Okmulgee County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation southeast of Tulsa. It had a population of 36,706 at the 2020 census and covers 702 square miles (1,820 km2) centred near 35°38′N 95°58′W.
Okmulgee is the county seat and its postal code is 74447. The county has four incorporated cities, six towns, and about 20 unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and is part of the Tulsa metropolitan statistical area.
Towns & Villages in Okmulgee County
Okmulgee County has 28 named places on record, split between four cities, six towns, and roughly 18 unincorporated communities and historic settlements — some now reduced to a rail siding, a church, or a cemetery. The table below carries every place from the county’s historical gazetteer; “Unincorp.” covers communities with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okmulgee | City · seat | 11,322 | 74447 |
| Henryetta | City | — | 74437 |
| Beggs | City | — | 74421 |
| Morris | City | — | 74445 |
| Dewar | Town | — | 74431 |
| Grayson | Town | — | — |
| Hoffman | Town | — | — |
| Liberty | Town | — | — |
| Schulter | Town | — | 74460 |
| Winchester | Town | — | — |
| Bald Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brundidge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bryant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coalton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dentonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dighton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eram | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gulftown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hectorville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kusa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Natura | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nuyaka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Park Wheeler Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Preston | Unincorp. | — | 74456 |
| Pumpkin Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spelter City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunrise | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
Nuyaka carries particular historical weight: it grew up around a Creek Nation council ground and mission school of the same name, well before Oklahoma statehood. Spelter City took its name from a zinc-smelting works that operated there in the early 1900s, when Okmulgee County was a minor node in the regional lead-zinc belt.
ZIP Codes
- 74447 — Okmulgee (county seat)
- 74437 — Henryetta
- 74421 — Beggs
- 74445 — Morris
- 74431 — Dewar (PO Box only)
- 74460 — Schulter (PO Box only)
- 74456 — Preston (PO Box only)
Grayson, Hoffman, Liberty, and Winchester, along with the smaller unincorporated communities, are served by the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Okmulgee County straddles two landform regions: its eastern half lies in the Eastern Lowlands, and its western half in the Osage Plains. The Deep Fork River is the county’s principal waterway, and the county also holds portions of Lake Eufaula — Oklahoma’s largest reservoir by surface area — along with the smaller Lake Henryetta and Okmulgee Lake. Terrain runs from rolling prairie in the west to timbered bottomland along the Deep Fork in the east.
Okmulgee County borders Tulsa County to the north, Wagoner County to the northeast, Muskogee County to the east, McIntosh County to the southeast, Okfuskee County to the south, and Creek County to the west.
Demographics
Okmulgee County’s population was 36,706 at the 2020 census, a density of about 53 people per square mile. Okmulgee, the county seat, is the largest community at 11,322 residents; Henryetta is the second-largest city. Median household income in the county runs below the Oklahoma median of $62,138, reflecting a rural, resource-and-manufacturing economic base rather than an urban one.
Economy & Local Life
Okmulgee’s economy centers on Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, a two-year technical campus that trains workers for the region’s manufacturing and skilled-trades employers, alongside county government, healthcare, and agriculture. Henryetta anchors the county’s south-central manufacturing base. Cattle ranching and small-grain farming remain common on the county’s western prairie, and Lake Eufaula draws seasonal recreation traffic to the county’s southeastern corner.
History
Okmulgee County was organized on July 16, 1907, at Oklahoma statehood, carved from land that had been part of Muskogee County under the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Its name comes from the Hitchiti (Lower Creek) word okimulgi, meaning “boiling waters.” Okmulgee itself had served as the capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation before statehood, and the county’s communities, including Nuyaka, trace directly to Creek Nation towns and council grounds established after the Creek removal to Indian Territory in the 1830s.
Getting There
U.S. Route 62 and State Highway 75 are the county’s main routes, crossing at Okmulgee.
- Tulsa — 38 miles north
- Muskogee — 30 miles east
- McAlester — 45 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Tulsa International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Okmulgee County?
It is in eastern Oklahoma, on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation southeast of Tulsa.
What is the population of Okmulgee County?
36,706 at the 2020 census.
How big is Okmulgee County?
702 square miles (1,820 km2), of which 5.0 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Okmulgee County?
Okmulgee is the county seat.
How many towns are in Okmulgee County?
Four cities (Okmulgee, Henryetta, Beggs, Morris) and six towns (Dewar, Grayson, Hoffman, Liberty, Schulter, Winchester), plus about 18 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Okmulgee County?
74447 (Okmulgee), 74437 (Henryetta), 74421 (Beggs), 74445 (Morris), 74431 (Dewar), 74460 (Schulter), and 74456 (Preston).
What does the name Okmulgee mean?
It comes from the Hitchiti Creek word okimulgi, meaning “boiling waters.”
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.