Oklahoma#Media

The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw language phrase {{lang|cho|okla}}, 'people', and {{lang|cho|humma}}, translated as 'red'.{{Cite web|title=Choctaw Dictionary » Search Results » humma|url=https://www.webonary.org/byington-choctaw?s=humma&search=Search&key=&tax=-1&search_options_set=1&match_whole_words=1&displayAdvancedSearchName=0|access-date=2021-10-12|language=en-US}} Choctaw Nation Chief Allen Wright suggested the name in 1865 during treaty negotiations with the federal US government on the use of Indian Territory. He envisioned an all exclusive American Indian state controlled by the United States bureau of Indian Affairs. A painting of the 1865 Council now hangs in the Oklahoma Senate.{{cite web|year=2006 |url=https://oksenate.gov/press-releases/painting-fort-smith-council-unveiled-capitol |title=Painting of Fort Smith Council Unveiled at Capitol |website=Oklahoma Senate |access-date=March 1, 2025}} Oklahoma later became the de facto name for Oklahoma Territory, and it was officially approved in 1890, two years after that area was opened to American settlers.{{cite web|title=Chronicles of Oklahoma |first=Muriel |last=Wright |publisher=Oklahoma State University |date=June 1936 |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v014/v014p156.html |access-date=July 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013231154/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v014/v014p156.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}{{cite web | year=2007 | url=http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/stinfo2.html | title=Oklahoma State History and Information | website=A Look at Oklahoma | publisher=Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation | access-date=June 7, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060729003635/http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/stinfo2.html | archive-date=July 29, 2006 | url-status=dead }}{{cite web|last=Merserve |first=John |year=1941 |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chronicles/v019/v019p314.html |title=Chief Allen Wright |website=Chronicles of Oklahoma |access-date=June 7, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507052851/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chronicles/v019/v019p314.html |archive-date=May 7, 2006 }}

{{Main|History of Oklahoma}}

Indigenous peoples were present in what is now Oklahoma by the last ice age.{{cite web| url=http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/2/80.02.07.x.html| first=Valerie| last=Palino| title=Early Man in North America: The Known to the Unknown| publisher=Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute| access-date=August 1, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816201109/http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/2/80.02.07.x.html| archive-date=August 16, 2007}} Ancestors of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (including Teyas and Escanjaques and Tawakoni), Tonkawa,{{cite web |last1=May |first1=Jon D. |title=Tonkawa (tribe) |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=TO003 |website=The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=April 11, 2021}} and Caddo (including Kichai) lived in what is now Oklahoma. Southern Plains villagers lived in the central and west of the state, with a subgroup, the Panhandle culture people, living in the panhandle region. Caddoan Mississippian culture peoples lived in the eastern part of the state. Spiro Mounds, in what is now Spiro, Oklahoma, was a major Mississippian mound complex that flourished between AD 850 and 1450.{{cite web |year=2007| url=http://www.myspiro.com/spiroMounds.asp|title= The Historic Spiro Mounds| publisher=Spiro Area Chamber of Commerce | access-date=August 1, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070808234344/http://www.myspiro.com/spiroMounds.asp|archive-date=August 8, 2007 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~oknowata/PreHIn.htm|title= Prehistory of Oklahoma| publisher=rootsweb| access-date=August 1, 2007}} Plains Apache people settled in the Southern Plains and in Oklahoma between 1300 and 1500.{{cite book |last1=Clark |first1=Blue |title=Indian Tribes of Oklahoma: A Guide |date=2009 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman |isbn=978-0-8061-4060-5 |page=28}}

The expedition of Spaniard Francisco Vázquez de Coronado traveled through the area in 1541,{{cite web| url=http://www.ok.gov/osfdocs/stinfo2.html| title=Oklahoma's History| publisher=Government of Oklahoma| access-date=August 1, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070726075125/http://www.ok.gov/osfdocs/stinfo2.html| archive-date=July 26, 2007| url-status=dead}} but French explorers claimed the area in the early 18th century.{{cite web | url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~oknowata/FrSPEX.htm|title= French and Spanish Explorations| publisher=rootsweb |website=A Brief History of Oklahoma |first1=Ann |last1=Maloney | access-date=August 1, 2007}} By the 18th century, Comanche and Kiowa entered the region from the west and Quapaw and Osage peoples moved into what is now eastern Oklahoma. French colonists claimed the region until 1803, when all the French territory west of the Mississippi River was acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. The territory was a part of the Arkansas Territory from 1819 until 1828.{{cite book|title=Stories of Old-Time Oklahoma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7uSaBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA49 |page=49|last1=Dary|first1=David|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|date=February 10, 2015|isbn=9780806151717}}

During the 19th century, the U.S. federal government forcibly removed tens of thousands of American Indians from their ancestral homelands from across North America and transported them to the area including and surrounding present-day Oklahoma. The Choctaw was the first of the Five Civilized Tribes to be removed from the Southeastern United States. The phrase "Trail of Tears" originated from a description of the removal of the Choctaw Nation in 1831, although the term is usually used for the Cherokee removal.

{{cite web|url=http://www.tc.umn.edu/~mboucher/mikebouchweb/choctaw/trtears.htm| title = Choctaw Removal was really a "Trail of Tears"| access-date = April 28, 2008| author=Len Green|publisher=Bishinik, mboucher, University of Minnesota |date=November 1978 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604005108/http://www.tc.umn.edu/~mboucher/mikebouchweb/choctaw/trtears.htm|archive-date = June 4, 2008}}

Seventeen thousand Cherokees and 2,000 of their black slaves were deported.Carter, Samuel (III) (1976). Cherokee sunset: A nation betrayed: a narrative of travail and triumph, persecution and exile. New York: Doubleday, p. 232. The area, already occupied by Osage and Quapaw tribes, was called for the Choctaw Nation until revised Native American and then later American policy redefined the boundaries to include other Native Americans. By 1890, more than 30 Native American nations and tribes had been concentrated on land within Indian Territory or "Indian Country".{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~cherokee/1890map.html|title=1890 Indian Territory Map|publisher=RootsWeb|access-date=May 6, 2009}}

All Five Civilized Tribes signed treaties with the Confederate military during the American Civil War.{{cite journal|last=Morton|first=Ohland|year=1953|title=Confederate Government Relations with the Five Civilized Tribes|journal=Chronicles of Oklahoma|volume=31|issue=2|pages=189–204|url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v031/v031p189.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201074014/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v031/v031p189.pdf|archive-date=February 1, 2016}} The Cherokee Nation had an internal civil war.{{cite book|last=Rodman|first=Leslie|title=The Five Civilized Tribes and the American Civil War|url=http://www.amtour.net/downloadable/The_5_Civilized_Tribes_in_the_Civil_War_a_Biographical_Essay.pdf|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723013312/http://www.amtour.net/downloadable/The_5_Civilized_Tribes_in_the_Civil_War_a_Biographical_Essay.pdf|archive-date=July 23, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Slavery in Indian Territory was not abolished until 1866.{{cite book|first=Alton|last=Hornsby, Jr.|title=A Companion to African American History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bqIJ278VHuwC&pg=PA127|date=2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-3735-5|page=127}}

In the period between 1866 and 1899, cattle ranches in Texas strove to meet the demands for food in eastern cities and railroads in Kansas promised to deliver in a timely manner. Cattle trails and cattle ranches developed as cowboys either drove their product north or settled illegally in Indian Territory. In 1881, four of five major cattle trails on the western frontier traveled through Indian Territory.{{cite web | url=http://genealogytrails.com/main/cattletrails1881map.html|title= Map of Cattle Drives in 1881| publisher=Genealogy Trails History Group| access-date=August 1, 2007}}

File:Former Indian Reservations in Oklahoma.jpg

Increased presence of white settlers in Indian Territory and their demand for land owned and guaranteed to Indian tribes by treaties with the U.S. government prompted the United States to enact the Dawes Act in 1887 and the Curtis Act of 1898. The acts abolished tribal governments, eliminated tribal ownership of land, and allotted {{cvt|160|acre|ha}} of land to each head of an Indian family. An objective of the acts was the forced assimilation of Indians into white society. Land not allotted to individual Indians was owned by the U.S. government and sold or distributed to settlers and railroads. The proceeds of the land sales were used to educate Indian children and advance the policy of assimilation. As a result of the two acts about one-half of land previously owned by Indian tribes was owned by whites by 1900.{{cite web | first=Robert|last=Hamilton|url=http://itech.fgcu.edu/&/issues/vol3/issue1/united.htm|title= United States and Native American Relations | publisher=Florida Gulf Coast University| access-date=August 1, 2007}} Moreover, much of the land allotted to individual Indian heads of families became white-owned. Allottees often sold or were fraudulently deprived of their land.{{cite book|author=Case DS, Voluck DA|year=2002|title=Alaska Natives and American Laws|edition=2nd|pages=104–105|location=Fairbanks, AK|publisher=University of Alaska Press|isbn=978-1-889963-08-2}}

The acquisition of tribal lands by the U.S. government led to land runs, also called "land rushes," from 1887 and 1895. Major land runs, including the Land Rush of 1889, opened up millions of acres of formerly tribal lands to white settlement. The "rushes" began at a precise times as each prospective settler literally raced with other prospective settlers to claim ownership of {{cvt|160|acre|ha}} of land under the Homestead Act of 1862. Usually land was claimed by settlers on a first come, first served basis.{{cite web|year=1999 |url=http://aaae.okstate.edu/proceedings/1999/Factors%20Influencing%20Enrollment.doc |title=Factors Influencing Enrollment in Agricultural Education Classes of Native American Students in Oklahoma |publisher=Oklahoma State University |format=DOC |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074216/http://aaae.okstate.edu/proceedings/1999/Factors%20Influencing%20Enrollment.doc |archive-date=August 8, 2007 }} Those who broke the rules by crossing the border into the territory before the official opening time were said to have been crossing the border sooner, leading to the term sooners, which eventually became the state's official nickname.{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/r_virt_landrun5.html|title= Rushes to Statehood | publisher=National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum|access-date=August 1, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234602/http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/r_virt_landrun5.html|archive-date=September 26, 2007}} George Washington Steele was appointed the first governor of the territory of Oklahoma in 1890.

{{Main|Organic act#List of organic acts|Oklahoma Territory|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union}}

File:Sequoyah map.jpg

Attempts to create an all-Indian state named Oklahoma and a later attempt to create an all-Indian state named Sequoyah failed but the Sequoyah Statehood Convention of 1905 eventually laid the groundwork for the Oklahoma Statehood Convention, which took place two years later.{{cite web |url=http://www.willrogers.com/new/articles/exhibits/Sequoyah_Centennial/Sequoyah_exhibit.html |title=Clem Rogers |publisher=Will Rogers Museum Association |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520025331/http://www.willrogers.com/new/articles/exhibits/Sequoyah_Centennial/Sequoyah_exhibit.html |archive-date=May 20, 2007 |url-status=dead }} On June 16, 1906, Congress enacted a statute authorizing the people of the Oklahoma and Indian Territories (as well what would become the states of Arizona and New Mexico) to form a constitution and state government in order to be admitted as a state.{{USStatute|59|233|35|267|1906|6|16|H.R.|16946}} On November 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation no. 780, establishing Oklahoma as the 46th state in the Union.{{USStat|35|2160}}

The new state became a focal point for the emerging oil industry, as discoveries of oil pools prompted towns to grow rapidly in population and wealth. Tulsa eventually became known as the "Oil Capital of the World" for most of the 20th century and oil investments fueled much of the state's early economy.{{cite web| url = http://www.tulsalibrary.org/tulsahistory/communities.htm#tul| title = Tulsa Area History| publisher = Tulsa County Library| access-date = April 25, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070108010448/http://www.tulsalibrary.org/tulsahistory/communities.htm| archive-date = January 8, 2007| url-status = dead}} In 1927, Oklahoman businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66", began the campaign to create U.S. Route 66. Using a stretch of highway from Amarillo, Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma to form the original portion of Highway 66, Avery spearheaded the creation of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to oversee the planning of Route 66, based in his hometown of Tulsa.{{cite web | url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG02/carney/avery.html | title=The Father of Route 66 | publisher=University of Virginia | access-date=April 20, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623050651/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG02/carney/avery.html | archive-date=June 23, 2013 }}

In late September 1918, the first cases of the Spanish flu appeared in Oklahoma. Though public health authorities statewide had some indication that the pandemic was westward, the turmoil caused by the rapid advancement of the disease quickly overwhelmed both health workers and local governing bodies. In Oklahoma City, shortages of both supplies and personnel were mitigated, in part, by the mobilization of the American Red Cross. Rough estimates based on contemporary reports indicate that approximately 100,000 people fell ill with the disease before the pandemic ebbed in 1919. Of those 100,000 cases, it is assumed that around 7,500 proved fatal, placing total mortality rates for the state in the area of 7.5%.{{Cite web |title=The Spanish Influenza Pandemic in Oklahoma City |url=https://www.metrolibrary.org/archives/essay/2019/07/spanish-influenza-pandemic-oklahoma-city |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=Metropolitan Library System |language=en}}

