and reenactors.
History
McIntosh County was created at Oklahoma statehood in 1907, formed from Creek Nation land, and named for the McIntosh family of Muscogee Creek leaders — most prominently Chief William McIntosh, whose descendants led the Lower Towns Creek migration to Indian Territory in the 1820s and ’30s. A bitter county-seat dispute broke out between Checotah and Eufaula in the county’s first years, remembered locally as the McIntosh County Seat War (1907–1909), before Eufaula was confirmed as seat. During the Civil War, the Battle of Honey Springs — the largest engagement fought in what is now Oklahoma — took place near present-day Rentiesville in July 1863.
Getting There
Interstate 40 crosses the county through Checotah, and US Routes 69 and 266 and State Highways 9 and 72 also serve the area, along with the Indian Nation Turnpike.
- Muskogee — 25 miles north
- Tulsa — 65 miles north
- McAlester — 30 miles south
- Okmulgee — 30 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Tulsa International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is McIntosh County, Oklahoma?
It lies in east-central Oklahoma around Eufaula Lake, between Muskogee and McAlester.
What is the population of McIntosh County?
18,941 people at the 2020 census.
How big is McIntosh County?
712 square miles total — 618 square miles of land and 94 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of McIntosh County?
Eufaula is the county seat.
How many towns are in McIntosh County?
Two cities (Checotah and Eufaula) and five incorporated towns, plus more than a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in McIntosh County?
74426 (Checotah), 74432 (Eufaula), 74438 (Hitchita), 74459 (Rentiesville), 74461 (Stidham), and 74845 (Hanna).
What is McIntosh County known for?
Eufaula Lake, the state’s largest reservoir wholly within Oklahoma, and Checotah’s claim as the “Steer Wrestling Capital of the World.”
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.