Woodward County is a county in Oklahoma, United States, on the state’s northwest plains along the North Canadian River. It had a population of 20,470 at the 2020 census and covers 1,242 square miles (3,220 km2) of land, centred near 36°25′N 99°16′W.
Woodward is the county seat, and its postal code is 73801. The county has one city and four incorporated towns, plus several unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 153.
Towns & Villages in Woodward County
Woodward, the seat and only city, anchors the county’s ranching and energy economy. The four incorporated towns are small farming communities strung along US-183 and US-270; the rest of the list is unincorporated crossroads and former rail sidings.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodward | City · seat | 12,133 | 73801 |
| Mooreland | Town | 1,132 | 73852 |
| Fort Supply | Town | 301 | 73841 |
| Sharon | Town | 158 | 73857 |
| Mutual | Town | 67 | 73853 |
| Alston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belva | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedardale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curtis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gerlach | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Keenan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quinlan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richmond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tangier | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 73801 — Woodward (also serves the surrounding unincorporated county)
- 73852 — Mooreland
- 73841 — Fort Supply
- 73857 — Sharon
- 73853 — Mutual
The unincorporated communities of Alston, Belva, Cedardale, Curtis, Gerlach, Keenan, Quinlan, Richmond and Tangier have no ZIP code of their own; residents use the nearest incorporated town’s code for mail.
Geography
Woodward County sits on the gypsum-hills plains of northwest Oklahoma, where the North Canadian River cuts across the county from west to east. Terrain ranges from sandy river-bottom farmland to red-dirt canyon country near Alabaster Caverns and Boiling Springs state parks. Of the county’s 1,246 square miles, 1,242 square miles are land and 3.7 square miles are water.
Woodward County borders six neighbors: Woods County to the north, Harper County to the northeast, Major County to the east, Dewey County to the south, and Ellis County to the west.
Demographics
Woodward County had 20,470 residents at the 2020 census. Woodward city, with 12,133 people, and Mooreland, with 1,132, are the two largest communities; together they hold roughly two-thirds of the county’s population. Oklahoma’s 2023 ACS median household income is $62,138; Woodward County, with its oil-field and ranching wage base, runs close to that figure. Population density works out to about 16 people per square mile, concentrated around the city of Woodward.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and natural gas production has driven the county economy since the 1950s, alongside long-standing wheat farming and cattle ranching. Woodward’s brine fields once supplied roughly 14% of national iodine production, extracted as a byproduct of oil-field brine. Woodward Regional Hospital and the Woodward Public Schools are among the county’s larger employers, along with oilfield service companies serving the Anadarko Basin. The Elks Rodeo and the Northwest Oklahoma District Free Fair, both held in Woodward each August, are the county’s biggest annual gatherings.
History
The area that became Woodward County was organized as “County N” in September 1893, following the opening of the Cherokee Outlet to settlement, and was renamed Woodward County shortly after. It is unclear whom the county and its seat were named for — the two leading candidates are Brinton W. Woodward, a director of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and Richard Woodward, a buffalo hunter who worked the area before settlement. Fort Supply, one of the county’s oldest towns, grew up around a US Army post established in 1868 to supply troops during the Indian Wars.
Getting There
US-183 and US-270 cross at Woodward, and OK-15 runs east toward Major County. Nearby distances:
- Alva — 40 miles northeast
- Fairview — 40 miles east
- Cheyenne — 55 miles south
- Enid — 75 miles east
West Woodward Airport, about 2.5 miles west of Woodward, handles general aviation; the nearest commercial air service is Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, roughly 140 miles southeast. BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon freight line passes through Woodward, but the county has no Amtrak passenger service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Woodward County?
It is in northwest Oklahoma, along the North Canadian River, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
What is the Woodward postcode?
Woodward’s ZIP code is 73801.
What is the county seat of Woodward County?
Woodward is the county seat.
How big is Woodward County?
It covers 1,242 square miles of land and had 20,470 residents at the 2020 census.
What towns are in Woodward County?
Woodward is the only city; Fort Supply, Mooreland, Mutual and Sharon are incorporated towns. Alston, Belva, Cedardale, Curtis, Gerlach, Keenan, Quinlan, Richmond and Tangier are unincorporated communities.
What is Woodward County’s economy based on?
Oil and natural gas production, cattle ranching and wheat farming.
What counties border Woodward County?
Woods County to the north, Harper County to the northeast, Major County to the east, Dewey County to the south, and Ellis County to the west.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oklahoma.