Oklahoma also has a rich African-American history. Many Black towns, founded by the Freedmen of the Five Tribes during Reconstruction, thrived in the early 20th century with the arrival of Black Exodusters who migrated from neighboring states, especially Kansas. The politician Edward P. McCabe encouraged Black settlers to come to what was then Indian Territory. McCabe discussed with President Theodore Roosevelt the possibility of making Oklahoma a majority-Black state.{{Cite web |date=June 7, 2012 |title=Oklahoma |url=https://purehistory.org/oklahoma/ |access-date=October 14, 2023 |website=Pure History}}

By the early 20th century, the Greenwood district of Tulsa was one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the United States.{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117786589.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 | title=The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story | work=Variety Magazine | access-date=June 26, 2008 | first=Steven | last=Oxman | date=May 30, 2000 | archive-date=April 17, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417080734/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117786589.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 }} Jim Crow laws had established racial segregation since before the start of the 20th century, but Tulsa's Black residents had created a thriving area.{{citation |author=Oklahoma Commission |contribution=Final Report |title=Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 |place=Tulsa, Oklahoma |date=February 28, 2001 |contribution-url=http://www.okhistory.org/research/forms/freport.pdf |contribution-format=PDF |access-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602235628/http://www.okhistory.org/research/forms/freport.pdf |archive-date=June 2, 2018 |url-status=bot: unknown }}{{Cite web|url=https://greenwoodculturalcenter.com/about-us|title=About Us|date=2019|website=Greenwood Cultural Center|access-date=26 March 2020|archive-date=August 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822175256/https://greenwoodculturalcenter.com/about-us|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/us/tulsa-greenwood-massacre.html|newspaper=The New York Times|author=Astor, Maggie|title=What to Know About the Tulsa Greenwood Massacre|date=June 20, 2020|access-date=June 21, 2020|archive-date=June 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620092642/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/us/tulsa-greenwood-massacre.html}}

Social tensions were exacerbated by the revival of the Ku Klux Klan after 1915. The Tulsa race massacre broke out in 1921, with White mobs attacking Black people and carrying out a pogrom in Greenwood. In one of the costliest episodes of racist violence in American history, sixteen hours of rioting resulted in the destruction of 35 city blocks, $1.8 million in property damage, and an estimated death toll of between 75 and 300 people.{{cite web | url=http://www.ok-history.mus.ok.us/trrc/file1.pdf| title= Tulsa Race Riot, A Report by the Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, February 28, 2001 |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society | access-date=June 10, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080624204404/http://www.ok-history.mus.ok.us/trrc/file1.pdf |archive-date = June 24, 2008}} By the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had declined to negligible influence within the state.{{cite web|first=Larry |last=O'Dell |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/K/KU001.html |title=Ku klux klan |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=June 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009193345/https://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/K/KU001.html |archive-date=October 9, 2008 }}

File:Farmer walking in dust storm Cimarron County Oklahoma2.jpg sent thousands of farmers into poverty during the 1930s.]]

During the 1930s, parts of the state began to suffer from the consequences of poor farming practices. This period was known as the Dust Bowl, throughout which areas of Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and northwestern Oklahoma were hampered by long periods of little rainfall, strong winds, abnormally high temperatures, and most notably, severe dust storms sending thousands of farmers into poverty and forcing them to relocate to more fertile areas of the western United States.{{cite web| date=August 5, 2005| url=http://www.ccccok.org/museum/dustbowl.html| title=1930s Dust Bowl| publisher=Cimarron County Chamber of Commerce| access-date=August 1, 2007| archive-date=July 7, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707060033/http://www.ccccok.org/museum/dustbowl.html}} Over a twenty-year period ending in 1950, the state saw its only historical decline in population, dropping 6.9 percent as impoverished families migrated out of the state after the Dust Bowl.

Soil and water conservation projects markedly changed practices in the state, leading to the construction of massive flood control systems and dams to supply water for domestic needs and agricultural irrigation.{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.history.com/states.do?action=detail&state=OK&contentType=State_Generic&contentId=54146 |title=History of the States: Oklahoma, The Sooner State |publisher=The History Channel |access-date=August 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010051625/http://www.history.com/states.do?action=detail&state=OK&contentType=State_Generic&contentId=54146 |archive-date=October 10, 2007 }} As of 2024, Oklahoma had more than 4,700 dams, about 20% of all dams in the U.S.{{cite web|url= https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/growing-number-of-dams-have-risks-for-houses-downstream-oklahoma-expert-says/article_d22e5560-9888-11ef-8b34-8f64c2145247.html |title=Growing number of dams have risks for houses downstream, Oklahoma expert says|publisher=Tulsa World, August 4, 2024|accessdate=August 4, 2024}}

File:Murrah Building - Aerial.jpg in Oklahoma City was one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in American history.]]

In 1995, Oklahoma City was the site of the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in American history. The Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995, in which Timothy McVeigh detonated a large, crude explosive device outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killed 168 people, including 19 children. For his crime, McVeigh was executed by the federal government on June 11, 2001. His accomplice, Terry Nichols, is serving life in prison without parole for helping plan the attack and prepare the explosive.{{cite news | year=1996|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/OKC/bombing.html|title= Oklahoma City Tragedy | publisher=CNN| access-date=August 1, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070820160413/http://www.cnn.com/US/OKC/bombing.html|archive-date=August 20, 2007 }}

On May 31, 2016, several cities experienced record setting flooding.{{cite web |last=Sutton |first=Joe |url=http://www.kpax.com/story/32107818/seven-dead-after-record-setting-floods-in-texas-kansas |title=Seven dead after record-setting floods in Texas, Kansas—KPAX.com | Continuous News | Missoula & Western Montana |website=KPAX.com |date=April 28, 2016 |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602235851/http://www.kpax.com/story/32107818/seven-dead-after-record-setting-floods-in-texas-kansas |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=Dolce |first=Chris |last2=Wiltgen |first2=Nick |last3=Erdman |first3=Jonathan |date=2015-06-01 |title=Texas and Oklahoma Set All-Time Record Wet Month; Other May Rain Records Shattered in Arkansas, Nebraska |url=https://weather.com/forecast/regional/news/plains-rain-flood-threat-wettest-may-ranking |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=The Weather Channel}}

File:Boundaries_of_the_Five_Tribes_in_1866.svg in dispute in McGirt v. Oklahoma]]

On July 9, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States determined in McGirt v. Oklahoma that the reservations of the Five Tribes, comprising much of Eastern Oklahoma, were never disestablished by Congress and thus are still "Indian Country" for the purposes of criminal law.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/us/supreme-court-oklahoma-mcgirt-creek-nation.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709142918/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/us/supreme-court-oklahoma-mcgirt-creek-nation.html |archive-date=2020-07-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Supreme Court Rules Nearly Half of Oklahoma is Indian Reservation |website=The New York Times |date=July 9, 2020 |access-date=July 9, 2020|last1=Healy |first1=Jack |last2=Liptak |first2=Adam }}

Later decisions by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals also found the Quapaw Nation,{{cite news|url=https://www.newson6.com/story/617b31691202230bef62e0d1/oklahoma-court-upholds-tribal-sovereignty-for-quapaw-nation|title=Oklahoma Court Upholds Tribal Sovereignty for Quapaw Nation|access-date=July 25, 2023}} Ottawa Tribe, Peoria Tribe, and Miami Tribe{{cite news|url=https://www.kosu.org/news/2023-05-17/three-tribal-nations-in-northeast-oklahoma-have-reservation-statuses-recognized|title=Three Tribal Nations in Northeast Oklahoma Have Reservations Statuses Recognized|access-date=July 25, 2023}} also had existing reservations. The Osage Nation is awaiting for a possible appellate decision after a district judge had ruled that the Osage reservation was disestablished.{{cite news|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/state/2022/09/03/oklahoma-judge-says-osage-nation-reservation-no-longer-exists-appeal-likely/65468495007/|title=Oklahoma judge says Osage reservation no longer exists|access-date=July 25, 2023}}

{{Main|Geography of Oklahoma}}

{{see also|List of Oklahoma tri-points}}

File:Oklahoma Köppen.svg

Oklahoma is the 20th-largest state in the United States, covering an area of {{Convert|69895|sqmi}}, with {{Convert|68591|sqmi}} of land and {{Convert|1304|sqmi}} of water.{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-1.pdf | title=United States Summary: 2010, Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing | publisher=United States Census Bureau | pages=V–2, 1 & 41 (Tables 1 & 18) | date=September 2012 | access-date=October 11, 2018}} It lies partly in the Great Plains near the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states. It is bordered on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas, on the northwest by Colorado, on the far west by New Mexico, and on the south and near-west by Texas.

Oklahoma's border with Kansas was defined as the 37th Parallel in the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act. This was disputed with the Cherokee and Osage Nations, which claimed their border extended North of this line and could not be part of the Kansas Territory. This was resolved in 1870 with the Drum Creek Treaty, which reestablished Kansas's southern border as the 37th parallel. This also applied to the then No-Man's Land that became the Oklahoma Panhandle.

The Oklahoma-Texas border consists of the Red River of the South in the south and the 100th meridian west as the western border between Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. These were first established in the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty between the United States and Spain.

The Oklahoma panhandle was originally part of the Panhandle of the Republic of Texas, but when Texas joined the Union as a slave state, it could not retain any lands north of 36 degrees 30 minutes, as specified in the Missouri Compromise. The Panhandle existed as a no-man's land until 1907 when Oklahoma acquired the territory upon gaining statehood.

Oklahoma's Eastern border is divided between Missouri and Arkansas. The Missouri-Oklahoma border is defined as the Meridian passing through the Kawsmouth,{{Cite book |last=Hoffhaus |first=Charles E. |title=Chez les Canses: three centuries at Kawsmouth: the French foundations of metropolitan Kansas City |date=1984 |publisher=Lowell Press |isbn=0-913504-91-2 |location=Kansas City |oclc=12314083}} where the Kansas River meets the Missouri River. This is the same Meridian as the Kansas-Missouri border.

The Oklahoma-Arkansas border was originally defined by two lines: the borders between Arkansas and the Cherokee and Choctaw Reservations. This formed two diagonal lines meeting at the western edge of Fort Smith Arkansas, with one line running northeast from the Red River and the other running southeast from the Oklahoma-Arkansas-Missouri border. The Choctaw-Arkansas border was established in the 1820 Treaty of Doak's Sand, and later refined in the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. These treaties left a 57-acre exclave of the Choctaw reservation bounded by Arkansas, the Arkansas River and the Poteau River. This became the site of a smuggling camp called "Coke Hill", noted mostly for its importance in cocaine smuggling.{{Cite news |last=Curry |first=Bill |date=1978-12-07 |title=Arkansas, Oklahoma Fighting Border War Over 57 Acres |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/12/07/arkansas-oklahoma-fighting-border-war-over-57-acres/af020620-9c70-4305-83f6-dc185fc50b46/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |issn=0190-8286}}

After Petitioning congress to hand over jurisdiction, the 57 acres was given to Arkansas in 1905. The 1985 US Supreme Court Case Oklahoma v. Arkansas decided the land would remain Arkansas, even though the Choctaw had not been notified or asked about the territory being handed over.{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma v. Arkansas, 473 U.S. 610 (1985) |url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/473/610/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=Justia Law |language=en}} Therefore, the Poteau River serves as the Oklahoma-Arkansas boundary for approximately 1 mile, reducing the Choctaw Reservation and later Oklahoma by 57 acres as established in the treaties of the early 1800s.

{{See also|List of lakes in Oklahoma}}

Oklahoma is between the Great Plains and the Ozark Plateau in the Gulf of Mexico watershed,{{cite web|date=April 17, 2003 |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=July 31, 2007 |url=http://tapestry.usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html |title=A Tapestry of Time and Terrain |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515044037/http://tapestry.usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html |archive-date=May 15, 2006 }} generally sloping from the high plains of its western boundary to the low wetlands of its southeastern boundary.{{cite web | date=July 31, 2007 | publisher=Netstate | access-date=July 31, 2007 | url=http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/ok_geography.htm| title=The Geography of Oklahoma}}{{cite web | year=2006 | publisher=geology.com | access-date=August 1, 2007 | url=http://geology.com/state-map/oklahoma.shtml | title=Oklahoma State Map Collection}} Its highest and lowest points follow this trend, with its highest peak, Black Mesa, at {{convert|4973|ft}} above sea level, situated near its far northwest corner in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The state's lowest point is on the Little River near its far southeastern boundary near the town of Idabel, which dips to {{convert|289|ft}} above sea level.{{cite web | date=January 1, 2003 | first=Derek |last=Arndt| publisher=Oklahoma Climatological Survey| access-date=July 31, 2007 | url=http://cig.mesonet.org/climateatlas/doc60.html | title=The Climate of Oklahoma}}

Among the most geographically diverse states, Oklahoma is one of four to harbor more than 10 distinct ecological regions, with 11 in its borders—more per square mile than in any other state.{{cite web |date=January 12, 2006 |url=http://www.travelok.com/atv/index.asp |title=Oklahoma, All Terrain Vacation |website=TravelOK |publisher=TravelOK.com |access-date=July 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060709205916/http://travelok.com/atv/index.asp |archive-date=July 9, 2006 |url-status=dead }} Its western and eastern halves, however, are marked by extreme differences in geographical diversity: Eastern Oklahoma touches eight ecological regions and its western half contains three. Although having fewer ecological regions Western Oklahoma contains many rare, relic species.

Oklahoma has four primary mountain ranges: the Ouachita Mountains, the Arbuckle Mountains, the Wichita Mountains, and the Ozark Mountains. Contained within the U.S. Interior Highlands region, the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains are the only major mountainous region between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians.{{cite web | date=March 7, 2007 | url=http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4159/about/HotSpringsOffice.htm | title=Managing Upland Forests of the Midsouth | publisher=USD Forest Service| access-date=July 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622180232/http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4159/about/HotSpringsOffice.htm|archive-date=June 22, 2008}} A portion of the Flint Hills stretches into north-central Oklahoma, and near the state's eastern border, The Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department regards Cavanal Hill as the world's tallest hill; at {{Convert|1999|ft|}}, it fails their definition of a mountain by one foot.{{cite web | year=2007 | url=http://www.travelok.com/about/index.asp | title=About Oklahoma | publisher=TravelOK.com | access-date=July 10, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707070748/http://www.travelok.com/about/index.asp | archive-date=July 7, 2006 | df=mdy-all | url-status=dead }}

The semi-arid high plains in the state's northwestern corner harbor few natural forests; the region has a rolling to flat landscape with intermittent canyons and mesa ranges like the Glass Mountains. Partial plains interrupted by small, sky island mountain ranges like the Antelope Hills and the Wichita Mountains dot southwestern Oklahoma; transitional prairie and oak savannas cover the central portion of the state. The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains rise from west to east over the state's eastern third, gradually increasing in elevation in an eastward direction.

More than 500 named creeks and rivers make up Oklahoma's waterways, and with 200 lakes created by dams, it holds the nation's highest number of artificial reservoirs. Most of the state lies in two primary drainage basins belonging to the Red and Arkansas Rivers, though the Lee and Little Rivers also contain significant drainage basins.

File:turner falls ok.jpg|Turner Falls

File:Rose rocks.jpg|State rock (rose rock) specimens from Cleveland County

File:Illinois River Oklahoma.jpg|alt=|Illinois River in northeastern Oklahoma

File:Elk Mountain, OK.jpg|Elk Mountain, in the eastern Wichita Mountains, southwestern Oklahoma

File:Wichita Mountains Narrows.jpg|Wichita Mountains Narrows

File:Talimenavista1.jpg|The Ouachita Mountains cover much of southeastern Oklahoma.

File:McIntosh County (Oklahoma).jpg|Grave Creek in McIntosh County

File:Gloss Mountains.jpg|Mesas rise above one of Oklahoma's state parks.

{{see also|List of fauna of Oklahoma}}

File:Tallgrass Prairie Nature Preserve in Osage County.jpg inhabit the state's prairie ecosystems.]]

Due to Oklahoma's location at the confluence of many geographic regions, the state's climatic regions have a high rate of biodiversity. Forests cover 24 percent of Oklahoma and prairie grasslands composed of shortgrass, mixed-grass, and tallgrass prairie, harbor expansive ecosystems in the state's central and western portions, although cropland has largely replaced native grasses. Where rainfall is sparse in the state's western regions, shortgrass prairie and shrublands are the most prominent ecosystems, though pinyon pines, red cedar (junipers), and ponderosa pines grow near rivers and creek beds in the panhandle's far western reaches. Southwestern Oklahoma contains many rare, disjunct species, including sugar maple, bigtooth maple, nolina, and Texas live oak.{{Cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile?symbol=QUFU|title=USDA Plants Database|website=plants.usda.gov}}

Marshlands, cypress forests, and mixtures of shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, blue palmetto, and deciduous forests dominate the state's southeastern quarter, while mixtures of largely post oak, elm, red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and pine forests cover northeastern Oklahoma.{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/3-inbrief.pdf|title=Oklahoma in Brief|publisher=State of Oklahoma|access-date=August 4, 2007|archive-date=August 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074222/http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/3-inbrief.pdf}}{{cite web | url=http://www.ok.gov/~okag/forestry-okforestshome.htm | title=Oklahoma Ecoregional Maps | publisher=Oklahoma Department of Agriculture | access-date=August 2, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013192154/http://ok.gov/~okag/forestry-okforestshome.htm | archive-date=October 13, 2007 | url-status=dead }}

The state holds populations of white-tailed deer, mule deer, antelope, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, elk, and birds such as quail, doves, cardinals, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and pheasants. In prairie ecosystems, American bison, greater prairie-chickens, badgers, and armadillo are common, and some of the nation's largest prairie dog towns inhabit shortgrass prairie in the state's panhandle. The Cross Timbers, a region transitioning from prairie to woodlands in Central Oklahoma, harbors 351 File:Scissor tailed flycatcher- Oklahoma’s State Bird.jpgvertebrate species. The Ouachita Mountains are home to black bear, red fox, gray fox, and river otter populations, which coexist with 328 vertebrate species in southeastern Oklahoma. Also in southeastern Oklahoma lives the American alligator.{{cite web |year=2005 |url=http://www.travelok.com/about/StudentGuide.pdf |title=A Look at Oklahoma: A Student's Guide |publisher=State of Oklahoma |access-date=August 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230052128/http://www.travelok.com/about/StudentGuide.pdf |archive-date=December 30, 2006 |url-status=dead }}

Oklahoma has fifty-one state parks,{{cite web |year=2004|publisher=Oklahoma Parks Department | access-date=August 2, 2007 | url=http://www.oklahomaparks.com/index.asp| title=Oklahoma State Parks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070727031241/http://www.oklahomaparks.com/index.asp |archive-date=July 27, 2007}} six national parks or protected regions,{{cite web |year=2007|publisher=National Park Service | access-date=August 2, 2007 | url=http://home.nps.gov/state/ok/index.htm?program=parks| title=Oklahoma National Park Guide}} two national protected forests or grasslands,{{cite web |date=May 1, 2005|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service | access-date=August 2, 2007 | url=http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/map/state_list.shtml#Oklahoma| title=National Forests}} and a network of wildlife preserves and conservation areas. Six percent of the state's {{convert|10|e6acre|km2}} of forest is public land, including the western portions of the Ouachita National Forest, the largest and oldest national forest in the Southern United States.{{cite web |date=May 10, 2005|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service| access-date=August 2, 2007 | url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/ouachita/| title=Ouachita National Forest}}

With {{convert|39000|acre|km2}}, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in north-central Oklahoma is the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie in the world and is part of an ecosystem that encompasses only ten percent of its former land area, once covering fourteen states.{{cite web| year=2007| url=http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oklahoma/preserves/tallgrass.html| title=Tallgrass Prairie Preserve| publisher=The Nature Conservatory| access-date=July 31, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223051941/http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oklahoma/preserves/tallgrass.html| archive-date=February 23, 2011| df=mdy-all| url-status=dead}} In addition, the Black Kettle National Grassland covers {{convert|31300|acre|km2}} of prairie in southwestern Oklahoma.{{cite web |date=July 24, 2007|publisher=USDA Forest Service| access-date=August 2, 2007 | url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola/districts/black.shtml| title=Black Kettle National Grassland}} The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is the oldest and largest of nine National Wildlife Refuges in the state{{cite web| publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service| access-date=August 17, 2007| url=http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/Oklahoma.html| title=Refuge Locator Map—Oklahoma| archive-date=March 21, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321031302/http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/Oklahoma.html}} and was founded in 1901, encompassing {{convert|59020|acre|km2}}.{{cite web| publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service| access-date=August 17, 2007| url=http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=21670| title=Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge| archive-date=March 29, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329072638/http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=21670}}

Of Oklahoma's federally protected parks or recreational sites, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the largest, with {{convert|9898.63|acre|km2}}.{{cite web |publisher=National Park Service| access-date=January 16, 2010 | url=https://www.nps.gov/chic/learn/management/statistics.htm| title=Chickasaw National Recreation Area—Park Statistics}} Other sites include the Santa Fe and Trail of Tears national historic trails, the Fort Smith and Washita Battlefield national historic sites, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

{{further|Climate change in Oklahoma|Tornadoes in Oklahoma}}

File:Lightning over Tulsa cropped.jpgs.]]

File:OBU Campus oval fountain in 2011 snowstorm..JPG campus]]

File:Koppen-Geiger Map v2 USA Oklahoma 1991–2020.svg climate.]]

Oklahoma is in a humid subtropical region that lies in a transition zone between semiarid further to the west, humid continental to the north, and humid subtropical to the east and southeast. Most of the state lies in an area known as Tornado Alley characterized by frequent interaction between cold, dry air from Canada, warm to hot, dry air from Mexico and the Southwestern U.S., and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The interactions between these three contrasting air currents produces severe weather (severe thunderstorms, damaging thunderstorm winds, large hail and tornadoes) with a frequency virtually unseen anywhere else on planet Earth. An average 62 tornadoes strike the state per year—one of the highest rates in the world.{{cite web |url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology |title=Tornado Climatology |publisher=NOAA National Climatic Data Center |access-date=October 24, 2006}}

Because of Oklahoma's position between zones of differing prevailing temperature and winds, weather patterns within the state can vary widely over relatively short distances, and they can change drastically in a short time. On November 11, 1911, the temperature at Oklahoma City reached {{cvt|83|F}} (the record high for that date), then a cold front of unprecedented intensity slammed across the state, causing the temperature to reach {{cvt|17|F}} (the record low for that date) by midnight.{{cite web|url=http://www.mesonet.org/index.php/news/article/november_11_1911_a_palindrome_to_remember |title=News | November 11, 1911: A Palindrome to Remember |publisher=Mesonet |access-date=February 6, 2013}} This type of phenomenon is also responsible for many of the tornadoes in the area, such as the 1912 Oklahoma tornado outbreak when a warm front traveled along a stalled cold front, resulting in an average of about one tornado per hour.

The humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) of central, southern, and eastern Oklahoma is influenced heavily by southerly winds bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Traveling westward, the climate transitions progressively toward a semiarid zone (Köppen BSk) in the high plains of the Panhandle and other western areas from about Lawton westward, less frequently touched by southern moisture. Precipitation and temperatures decline from east to west accordingly, with areas in the southeast averaging an annual temperature of {{cvt|62|F}} and an annual rainfall of generally over {{cvt|40|in|-1}} and up to {{cvt|56|in|-1}}, while areas of the (higher-elevation) panhandle average {{cvt|58|F}}, with annual rainfall under {{cvt|17|in|-1}}.{{Cite web|url=https://oklahoma.gov/owrb.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723021315/http://www.owrb.ok.gov/|url-status=dead|title=Oklahoma Water Resources Board (835)|archivedate=July 23, 2009|website=Oklahoma Water Resources Board (835)}}

Over almost all of Oklahoma, winter is the driest season. Average monthly precipitation increases dramatically in the spring to a peak in May, the wettest month over most of the state, with its frequent and not uncommonly severe thunderstorm activity. Early June can still be wet, but most years see a marked decrease in rainfall during June and early July. Mid-summer (July and August) represents a secondary dry season over much of Oklahoma, with long stretches of hot weather with only sporadic thunderstorm activity not uncommon many years. Severe drought is common in the hottest summers, such as those of 1934, 1954, 1980 and 2011, all of which featured weeks on end of virtual rainlessness and highs well over {{cvt|100|F}}. Average precipitation rises again from September to mid-October, representing a secondary wetter season, then declines from late October through December.

The entire state frequently experiences temperatures above {{cvt|100|F}} or below {{cvt|0|F}},{{cite web |url=http://climate.mesonet.org/county_climate/Products/oklahoma_climate_overview.pdf |title=Oklahoma's Climate: an Overview |publisher=University of Oklahoma |access-date=August 1, 2007}} though below-zero temperatures are rare in south-central and southeastern Oklahoma. Snowfall ranges from an average of less than {{cvt|4|in|0}} in the south to just over {{cvt|20|in|0}} on the border of Colorado in the panhandle. The state is home to the Storm Prediction Center, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, the Warning Decision Training Division, and the Radar Operations Center, all part of the National Weather Service and in Norman.{{cite web |url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/about.html |title=SPC and its Products |last=Novy |first=Chris |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=August 1, 2007}}

{{See also|List of cities in Oklahoma|}}

Oklahoma had 598 incorporated places in 2010, including four cities over 100,000 in population and 43 over 10,000.{{cite web |url=http://www.okcommerce.gov/file/2000-2010-Oklahoma-Incorporate_3238.xls |author=Oklahoma Department of Commerce |title=2000–2010 Oklahoma Incorporated Place Populations |access-date=October 9, 2011 |format=xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520203935/http://www.okcommerce.gov/file/2000-2010-Oklahoma-Incorporate_3238.xls |archive-date=May 20, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Two of the fifty largest cities in the United States are in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and sixty-five percent of Oklahomans live within their metropolitan areas, or spheres of economic and social influence defined by the United States Census Bureau as a metropolitan statistical area. Oklahoma City, the state's capital and largest city, had the largest metropolitan area in the state in 2020, with 1,425,695 people, and the metropolitan area of Tulsa had 1,015,331 residents.{{Cite web|title=2020 Population and Housing State Data|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html|access-date=2021-10-29|website=Census.gov}} Between 2000 and 2010, the leading cities in population growth were Blanchard (172.4%), Elgin (78.2%), Jenks (77.0%), Piedmont (56.7%), Bixby (56.6%), and Owasso (56.3%).

In descending order of population, Oklahoma's largest cities in 2010 were: Oklahoma City (579,999, +14.6%), Tulsa (391,906, −0.3%), Norman (110,925, +15.9%), Broken Arrow (98,850, +32.0%), Lawton (96,867, +4.4%), Edmond (81,405, +19.2%), Moore (55,081, +33.9%), Midwest City (54,371, +0.5%), Enid (49,379, +5.0%), and Stillwater (45,688, +17.0%). Of the state's ten largest cities, three are outside the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and only Lawton has a metropolitan statistical area of its own as designated by the United States Census Bureau, though the metropolitan statistical area of Fort Smith, Arkansas extends into the state.{{cite web|title=Oklahoma Census Data Center News |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Commerce |date=July 2007 |url=http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/2007_July_Oklahoma_Census_Data_Center_News_1907072217.pdf |access-date=July 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074217/http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/2007_July_Oklahoma_Census_Data_Center_News_1907072217.pdf |archive-date=August 8, 2007 }}

Under Oklahoma law, municipalities are divided into two categories: cities, defined as having more than 1,000 residents, and towns, with under 1,000 residents. Both have legislative, judicial, and public power within their boundaries, but cities can choose between a mayor–council, council–manager, or strong mayor form of government, while towns operate through an elected officer system.{{cite web | year=2005 | url=http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/12-muni.pdf | title=Oklahoma Municipal Government | publisher=Oklahoma Department of Libraries | access-date=August 7, 2007 | archive-date=August 8, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074216/http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/12-muni.pdf }}{{Largest cities

| country = Oklahoma

| stat_ref = Source (2020):{{cite web|title=Oklahoma Population |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/OK/PST045221|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=January 15, 2022}}

| list_by_pop =

| div_name =

| div_link = Counties of Oklahoma{{!}}County

| city_1 = Oklahoma City

| div_1 = Oklahoma County, Oklahoma{{!}}Oklahoma

| pop_1 = 681,054

| img_1 = Downtown_Oklahoma_City_skyline_(2).jpg

| city_2 = Tulsa, Oklahoma{{!}}Tulsa

| div_2 = Tulsa County, Oklahoma{{!}}Tulsa

| pop_2 = 413,066

| img_2 = Downtown_Tulsa_Skyline.jpg

| city_3 = Norman, Oklahoma{{!}}Norman

| div_3 = Cleveland County, Oklahoma{{!}}Cleveland

| pop_3 = 128,026

| img_3 = SemiAerial_OU.jpg

| city_4 = Broken Arrow, Oklahoma{{!}}Broken Arrow

| div_4 = Tulsa County, Oklahoma{{!}}Tulsa

| pop_4 = 113,540

| img_4 = Historic_house_Broken_Arrow_Oklahoma.jpg

| city_5 = Edmond, Oklahoma{{!}}Edmond

| div_5 = Oklahoma County, Oklahoma{{!}}Oklahoma

| pop_5 = 94,428

| img_5 =

| city_6 = Lawton, Oklahoma{{!}}Lawton

| div_6 = Comanche County, Oklahoma{{!}}Comanche

| pop_6 = 90,381

| img_6 =

| city_7 = Moore, Oklahoma{{!}}Moore

| div_7 = Cleveland County, Oklahoma{{!}}Cleveland

| pop_7 = 62,793

| img_7 =

| city_8 = Midwest City, Oklahoma{{!}}Midwest City

| div_8 = Oklahoma County, Oklahoma{{!}}Oklahoma

| pop_8 = 58,409

| img_8 =

| city_9 = Enid, Oklahoma{{!}}Enid

| div_9 = Garfield County, Oklahoma{{!}}Garfield

| pop_9 = 51,308

| img_9 =

| city_10 = Stillwater, Oklahoma{{!}}Stillwater

| div_10 = Payne County, Oklahoma{{!}}Payne

| pop_10 = 48,394

| img_10 =

}}

{{Main|Demographics of Oklahoma}}

File:Oklahoma population density 2020.png

{{US Census population

| 1890 = 258657

| 1900 = 790391

| 1910 = 1657155

| 1920 = 2028283

| 1930 = 2396040

| 1940 = 2336433

| 1950 = 2233513

| 1960 = 2328284

| 1970 = 2559229

| 1980 = 3025290

| 1990 = 3145585

| 2000 = 3450654

| 2010 = 3751675

| 2020 = 3959353

| estimate = 4095393

| estref = {{Cite web |title=QuickFacts: Oklahoma |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/OK | website=Census.gov | publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 20, 2024}}

| estyear = 2024

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2022 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html }}

}}From a 1920 U.S. census population of 2,028,283, Oklahoma's population has continued to increase. At the 2010 census, its population was 3,751,675. The 2020 census revealed its population to be was 3,959,353, an 5.5% increase since 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |title=2020 Census Apportionment Results |date=April 26, 2021 |publisher=United States Census Bureau }} A 2022 American Community Survey estimate found that the population had surpassed 4 million residents for the first time.{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma eclipses 4 million residents, latest U.S. Census Bureau data shows |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/local/2023/01/06/oklahoma-population-2023-passes-4m-mark-mirroring-oklahoma-city-growth/69782081007/ |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}} Among the states of the South Central region, Oklahoma had the second-largest population increase from 2010 to 2020, behind Texas.{{Cite web |title=Texas Added Almost 4 Million People in Last Decade |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/texas-population-change-between-census-decade.html |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Census.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma Population Up 5.5% Last Decade |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/oklahoma-population-change-between-census-decade.html |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Census.gov}}

Of the state's total resident population, approximately 236,882 were immigrants according to a study in 2018, making up 6% of the state's population at the time. Most of its immigrant population came from Mexico (45%), Vietnam (5%), India (5%), Germany (3%), and Guatemala (3%). In the state, 246,550 residents were native-born Americans who had at least one immigrant parent. An estimated 85,000 immigrants were undocumented with 125,989 Oklahomans having lived with at least one undocumented family member between 2010 and 2014. Immigrants to Oklahoma have contributed more than a billion U.S. dollars in taxes in 2018.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-01 |title=Immigrants in Oklahoma |url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-oklahoma |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=American Immigration Council |language=en}} In 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data from 2005 to 2009 indicated about 5% of Oklahoma's residents were born outside the United States. This was lower than the national figure (about 12.5% of U.S. residents were foreign-born).Paul Monies, [http://newsok.com/article/3530618 Oklahoma's foreign-born population continues to grow in most counties], The Oklahoman (January 9, 2011).

In 2010, the center of population of Oklahoma was in Lincoln County near the town of Sparks.{{cite web|title=2010 Census Centers of Population by State |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |year=2010 |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/cenpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt |access-date=September 17, 2011}}

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 3,754 homeless people in Oklahoma.{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}

[[File:Oklahoma counties by race.svg|thumb|Map of counties in Oklahoma by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census{{Collapsible list

| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-3}}

Non-Hispanic White

{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}

{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}

{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}

{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}

{{col-3}}

Native American

{{legend|#b6d7a8|40–50%}}

{{legend|#93c47d|50–60%}}

{{col-3}}

Hispanic or Latino

{{legend|#76a5af|50–60%}}

{{col-end}}

}}]]

As with the majority of the U.S., Oklahoma has experienced diversification since the beginning of the 21st century;{{Cite web |title=New census data show's the nation is diversifying even faster than predicted |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-census-data-shows-the-nation-is-diversifying-even-faster-than-predicted/ |website=Brookings Institution|date=July 2020 }} in 1940, 90.1% of the state's population was non-Hispanic White; in 2020, 75.5% of the population was White, down from 1990's 81% yet up from 2010's 72.2%. Among its population at the 2020 census, the remainder of its increasingly diverse population was 11.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 16% American Indian and Alaska Native, 9.7% Black or African American, 3.1% Asian, 0.4% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 9% some other race. According to the 2010 census, 8.6% were American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.4% Black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 4.1% from some other race and 5.9% of two or more races; 8.9% of Oklahoma's population were of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race).

File:Oklahoma Tribal Areas.svgs (teal)]]In 2005, Oklahoma's estimated ancestral makeup was 14.5% German, 13.1% American, 11.8% Irish, 9.6% English, 8.1% African American, and 11.4% Native American (including 7.9% Cherokee),{{cite web | year=2002 | url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-15.pdf | title= The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2000| publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 5, 2007}} though the percentage of people claiming American Indian as their only race was 8.1%.{{cite web |date=January 12, 2006 |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40000.html |title=Oklahoma QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |website=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514235102/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40000.html |archive-date=May 14, 2008 |url-status=dead }} Most people from Oklahoma who self-identify as having American ancestry are of overwhelmingly English and Scots-Irish ancestry with significant amounts of Scottish, Welsh and Irish ancestry as well.David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, New York: Oxford University Press, 1989, pp.602–645{{cite book|author=Dominic Pulera|title=Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVoAXh-dNuYC&pg=PA57|year=2004|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-0-8264-1643-8|page=57}} The majority of Hispanics in Oklahoma are of Mexican origin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=HI014|title=Hispanics | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|website=Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS}} There are 38 federally recognized Native American tribes in the state.{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/indian-country|title=Northern District of Oklahoma | Indian Country|date=July 14, 2015|website=www.justice.gov}}

In 2011, 47.3% of Oklahoma's population younger than age{{nbsp}}1 were minorities, meaning they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white.{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|title=Americans under age{{nbsp}}1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|last=Exner|first=Rich|date=June 3, 2012|work=The Plain Dealer}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Oklahoma English

| region = Oklahoma

| ethnicity = Okies

| speakers =

| date =

| ref =

| speakers2 =

| familycolor = Indo-European

| fam2 = Germanic

| fam3 = West Germanic

| fam4 = Ingvaeonic

| fam5 = Anglo–Frisian

| fam6 = Anglic

| fam7 = English

| fam8 = North American English

| fam9 = American English

| fam10 = Southern American English

| fam11 = American Inland South English

| ancestor = Old English

| ancestor2 = Middle English

| ancestor3 = Early Modern English

| script = Latin (English alphabet)
American Braille

| isoexception = dialect

| glotto = ozar1236

| ietf =

| notice =

}}

File:Cherokeestompdance.ogg stomp dance ceremony in Oklahoma]]

File:Cherokee stop sign.png, this stop sign includes Cherokee lettering. ]]

The English language has been official in the state of Oklahoma since 2010.{{cite news|url=http://newsok.com/oklahoma-votes-to-make-english-official-language/article/3510663|title=Oklahoma votes to make English official language|publisher=News OK|date=November 2, 2010|access-date=May 17, 2014}} The variety of North American English spoken is called Oklahoma English, which is "quite diverse with its uneven blending of features of North Midland, South Midland, and Southern dialects".{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Oklahoma-Languages.html|title=Oklahoma-Languages|publisher=City-data.com|date=2000|access-date=May 17, 2014}}{{Better source needed|date=May 2024}} In 2000, 2,977,187 Oklahomans—92.6% of the resident population, five years or older—spoke only English at home, a decrease from 95% in 1990. 238,732 Oklahoma residents reported speaking a language other than English at home in the 2000 census, about 7.4% of the state's population.

The two most commonly spoken native North American languages are Cherokee and Choctaw, with 10,000 Cherokee speakers living within the Cherokee Nation tribal jurisdiction area of eastern Oklahoma and another 10,000 Choctaw speakers living in the Choctaw Nation directly south of the Cherokees.{{cite web|title=Cherokee|website=Ethnologue|access-date=April 11, 2014|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150730231052/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chr|archive-date=July 30, 2015}} Cherokee is an official language in the Cherokee Nation tribal jurisdiction area and in the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.{{cite web | title = The Cherokee Nation & its Language | website = University of Minnesota: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition | date = 2008 | url = http://www.carla.umn.edu/conferences/past/immersion2008/documents/Peter_L_CherokeeNation.pdf | access-date = May 22, 2014 | archive-date = July 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714131213/http://www.carla.umn.edu/conferences/past/immersion2008/documents/Peter_L_CherokeeNation.pdf | url-status = dead }}

Twenty-five Native American languages are spoken in Oklahoma, second only to California. However, only Cherokee, if any, exhibits some language vitality at present. Ethnologue sees Cherokee as moribund because the only remaining active users of the language are members of the grandparent generation and older.

Spanish is the second-most commonly spoken language in the state, with 141,060 speakers counted in 2000. German has 13,444 speakers representing about 0.4% of the state's population, and Vietnamese is spoken by 11,330 people, or about 0.4% of the population, many of whom live in the Asia District of Oklahoma City. Other languages include French with 8,258 speakers (0.3%), Chinese with 6,413 (0.2%), Korean with 3,948 (0.1%), Arabic with 3,265 (0.1%), other Asian languages with 3,134 (0.1%), Tagalog with 2,888 (0.1%), Japanese with 2,546 (0.1%), and African languages with 2,546 (0.1%).

{{see also|The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oklahoma}}

File:BostonAvenueMethodist.jpg in Tulsa is a National Historic Landmark.]]

Oklahoma is part of a geographical region characterized by conservative and Evangelical Protestant Christianity known as the "Bible Belt". Spanning the southern and eastern parts of the United States, the area is known for politically and socially conservative views, with the Republican Party having the greater number of voters registered between the two major parties.{{cite news |url=https://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/20180115%20-%20Registration%20By%20County%20%28vr2420%29.pdf |title=Current Registration Statistics by County |work=ok.gov |date=January 15, 2018 |access-date=January 23, 2018 |archive-date=January 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124135641/https://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/20180115%20-%20Registration%20By%20County%20%28vr2420%29.pdf }} Tulsa, the state's second-largest city, home to Oral Roberts University, is sometimes called the "buckle of the Bible Belt".{{cite news | url=http://www.newvoices.org/cgi-bin/articlepage.cgi?id=672 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070121104922/http://www.newvoices.org/cgi-bin/articlepage.cgi?id=672 | archive-date=January 21, 2007 | title=Jewish Life in the Bible Belt | first= | last=Bram | publisher=New Voices Magazine | access-date=August 5, 2007 | url-status=dead }}{{cite news |date=April 29, 2007 |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162762471.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910074711/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162762471.html |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |title=Minister's book plunges into cultural issues |first=Bill |last=Sherman |work=Tulsa World |access-date=July 2, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

In 2000, there were about 5,000 Jews and 6,000 Muslims, with ten congregations to each group.{{cite web| url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/40_2000.asp| title=State Membership Report—Oklahoma| publisher=Association of Religion Data Archives| access-date=August 5, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234702/http://thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/40_2000.asp| archive-date=September 26, 2007| url-status=dead}}

According to the Pew Research Center in 2008, the majority of Oklahoma's religious adherents were Christian, accounting for about 80% of the population. The percentage of Catholics was half the national average, while the percentage of Evangelical Protestants was more than twice the national average (tied with Arkansas for the largest percentage of any state).{{cite web | url=http://religions.pewforum.org/maps | title=U.S. Religious Landscapes Survey| publisher=The Pew Forum on Religion and Life| access-date=April 22, 2008}}

File:OKC Cathedral.jpg in Oklahoma City]]

In 2010, the state's largest church memberships were in the Southern Baptist Convention (886,394 members), the United Methodist Church (282,347), the Roman Catholic Church (178,430), and the Assemblies of God (85,926) and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church){{Cite news|url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/united-states/state/oklahoma|title=LDS Statistics and Church Facts {{!}} Total Church Membership|work=www.mormonnewsroom.org|access-date=July 31, 2017|language=en}} (47,349). Other religions represented in the state include Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/40/rcms2010_40_state_family_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report |publisher=thearda.com |access-date=December 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209190519/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/40/rcms2010_40_state_family_2010.asp |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

According to the Pew Research Center in 2014, the majority of Oklahoma's religious adherents remained Christian accounting for 79% of the population, 9 percent higher than the national average. The percentage of Evangelical Protestants declined since the last study, but they remain the largest religious group in the state at 47% over 20 percent higher than the national average.{{cite web |title=Religious Landscape Study- Religions |url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/ |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103045246/https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/ |url-status=dead }} The largest growth over the six years between Pew's 2008 and 2014 survey was in the number of people who identify as unaffiliated in the state with an increase of 6% of the total population.

By the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute's survey, 73% of the population were Christian.{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-OK |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=ava.prri.org |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-OK |url-status=dead }} Evangelicalism made up 29% of the state population, followed by Mainline Protestantism at 19%. Historically and predominantly African-American and Latino churches collectively made up 8% of the religious demographic. An estimated 13% of the state's religious population were Roman Catholic. About 22% of the population had no religious affiliation.

In April 2025, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a non-binding concurrent resolution proclaiming Christ the King and recognize "the enduring influence of Christian faith in the lives of its people."{{cite web |title=A Concurrent Resolution proclaiming Christ is King; recognizing the spiritual heritage of Oklahoma; and directing distribution. |url=https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26%20ENGR/hres/HCR1013%20ENGR.PDF |publisher=Oklahoma Legislature |access-date=June 3, 2025}}

Oklahoma has been described as "the world's prison capital", with 1,079 of every 100,000 residents imprisoned in 2018, the fourth-highest incarceration rate of any American state, and by comparison, higher than the incarceration rates of any country in the world.{{cite journal | last1 = Wagner | first1 = Peter | last2 = Sawyer | first2 = Wendy | date = June 2018 | title = States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2018 | url = https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2018.html | journal = Prison Policy Initiative}}{{cite news | last = Sweeney | first = Catherine | date = November 27, 2018 | title = Growth of Oklahoma's Prison Population Slows | url = http://journalrecord.com/2018/11/27/growth-of-oklahomas-prison-population-slows/ | work = The Journal Record}}

In an April 2023 report, The Sentencing Project highlighted Oklahoma's Failure to Protect law, which has "been used primarily against women" and has "sometimes resulted in survivors of abuse facing longer sentences for allegedly failing to protect their children from harm than the person who committed the abuse." The report states that "since the law went into effect in 2009, 139 women in Oklahoma have been imprisoned solely for failure-to-protect charges."{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Sentencing Reform for Criminalized Survivors |url=https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/04/Sentencing-Reform-for-Criminalized-Survivors.pdf?emci=d27cd503-26de-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&emdi=134a7479-bade-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=10123357&fbclid=IwAR2aJ-Ekg7RYu6Q5WwlC6JMjDB7oKEWLhB2BAQK_SWKLYv3F1B_tQxDgVog}} The Human Rights Campaign has also pointed out cases of the Oklahoma legislature's actions against the LGBTQ population and censuring of a nonbinary lawmaker.{{Cite web |title=Human Rights Campaign Condemns Oklahoma Senate Passage of Three Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills and Slams Oklahoma House for Censuring Rep Turner |url=https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-condemns-oklahoma-senate-passage-of-three-anti-lgbtq-bills-and-slams-oklahoma-house-for-censuring-rep-turner |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Human Rights Campaign |date=March 7, 2023 |language=en-US}}

{{main|Economy of Oklahoma}}

{{See also|Oklahoma locations by per capita income|List of Oklahoma counties by socio-economic factors}}

File:The BOK Building.jpg of Tulsa, Oklahoma's second-tallest building, serves as the world headquarters for Williams Companies.]]

Oklahoma is host to a diverse range of sectors including aviation, energy, transportation equipment, food processing, electronics, and telecommunications. Oklahoma is an important producer of natural gas, aircraft, and food. The state ranks third in the nation for production of natural gas, is the 27th-most agriculturally productive state, and also ranks 5th in production of wheat.{{cite web|date=July 3, 2007 |url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=40&StateName=Oklahoma#.U852SfldVu0 |title=State Fact Sheets: Oklahoma |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729111442/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=40&StateName=Oklahoma |archive-date=July 29, 2012 }} Four Fortune 500 companies and six Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Oklahoma,{{cite web| url=http://globaledge.msu.edu/States/Oklahoma/corporations| title= Oklahoma:Corporations |author=globalEDGE Michigan State University | access-date=September 27, 2011}} and it has been rated one of the most business-friendly states in the nation,{{cite web|url=http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?Itemid=383&id=302&option=content&task=view |title=An Overview of Oklahoma's Target Industries |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Commerce |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070723103431/http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=302&Itemid=383 |archive-date=July 23, 2007 }} with the 7th-lowest tax burden in 2007.{{cite news|year=2007| first=David | last=Ellis| url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/pf/0704/gallery.tax_friendliest/8.html| title=Tax Friendly Places 2007| publisher=CNN Money|access-date=August 8, 2007}}

• Total employment (2018): 1,385,228
• Number of employer establishments: 93,561{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/OK |title=Quickfacts Oklahoma |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 9, 2021 }}

In 2010, Oklahoma City-based Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores ranked 18th on the Forbes list of largest private companies, Tulsa-based QuikTrip ranked 37th, and Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby ranked 198th in 2010 report.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/21/private-companies-10_rank.html | website=Forbes |title=America's Largest Private Companies: Complete List | access-date=September 30, 2011}}

Oklahoma's gross domestic product was $254.13 billion in 2023.{{cite web |title=GDP by State |url=https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state |website=GDP by State | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date=24 May 2024}} The state had a per capita income of $58,499 in 2023, which ranked 43rd in the U.S., and its median household income ranked 46th at $59,673.{{cite web | last=Account | first=Economic | title=Personal Income by State | website=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) | date=2024-03-29 | url=https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-state | access-date=2024-05-24}}{{cite web | title=S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months | url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1901 | work=United States Census Bureau}} Additionally, Oklahoma ranks consistently among the lowest states in cost of living index.{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?ption=content&task=view&id=330&Itemid=411 |title=More or Less |website=Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce |access-date=August 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006120142/http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?ption=content&task=view&id=330&Itemid=411 |archive-date=October 6, 2007 }}

Though oil has historically dominated the state's economy, a collapse in the energy industry during the 1980s led to the loss of nearly 90,000 energy-related jobs between 1980 and 2000, severely damaging the local economy.{{cite web|first=Mark |last=Snead |year=2006 |url=http://economy.okstate.edu/outlook/2006/2006%20Oklahoma%20Economic%20Outlook%20-%20GM%20Closing.pdf |title=Outlook Update—OKC GM Plant Closing |publisher=Oklahoma State University |access-date=August 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901115547/http://economy.okstate.edu/outlook/2006/2006%20Oklahoma%20Economic%20Outlook%20-%20GM%20Closing.pdf |archive-date=September 1, 2006 }} Oil accounted for 35 billion dollars in Oklahoma's economy in 2007, and employment in the state's oil industry was outpaced by five other industries in 2007. {{As of|September 2020}}, the state's unemployment rate was 5.3%.[http://www.bls.gov/lau/ Bls.gov]; Local Area Unemployment Statistics

In mid-2011, Oklahoma had a civilian labor force of 1.7 million and non-farm employment fluctuated around 1.5 million. The government sector provides the most jobs, with 339,300 in 2011, followed by the transportation and utilities sector, providing 279,500 jobs, and the sectors of education, business, and manufacturing, providing 207,800, 177,400, and 132,700 jobs, respectively.{{cite web |date=July 1, 2011|url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ok.htm| title= Oklahoma Economy at a Glance| publisher=United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics| access-date=September 28, 2011}} Among the state's largest industries, the aerospace sector generates $11 billion annually.

Tulsa is home to the largest airline maintenance base in the world, which serves as the global maintenance and engineering headquarters for American Airlines.{{cite web|url=http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2005_03/03_tulmebase.jhtml |title=American's TUL Maintenance & Engineering Base Sets Goal to Achieve $500 Million in Revenue, Cost Savings By End of 2006 |publisher=American Airlines |access-date=July 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051001063528/http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2005_03/03_tulmebase.jhtml |archive-date=October 1, 2005 }} In total, aerospace accounts for more than 10 percent of Oklahoma's industrial output, and it is one of the top 10 states in aerospace engine manufacturing.{{cite web |url=http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/Oklahoma_At_A_Glance_0602061749.pdf |title=Oklahoma at a Glance |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Commerce |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074214/http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/Oklahoma_At_A_Glance_0602061749.pdf |archive-date=August 8, 2007 |url-status=dead }} Because of its position in the center of the United States, Oklahoma is also among the top states for logistic centers, and a major contributor to weather-related research.

The state is the top manufacturer of tires in North America and contains one of the fastest-growing biotechnology industries in the nation. In 2005, international exports from Oklahoma's manufacturing industry totaled $4.3 billion, accounting for 3.6 percent of its economic impact.{{cite web |year=2005|url=http://www.traderoots.org/FOT/IOT/IOT07_OK.pdf| title= Impact of Trade in Oklahoma| publisher=United States Chamber of Commerce|access-date=August 1, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074216/http://www.traderoots.org/FOT/IOT/IOT07_OK.pdf |archive-date = August 8, 2007}} Tire manufacturing, meat processing, oil and gas equipment manufacturing, and air conditioner manufacturing are the state's largest manufacturing industries.{{cite web|year=2005 |url=http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/Manufacturing_Cluster_Report_2908051623.pdf |title=Manufacturing Cluster Analysis |publisher=Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074218/http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/Manufacturing_Cluster_Report_2908051623.pdf |archive-date=August 8, 2007 }}

File:oil well.jpg

Oklahoma is the nation's third-largest producer of natural gas, and its fifth-largest producer of crude oil. The state also has the second-greatest number of active drilling rigs,{{cite web|url=http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/BHI/1397226957x0x500788/8852C779-8393-43D1-B07F-C68A059D9307/Rigs_by_State_091611.pdf |publisher=Baker Hughes |title=Baker Hughes Rotary Rigs by State |access-date=July 2, 2016}} and it is even ranked fifth in crude oil reserves.{{cite web|url=http://www.ogs.ou.edu/pdf/OKO&GLocal.pdf |author=Oklahoma Geological Survey |title=Oklahoma Oil and Natural Gas: Components and Long-Term Outlook| access-date=October 22, 2011}} While the state was ranked eighth for installed wind energy capacity in 2011,{{cite web|url=http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/docs/installed_wind_capacity_by_state.xls |author=United States Department of Energy |title=Installed Wind Capacity by State |access-date=October 22, 2011 |format=xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016123819/http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/docs/installed_wind_capacity_by_state.xls |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |author-link=United States Department of Energy }} it still was at the bottom of states in usage of renewable energy in 2009, with 94% of its electricity being generated by non-renewable sources in 2009, including 25% from coal and 46% from natural gas.{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.gov/state/seds/hf.jsp?incfile=sep_sum/html/sum_btu_1.html |title=Oklahoma Energy Statistics |publisher=US Energy Information Administration |year=2009 |access-date=October 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113125936/http://www.eia.gov/state/seds/hf.jsp?incfile=sep_sum%2Fhtml%2Fsum_btu_1.html |archive-date=January 13, 2012 }}

Ten years later in 2019, 53.5% of electricity was produced from natural gas and 34.6% from wind power.{{cite web|title=Oklahoma Wind Farms Mapped|periodical=StateImpact Oklahoma {{!}} Environment, Education, Energy, Health and Justice: Policy to People|publisher=Oklahoma Public Media Exchange|url=https://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/2018/09/06/oklahoma-wind-farms-mapped/|last=Joe Wertz|date=September 6, 2018|language=en}}

Ranking 13th for total energy consumption per capita in 2009,{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.gov/state/seds/hf.jsp?incfile=sep_sum/plain_html/rank_use_per_cap.html |title=Energy Consumption by Source and Total Consumption per Capita, Ranked by State, 2009 |publisher=US Energy Information Administration |year=2009 |access-date=October 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021212855/http://www.eia.gov/state/seds/hf.jsp?incfile=sep_sum%2Fplain_html%2Frank_use_per_cap.html |archive-date=October 21, 2011 }} the state's energy costs were eighth-lowest in the nation.{{cite web |url=http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/state-regs/pdf/Oklahoma.pdf |author=Institute for Energy Research |title=Oklahoma Energy Facts |access-date=October 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613033035/http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/state-regs/pdf/Oklahoma.pdf |archive-date=June 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

As a whole, the oil energy industry contributes $35 billion to Oklahoma's gross domestic product (GDP), and employees of the state's oil-related companies earn an average of twice the state's typical yearly income. In 2009, the state had 83,700 commercial oil wells churning {{convert|65.374|Moilbbl|m3}} of crude oil.{{cite web|url=http://www.occeweb.com/og/2010og_report.pdf |publisher=Oklahoma Corporation Commission |title= 2009 Report on Oil and Natural Gas Activity within the State of Oklahoma |year=2009 |access-date=October 22, 2011}} A tabulated 8.5% of the nation's natural gas supply is held in Oklahoma, with {{convert|1.673|Tcuft|km3}} being produced in 2009.

The Oklahoma Stack Play is a geographic referenced area in the Anadarko Basin. The oil field "Sooner Trend", Anadarko basin and the counties of Kingfisher and Canadian make up the basis for the "Oklahoma STACK". Other Plays such as the Eagle Ford are geological rather than geographical.{{cite web|url=http://www.shaleexperts.com/plays/stack-scoop/Overview?menu|title=STACK & SCOOP Overview—Maps—Geology—Counties|website=www.shaleexperts.com}}

All of the Fortune 500 companies based in Oklahoma are energy-related, including some of the largest companies in the petroleum industry in the U.S. Tulsa's ONEOK and Williams Companies are the state's largest and second-largest companies respectively, also ranking as the nation's second- and third-largest companies in the field of energy, according to Fortune magazine.{{cite news |year=2007 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/snapshots/1866.html| title= Three Fortune's Snapshot: Devon energy| publisher=CNN| access-date=August 1, 2007}}

Oklahoma Gas & Electric, commonly referred to as OG&E (NYSE: OGE) operates four base electric power plants in Oklahoma. Two of them are coal-fired power plants: one in Muskogee, and the other in Red Rock. Two are gas-fired power plants: one in Harrah and the other in Konawa. OG&E was the first electric company in Oklahoma to generate electricity from wind farms in 2003.{{cite web| date=2012| url=http://www.oge.com/about/History/Pages/home.aspx| title=OG&E Energy, A History of Positive Energy| publisher=OG&E Energy| access-date=December 15, 2013| archive-date=December 16, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216014020/http://www.oge.com/about/History/Pages/home.aspx| url-status=dead}}

Oklahoma had no operational nuclear power plants as of March 2021.{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma |url=https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/region-state/oklahoma.html |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=NRC Web |language=en-US}}

In 1973, the Public Service Company of Oklahoma proposed the Black Fox Nuclear Power Plant near Inola, Oklahoma.{{Cite web |title=Nuclear Power {{!}} The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=NU001 |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=Oklahoma Historical Society {{!}} OHS}} Protestors disrupted project construction in 1979, several months after the Three Mile Island accident, and the project was cancelled in 1982 after nine years of legal challenges.{{Cite web |date=2009-03-13 |title=Recent oil shock resurges interest in Oklahoma nuclear plant {{!}} OKG Scene.com |url=http://www.okgazette.com/p/12776/a/3540/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=LwBEAGUAZgBhAHUAbAB0AC4AYQBzAHAAeAAslashAHAAPQAxADIANwAyADkA |access-date=2023-03-14 |archive-date=March 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313005202/http://www.okgazette.com/p/12776/a/3540/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=LwBEAGUAZgBhAHUAbAB0AC4AYQBzAHAAeAAslashAHAAPQAxADIANwAyADkA |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=Oklahomans prevent completion of Black Fox Nuclear Plant, 1973-1982 {{!}} Global Nonviolent Action Database |url=https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/oklahomans-prevent-completion-black-fox-nuclear-plant-1973-1982 |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu}}

{{main|Wind power in Oklahoma}}

The 27th-most agriculturally productive state, Oklahoma is fifth in cattle production and fifth in production of wheat.{{cite web |url=http://www.state.ok.us/~okag/ |title=A Welcome From The Commissioner |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry |access-date=August 7, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530220430/http://www.state.ok.us/~okag/ |archive-date=May 30, 2007 |url-status=dead }} Approximately 5.5 percent of American beef comes from Oklahoma, while the state produces 6.1 percent of American wheat, 4.2 percent of American pig products, and 2.2 percent of dairy products.

The state had 85,500 farms in 2012, collectively producing $4.3 billion in animal products and fewer than one billion dollars in crop output with more than $6.1 billion added to the state's gross domestic product. Poultry and swine are its second- and third-largest agricultural industries.

{{See also|List of school districts in Oklahoma|List of high schools in Oklahoma|List of colleges and universities in Oklahoma}}

File:Seminary Hall.jpg in Tahlequah.]]

File:University of Oklahoma July 2019 69 (Bizzell Memorial Library).jpg, the heart of the University of Oklahoma in Norman]]

With an educational system made up of public school districts and independent private institutions, Oklahoma had 638,817 students enrolled in 1,845 public primary, secondary, and vocational schools in 533 school districts {{as of|2008|lc=on}}.{{cite web |title=2008–09 Facts: Oklahoma Public Schools |publisher=Oklahoma State Department of Education |year=2010 |url=http://sde.state.ok.us/Services/Data/pdf/StatCard08-09.pdf |access-date=January 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928231700/http://sde.state.ok.us/Services/Data/pdf/StatCard08-09.pdf |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Oklahoma has the highest enrollment of Native American students in the nation with 126,078 students in the 2009–10 school year.{{cite web |url=http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011347.pdf |publisher=IES, National Center for Education Statistics |title=Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment, High School Completions and Staff from the Common Core of Data, School Year 2009–10| page=11|access-date=January 22, 2012}} Oklahoma spent $7,755 for each student in 2008, and was 47th in the nation in expenditures per student, though its growth of total education expenditures between 1992 and 2002 ranked 22nd.{{cite web | title =Growth in Oklahoma's State Governments 1992–2002 | publisher=University of Central Oklahoma | date = February 1, 2006 | url = http://www.busn.ucok.edu/ucopi/docs/govgrowth1992-2002.pdf | access-date = August 3, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074216/http://www.busn.ucok.edu/ucopi/docs/govgrowth1992-2002.pdf |archive-date = August 8, 2007}}

The state is among the best in pre-kindergarten education, and the National Institute for Early Education Research rated it first in the United States with regard to standards, quality, and access to pre-kindergarten education in 2004, calling it "a model for early childhood schooling".{{cite web | title = Superintendent Garrett announces Oklahoma No. 1 in Pre-Kindergarten | publisher = Oklahoma State Department of Education | date = November 19, 2004 | url = http://www.sde.state.ok.us/pro/prek/default.html | access-date = August 3, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629100813/http://www.sde.state.ok.us/pro/prek/default.html | archive-date = June 29, 2007 | url-status = dead }} High school dropout rate decreased from 3.1 to 2.5 percent between 2007 and 2008 with Oklahoma ranked among 18 other states with 3 percent or less dropout rate.{{cite web|url=http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012006.pdf|publisher=IES, National Center for Education Statistics |title=Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972–2009 |pages=7–8, 37| access-date=January 22, 2012}} In 2004, the state ranked 36th in the nation for the relative number of adults with high school diplomas, though at 85.2 percent, it had the highest rate among Southern states.{{cite web | title = High school diploma or higher, by percentage by state | publisher = Statemaster.com | year = 2004 | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage | access-date = August 20, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223755/http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage | archive-date = September 27, 2007 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|title=Missouri and the Nation |publisher=University of Missouri |date=February 9, 2007 |url=http://www.oseda.missouri.edu/mo_nation/no_highschool_grad_1990_2000.shtml |access-date=August 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012160129/http://oseda.missouri.edu/mo_nation/no_highschool_grad_1990_2000.shtml |archive-date=October 12, 2007 }} According to a study conducted by the Pell Institute, Oklahoma ranks 48th in college-participation for low-income students.{{cite news|title=College study should concern Oklahoma policymakers|url=https://newsok.com/article/5595964/college-study-should-concern-oklahoma-policymakers|access-date=May 30, 2018|newspaper=The Oklahoman}}

The University of Oklahoma, The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Northeastern State University are the largest institutions of higher education in Oklahoma, each operating through one primary campus and satellite campuses throughout the state. The two state universities, along with Oklahoma City University and the University of Tulsa, rank among the country's best universities.{{cite web| title = America's Best Colleges—2007| publisher = Oklahoma Education Information System| year = 2007| url = http://www.okhighered.org/oeis/News.shtml| access-date = August 3, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928073528/http://www.okhighered.org/oeis/News.shtml| archive-date = September 28, 2007| url-status = dead}}

Oklahoma City University School of Law, University of Oklahoma College of Law, and University of Tulsa College of Law are the state's only ABA-accredited institutions. Both University of Oklahoma and University of Tulsa are Tier{{nbsp}}2 institutions, with the University of Oklahoma ranked 55th and the University of Tulsa ranked 120th in the nation.{{cite news |title=Best Law Schools |publisher=U.S. News |year=2024 |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings |access-date=December 3, 2024}}

Oklahoma holds eleven public regional universities,{{cite web| title = Student Center Financial Aid| publisher = Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education| year = 2008| url = http://www.okhighered.org/student-center/financial-aid/rubs.shtml| access-date = April 6, 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080323062821/http://www.okhighered.org/student-center/financial-aid/rubs.shtml| archive-date = March 23, 2008| url-status = dead}} including Northeastern State University, the second-oldest institution of higher education west of the Mississippi River, also containing the only College of Optometry in Oklahoma{{cite web| title =Rare Eye Condition Takes Center Stage at NSUOCO| publisher =Northeastern State University| year =2008| url =http://www.nsuba.edu/news/story.php?1960| access-date =April 6, 2008| archive-date =September 13, 2019| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20190913024841/https://www.nsuok.edu/| url-status =dead}} and the largest enrollment of Native American students in the nation by percentage and amount.{{cite web|title=NSU Demographics |publisher=Northeastern State University |year=2006 |url=http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~research/formsguide/NSU%20DEMOGRAPHICS%202005-2006.pdf |access-date=February 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201151858/http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~research/formsguide/NSU%20DEMOGRAPHICS%202005-2006.pdf |archive-date=December 1, 2007 }}{{cite web |title=INBRE Participants |publisher=Oklahoma Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence |url=http://okinbre.org/participating%20institutions.htm |access-date=April 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410193841/http://okinbre.org/participating%20institutions.htm |archive-date=April 10, 2008 |url-status=dead }} Langston University is Oklahoma's only historically black college. Six of the state's universities were placed in the Princeton Review's list of best 122 regional colleges in 2007,{{cite web |title=OBU Named to The Princeton Review "Best in the West" list |publisher=Oklahoma Baptist University |date=August 26, 2005 |url=http://www.okbu.edu/news/view_article.php?id=482 |access-date=August 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808024101/http://www.okbu.edu/news/view_article.php?id=482 |archive-date=August 8, 2007 |url-status=dead }} and three made the list of top colleges for best value. The state has 55 post-secondary technical institutions operated by Oklahoma's CareerTech program for training in specific fields of industry or trade.

In the 2007–2008 school year, there were 181,973 undergraduate students, 20,014 graduate students, and 4,395 first-professional degree students enrolled in Oklahoma colleges. Of these students, 18,892 received a bachelor's degree, 5,386 received a master's degree, and 462 received a first professional degree. This means the state of Oklahoma produces an average of 38,278-degree-holders per completions component (i.e. July 1, 2007{{snd}}June 30, 2008). National average is 68,322 total degrees awarded per completions component.{{cite web|url=http://www.collegedegreereport.com/articles/oklahoma-colleges-profile-college-degree-programs-post-secondary-education-oklahoma|title=Oklahoma Colleges: A Profile of College Degree Programs & Post-Secondary Education in Oklahoma|access-date=March 18, 2010|archive-date=March 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310111128/http://www.collegedegreereport.com/articles/oklahoma-colleges-profile-college-degree-programs-post-secondary-education-oklahoma|url-status=dead}}

Beginning on April 2, 2018, tens of thousands of K–12 public school teachers went on strike due to lack of funding. According to the National Education Association, teachers in Oklahoma had ranked 49th out of the 50 states in terms of teacher pay in 2016. The Oklahoma Legislature had passed a measure a week earlier to raise teacher salaries by $6,100, but it fell short of the $10,000 raise for teachers, $5,000 raise for other school employees, and $200 million increase in extra education funding many had sought.{{cite news|title=Fed up with school spending cuts, Oklahoma teachers walk out|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2018/04/02/fed-up-with-school-spending-cuts-oklahoma-teachers-prepare-to-walk-out/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 2, 2018|access-date=April 2, 2018}} A survey in 2019 found that the pay raise obtained by the strike lifted the State's teacher pay ranking to 34th in the nation.{{cite web | url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/teacher-pay-raise-boosts-oklahoma-to-th-in-nation-new/article_b06ad560-40ed-5ccf-9517-036e9dbddbb4.html | title= Teacher pay raise boosts Oklahoma to 34th in nation, new rankings find | date= April 29, 2019 | publisher= Andrea Eger, Tulsa World, April 29, 2019 | access-date=April 29, 2019}}

File:Cherokeeclass.png]]

The Cherokee Nation instigated a ten-year plan in 2005 that involved growing new speakers of the Cherokee language from childhood as well as speaking it exclusively at home.{{cite web| title = Native Now: Language: Cherokee| website = We Shall Remain—American Experience—PBS| access-date = April 9, 2014| year = 2008| url = https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/native_now/language_cherokee| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140407132754/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/native_now/language_cherokee| archive-date = April 7, 2014| df = mdy-all}} The plan was part of an ambitious goal that in fifty years would have at least 80% of their people fluent. The Cherokee Preservation Foundation has invested $3 million into opening schools, training teachers, and developing curricula for language education, as well as initiating community gatherings where the language can be actively used.{{cite web|title=Cherokee Language Revitalization |website=Cherokee Preservation Foundation |access-date=April 9, 2014 |year=2014 |url=http://www.cherokeepreservationfdn.org/cultural-preservation-connect/major-programs-and-initiatives/cherokee-language-revitalization |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407070520/http://www.cherokeepreservationfdn.org/cultural-preservation-connect/major-programs-and-initiatives/cherokee-language-revitalization |archive-date=April 7, 2014 }}

A Cherokee language immersion school in Tahlequah, Oklahoma educates students from pre-school through eighth grade.{{Cite news| last = Chavez, Will| title = Immersion students win trophies at language fair| work = Cherokeephoenix.org| access-date = April 8, 2013| date = April 5, 2012| url = http://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/Index/6142}}

File:Pioneer Woman Statue.jpg statue in Ponca City, by Bryant Baker (1930).]]

Oklahoma is placed in the South by the United States Census Bureau,{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf |title=Census Regions and Divisions of the United States |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 2, 2016}} but other definitions place the state at least partly in the Southwest, Midwest,{{cite web| first=Allen| last=Lew| url=http://www.geog.nau.edu/courses/alew/ggr346/text/chapters/ch1.html| title=What is geography?| publisher=Northern Arizona University| access-date=August 4, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510041836/http://www.geog.nau.edu/courses/alew/ggr346/text/chapters/ch1.html | archive-date=May 10, 2007| url-status=dead}} Upland South,{{cite book |last=Jordan-Bychkov |first=Terry G. |date=2003 |title=The Upland South: The Making of an American Folk Region and Landscape |publisher=University Press of Virginia |isbn=978-1-930066-08-3}} and Great Plains.{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Plains| title=Great Plains |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=February 24, 2020}} Oklahomans have a high rate of English, Scotch-Irish, German, and Native American ancestry,{{cite web |first=Wayne |last=Greene |url=http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/culture/ancestry.gif |title=Largest Ancestry |publisher=Valparaiso University |access-date=August 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305214454/http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/culture/ancestry.gif |archive-date=March 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }} with 25 different Indigenous languages spoken in the state.{{cite web |first=Stephen |last=Greymorning |url=http://www.sedl.org/pubs/lc05/intro.html |title=Profiles of Native American Education Programs |publisher=Southwest Educational Development Laboratory |access-date=August 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070910075959/http://www.sedl.org/pubs/lc05/intro.html |archive-date=September 10, 2007 |url-status=dead }}

Because many American Indians were forced to move to Indian territory (modern day Oklahoma) when American settlement within North America had increased, Oklahoma has much linguistic diversity. Mary Linn, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Oklahoma and the associate curator of Native American languages at the Sam Noble Museum, notes Oklahoma also has high levels of language endangerment.Smith, Diane. "[http://indiancountrynews.com/index.php/news/76-culture/native-language/11831-universities-partner-to-save-dying-languages Universities partner to save dying languages] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201161321/http://indiancountrynews.com/index.php/news/76-culture/native-language/11831-universities-partner-to-save-dying-languages |date=February 1, 2016 }}". Associated Press. June 2011. Retrieved on October 23, 2015.

Sixty-seven Native American tribes and bands are represented in Oklahoma, including 38 federally recognized tribes,{{cite web |title=Indian Country |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/indian-country |website=Northern District of Oklahoma |date=July 14, 2015 |publisher=United States Attorney's Office |access-date=9 March 2023}} who are headquartered and have tribal jurisdictional areas or Indian reservations in the state.{{cite web| year=2007| url=http://www.travelok.com/about/fun_facts.asp| title=Oklahoma Quick Facts| publisher=Oklahoma Department of Tourism| access-date=August 4, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517085232/http://www.travelok.com/about/fun_facts.asp| archive-date=May 17, 2007| df=mdy-all| url-status=dead}} Native American tribes, Western ranchers, Southern settlers, and Eastern oil barons have shaped the state's cultural predisposition, and its largest cities have been named among the most underrated cultural destinations in the United States.{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.fodors.com/features/nfdisplay1.cfm?.name=si/020228_si_fc_tulsa.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405151813/http://www.fodors.com/features/nfdisplay1.cfm?name=si%2F020228_si_fc_tulsa.cfm |archive-date=April 5, 2007 |title=Fodor's Choice: Top Overlooked Destinations |website=Fodor's Magazine |access-date=August 2, 2007 }}

Residents of Oklahoma are associated with traits of Southern hospitality—the 2006 Catalogue for Philanthropy (with data from 2004) ranks Oklahomans 7th in the nation for overall generosity.{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org/natl/generosity_index/2006/data/Oklahoma.xls|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104150515/http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org/natl/generosity_index/2006/data/Oklahoma.xls|archive-date=November 4, 2014|title=Generosity Index 2006 (2004 data)|publisher=Catalogue for Philanthropy|access-date=November 4, 2014}} The state has also been associated with a negative cultural stereotype first popularized by John Steinbeck's 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath, which described the plight of uneducated, poverty-stricken Dust Bowl-era farmers deemed "Okies".{{cite web| url=http://www.csus.edu/news/022503film.htm| title=Filmmaker to share documentary chronicling local poet's life| publisher=Sacramento State University| date=February 25, 2003| access-date=April 4, 2008| archive-date=September 18, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918161023/http://www.csus.edu/news/022503film.htm| url-status=dead}}{{cite news|first=Wayne |last=Greene |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/oklahoma-centennial-quiz/article_b53204a9-ea61-5abe-a60f-690ff756867c.html|date=July 15, 2007 |title=Oklahoma centennial quiz |newspaper=Tulsa World |access-date=July 2, 2016}} While the term is often used in a positive manner by Oklahomans, it is still considered a derogatory term by many.{{cite web |last1=Logsdon |first1=Guy |title=OKIE |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=OK007 |website=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=16 December 2022}}

{{Further|List of Native American artists from Oklahoma}}

File:Philbrook.jpg, one of the nation's top fifty]]

In the state's largest urban areas, pockets of jazz culture flourish, and African American, Mexican American, and Asian American communities produce music and art of their respective cultures.{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=335&Itemid=415 |title=Oklahoma's Diversity |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Commerce |access-date=August 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627063022/http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=335&Itemid=415 |archive-date=June 27, 2007 }} The Oklahoma Mozart Festival in Bartlesville is one of the largest classical music festivals on the Southern Plains,{{cite web | year= 2007 | url= http://www.okmozart.com/folders.asp?action=display&record=11 | title= Oklahoma Mozart Festival | publisher= OK Mozart Festival | access-date= August 4, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070928104541/http://www.okmozart.com/folders.asp?action=display&record=11 | archive-date= September 28, 2007 | url-status= dead }} and Oklahoma City's Festival of the Arts has been named one of the top fine arts festivals in the nation.

The state has a rich history in ballet with five Native American ballerinas attaining worldwide fame. These were Yvonne Chouteau, sisters Marjorie and Maria Tallchief, Rosella Hightower and Moscelyne Larkin, known collectively as the Five Moons. The New York Times rates the Tulsa Ballet as one of the top ballet companies in the United States. The Oklahoma City Ballet and University of Oklahoma's dance program were formed by ballerina Yvonne Chouteau and husband Miguel Terekhov. The university program was founded in 1962 and was the first fully accredited program of its kind in the United States.{{cite web | title =Ballet Russes| publisher=Geller/Goldfine Productions|year = 2009 | url = http://www.gellergoldfine.com/russes_dancers.html| access-date = February 16, 2014}}{{cite web | title =Capri Films| publisher=Geller/Goldfine Productions|year = 2008 | url = http://www.caprifilms.com/images/press/ballet/ballets_russes_presskit.pdf| access-date = June 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624204404/http://www.caprifilms.com/images/press/ballet/ballets_russes_presskit.pdf|archive-date=June 24, 2008}}

In Sand Springs, an outdoor amphitheater called "Discoveryland!" (since closed) is the official performance headquarters for the musical Oklahoma!{{cite web | url= http://discoverylandusa.com/awards.shtml| title= Honors and Awards| publisher=Discoveryland!| access-date=April 26, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070405010705/http://www.discoverylandusa.com/awards.shtml |archive-date = April 5, 2007}} Ridge Bond, native of McAlester, Oklahoma,{{cite news|author=World's own Service |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/ridge-bond-oklahoman/article_e2ff45ae-ca37-5202-af63-bb100aac9507.html |title=Ridge Bond, Oklahoman—Tulsa World: Archives |newspaper=Tulsa World |access-date=June 3, 2016}} starred in the Broadway and International touring productions of Oklahoma!,{{cite web |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/oktoday/1990s/1998/oktdv48n2.pdf |title=Oklahoma Today February–March 1998 Volume 48 No. 2: 1997 Year in Review |website=Digital.library.okstate.edu |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808050115/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/oktoday/1990s/1998/oktdv48n2.pdf |archive-date=August 8, 2014 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.rnh.com/show/78/Oklahoma#shows-trivia |title=Oklahoma!: Rodgers & Hammerstein: Show Details |website=Rnh.com |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616184805/http://www.rnh.com/show/78/Oklahoma#shows-trivia |archive-date=June 16, 2016 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ridgebond.com/wp-content/uploads/Titania-Palast-Berliner1Festwochen-Program-1951.jpg |format=JPG |title=Photographic image: Berliner Festwochen: Oklahoma! |website=Ridgebond.com |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505070649/http://www.ridgebond.com/wp-content/uploads/Titania-Palast-Berliner1Festwochen-Program-1951.jpg |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ridgebond.com/image-gallery/#jp-carousel-288 |title=Ridge Bond Archives—Images |website=Ridgebond.com |date=September 21, 1951 |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322222812/http://www.ridgebond.com/image-gallery/#jp-carousel-288 |url-status=dead }} playing the role of "Curly McClain" in more than 2,600 performances.{{cite web |url=http://www.okhistory.org/about/transcript.php?episodedate=March |title=OHS Podcasts |website=Okhistory.org |date=March 24, 2012 |access-date=June 3, 2016 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In 1953 he was featured along with the Oklahoma! cast on a CBS Omnibus television broadcast. Bond was instrumental in the Oklahoma! title song becoming the Oklahoma state song{{cite web |url=https://issuu.com/okheritage/docs/december_2013/38 |title=December 2013 Oklahoma: Magazine of the Oklahoma Heritage Association by Oklahoma Hall of Fame |publisher=Issuu |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-date=March 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314205454/https://issuu.com/okheritage/docs/december_2013/38 |url-status=dead }} and is also featured on the U.S. postage stamp commemorating the musical's 50th anniversary.{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/musical-actor-to-be-honored-with-hall-of-fame-award/article/2447341 |title=Musical Actor to Be Honored With Hall of Fame Award |publisher=News OK |date=November 7, 1993 |access-date=June 3, 2016}} Historically, the state has produced musical styles such as The Tulsa Sound and western swing, which was popularized at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa. The building, known as the "Carnegie Hall of Western Swing",{{cite news|date=March 25, 2007 |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/cain-s-ballroom-a-music-icon-venue-is-a-landmark/article_0396d765-d322-51d6-9711-4cdbc2711e03.html |title=Cain's Ballroom—A Music Icon: Venue is a landmark for Western swing, punk fans |first=Matt |last=Elliott |newspaper=Tulsa World |access-date=July 2, 2016}} served as the performance headquarters of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys during the 1930s.{{cite news |date=July 15, 2006 |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=060715_Bu_E1_Tulsa51913 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002801/http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=060715_Bu_E1_Tulsa51913 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |title=Selling Tulsa: Branded |first=John |last=Stancavage |work=Tulsa World |access-date=August 4, 2007 }} Stillwater is known as the epicenter of Red Dirt music, the best-known proponent of which is the late Bob Childers.

Prominent theatre companies in Oklahoma include, in the capital city, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Theatre Company, Carpenter Square Theatre, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, and CityRep. CityRep is a professional company affording equity points to those performers and technical theatre professionals. In Tulsa, Oklahoma's oldest resident professional company is American Theatre Company, and Theatre Tulsa is the oldest community theatre company west of the Mississippi. Other companies in Tulsa include Heller Theatre and Tulsa Spotlight Theater. The cities of Norman, Lawton, and Stillwater, among others, also host well-reviewed community theatre companies.

Oklahoma is in the nation's middle percentile in per capita spending on the arts, ranking 17th, and contains more than 300 museums.{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=332&Itemid=413 |title=Oklahoma—A Great Place to Play |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Commerce |access-date=August 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627065030/http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=332&Itemid=413 |archive-date=June 27, 2007 }} The Philbrook Museum of Tulsa is considered one of the top 50 fine art museums in the United States,{{cite web | url= http://ase.tufts.edu/arted/MuseumsOklahoma.htm| title= Museums of Oklahoma| publisher=Tufts University | access-date=August 5, 2007}} and the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, one of the largest university-based art and history museums in the country, documents the natural history of the region. The collections of Thomas Gilcrease are housed in the Gilcrease Museum of Tulsa, which also holds the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West.{{cite web | url= http://www.travelok.com/atv/urban.asp | title= The All-Terrain Vacation | publisher= Travelok.com | access-date= August 4, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060410174845/http://www.travelok.com/atv/urban.asp | archive-date= April 10, 2006 | df= mdy-all | url-status= dead }}

The Egyptian art collection at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee is considered to be the finest Egyptian collection between Chicago and Los Angeles.{{cite web | url= http://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.4717 | title= Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Travel OK| publisher=Travelok.com | access-date=November 22, 2011}} The Oklahoma City Museum of Art contains the most comprehensive collection of glass sculptures by artist Dale Chihuly in the world,{{cite web| url=http://www.okcmoa.com/p/6811/Default.aspx| title=About the Museum| publisher=Oklahoma City Museum of Art| access-date=August 4, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809185510/http://www.okcmoa.com/p/6811/Default.aspx| archive-date=August 9, 2007| url-status=dead}} and Oklahoma City's National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum documents the heritage of the American Western frontier. With remnants of the Holocaust and artifacts relevant to Judaism, the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art of Tulsa preserves the largest collection of Jewish art in the Southwest United States.{{cite web | url= http://www.jewishmuseum.net/ | title= Sherwin Miller Museum of Judaism | publisher= Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art | access-date= April 20, 2006 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100226183123/http://www.jewishmuseum.net/ | archive-date= February 26, 2010 | df= mdy-all }}

File:Oklahoma Renaissance Festival 2017 (36083692782).jpg Festival, 2017]]

File:Oklahoma Regatta Festival.jpg Festival on the North Canadian River, 2012 ]]

Oklahoma's centennial celebration was named the top event in the United States for 2007 by the American Bus Association,{{cite news|date=September 7, 2006 |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/and-state-s-centennial-is-named-top-ranked-bus-tour/image_d3a9813a-9b4a-50bb-9f70-19913d4810c0.html |title=100 and 1: State's centennial is named top-ranked bus-tour destination |first=Robert S.|last=Cross|newspaper=Tulsa World |access-date=July 2, 2016}} and consisted of multiple celebrations saving with the 100th anniversary of statehood on November 16, 2007. Annual ethnic festivals and events take place throughout the state such as ceremonial events, include festivals (as examples) in Scottish, Irish, German, Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Czech, Jewish, Arab, Mexican and African-American communities depicting cultural heritage or traditions.

Oklahoma City is home to a few reoccurring events and festivals. During a ten-day run in Oklahoma City, the State Fair of Oklahoma attracts roughly one million people{{cite news |date=September 11, 2006 |url=http://www.okstatefair.com/documents/2006%20OSF%20Opens.pdf |title=Oklahoma State Fair Opens September 14 |publisher=Oklahoma State Fair |access-date=August 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629222126/http://www.okstatefair.com/documents/2006%20OSF%20Opens.pdf |archive-date=June 29, 2007 |url-status=dead }} along with the annual Festival of the Arts. Such as various Latin American and Asian heritage festivals, and cultural festivals such as the Juneteenth celebrations are held in Oklahoma City each year. The Oklahoma City Pride Parade has been held annually in late June since 1987 in the gay district of Oklahoma City on 39th and Penn.{{cite web | url=https://www.oklahomacitypride.org/about | title=Our Story Continues | publisher=Oklahoma City Pride | access-date=September 4, 2019 | archive-date=September 4, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904071030/https://www.oklahomacitypride.org/about }} The First Friday Art Walk in the Paseo Arts District is an art appreciation festival held the first Friday of every month.{{cite web | title=First Friday | url=https://www.thepaseo.org/paseo-first-friday-gallery-walk | publisher=Paseo Arts Association | access-date=September 4, 2019}} Additionally, an annual art festival is held in the Paseo on Memorial Day Weekend.{{cite web| title=43rd Annual Paseo Arts Festival | publisher=Paseo Arts Association| access-date=September 4, 2019 | url=https://www.thepaseo.org/festival | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528231951/https://www.thepaseo.org/festival | archive-date=May 28, 2019 }}

The Tulsa State Fair attracts more than a million people each year during its ten-day run,{{cite web | year=2007 | url=http://www.tulsastatefair.com/fair/generalinfo/index.asp | title=Tulsa State Fair—General Information | publisher=Tulsa State Fair | access-date=August 25, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828181706/http://www.tulsastatefair.com/fair/generalinfo/index.asp | archive-date=August 28, 2007 | url-status=dead }} and the city's Mayfest festival entertained more than 375,000 in four days during 2007.{{cite news |date=May 21, 2007 |first=Leigh |last=Bell |title=Mayfest: Celebrating Downtown: Festival closes after big year |newspaper=Tulsa World |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-163684756.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910080548/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-163684756.html |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2007 |url-status=dead }} In 2006, Tulsa's Oktoberfest was named one of the top 10 in the world by USA Today.

Norman plays host to the Norman Music Festival, a festival that highlights native Oklahoma bands and musicians. Norman is also host to the Medieval Fair of Norman, which has been held annually since 1976 and was Oklahoma's first medieval fair. The Fair was held first on the south oval of the University of Oklahoma campus and in the third year moved to the Duck Pond in Norman until the Fair became too big and moved to Reaves Park in 2003. The Medieval Fair of Norman is Oklahoma's "largest weekend event and the third-largest event in Oklahoma, and was selected by Events Media Network as one of the top 100 events in the nation".{{cite web | year=2010 | url=http://www.medievalfair.org/index.html | title=Medieval Fair of Norman | publisher=Medieval Fair of Norman | access-date=February 14, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727075023/http://www.medievalfair.org/index.html | archive-date=July 27, 2011 | df=mdy-all | url-status=dead }}

{{Further|Vacant Era Film Festival}}

The Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA) is the state's only major league sports franchise. The state had a team in the Women's National Basketball Association, the Tulsa Shock, from 2010 through 2015, but the team relocated to Dallas–Fort Worth after that season{{cite press release|url=http://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-approves-tulsa-shock-relocation-dallas-fort-worth/ |title=WNBA Approves Relocation of Shock from Tulsa to Dallas–Fort Worth |publisher=Women's National Basketball Association |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=November 9, 2015}} and became the Dallas Wings.{{cite press release|url=http://www.wnba.com/news/wnbas-dallas-wings-introduced-in-dfw-metroplex/ |title=WNBA's Dallas Wings Introduced in DFW Metroplex |publisher=Women's National Basketball Association |date=November 2, 2015 |access-date=November 9, 2015}}

Oklahoma has teams in several minor leagues, including Minor League Baseball at the Triple-A and Double-A levels (the Oklahoma City Comets and Tulsa Drillers, respectively), hockey's ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers, and a number of indoor football leagues. In the last-named sport, the state's most notable team was the Tulsa Talons, which played in the Arena Football League until 2012, when the team was moved to San Antonio, Texas. The Oklahoma Defenders replaced the Talons as Tulsa's only professional arena football team, playing the CPIFL. The Oklahoma City Blue, of the NBA G League, relocated to Oklahoma City from Tulsa in 2014, where they were formerly known as the Tulsa 66ers. Tulsa is the base for the Tulsa Revolution, which plays in the American Indoor Soccer League.{{cite news|date=July 29, 2007 |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/pro-soccer-soccer-comes-to-tulsa/article_0c080201-f674-5e71-ad9f-259cc015a519.html |title=Pro soccer: Soccer comes to Tulsa |first=Glenn |last=Hibdon |work=Tulsa World |access-date=August 5, 2007}} Enid and Lawton host professional basketball teams in the USBL and the CBA.

File:OKC Thunder.JPG moved there in 2008, becoming its first permanent major-league team in any sport.]]

Collegiate athletics are a popular draw in the state. The state has four schools that compete at the highest level of college sports, NCAA Division I. The Oklahoma Sooners participate in the Southeastern Conference,{{Cite web|url=https://www.secsports.com/history|title=History-Southeastern Conference|publisher=Southeastern Conference|date=July 1, 2024|access-date=July 2, 2024}} and the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls participate in the Big 12 Conference.{{cite web|url=http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1514841&DB_OEM_ID=10410&DB_OEM_ID=10410 |title=Big 12 Conference—One True Champion |date=June 26, 2013 |publisher=Big 12 Conference |access-date=November 9, 2015}} The Big 12 and SEC are two of the so-called Power Four conferences of the top tier of college football, Division I FBS. The Sooners and Cowboys average well over 50,000 fans attending their football games, and Oklahoma's football program ranked 12th in attendance among American colleges in 2010, with an average of 84,738 people attending its home games.{{cite web| title = Attendance Records | publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association | url = http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/Attendance.pdf| year=2011 | access-date = October 20, 2011}} The two universities meet several times each year in rivalry matches known as the Bedlam Series, which are some of the greatest sporting draws to the state. Sports Illustrated magazine rates Oklahoma and Oklahoma State among the top colleges for athletics in the nation.{{cite magazine| date=October 7, 2002|title = America's Best Sports Colleges: 1–10|magazine=Sports Illustrated| url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/1_10/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20021019031054/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/1_10/| url-status = dead| archive-date = October 19, 2002| access-date = August 5, 2007}}{{cite magazine| date=October 7, 2002|title = America's Best Sports Colleges: 11–100|magazine=Sports Illustrated| url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/11_100/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20021016015130/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/11_100/| url-status = dead| archive-date = October 16, 2002| access-date = August 5, 2007}}

Two private institutions in Tulsa, the University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University; are also Division I members. Tulsa competes in FBS football and other sports in the American Athletic Conference,{{cite web|url=http://tulsahurricane.com/sports/2015/5/21/GEN_0521151506_AboutTU.aspx |title=About TU |publisher=Tulsa Golden Hurricane |access-date=November 9, 2015}} while Oral Roberts, which does not sponsor football,{{cite web |url=https://oruathletics.com/ |title=Home Page |publisher=Oral Roberts Golden Eagles |access-date=August 23, 2024}} Move the cursor over "Sports" on the menu to see a list of varsity sports; football is not listed. is a member of the Summit League.{{cite web |url=https://thesummitleague.org/sports/2020/5/26/Quick%20Facts.aspx |title=Summit League Quick Facts |publisher=The Summit League |access-date=August 23, 2024}} In addition, 12 of the state's smaller colleges and universities compete in NCAA Division II as members of three different conferences,{{cite web|url=https://greatamericanconference.com/ |title=Home Page |publisher=Great American Conference |access-date=August 23, 2024}} Move the cursor over "Member Institutions" on the menu to see a list of members; six members are from Oklahoma.{{cite web|url=http://www.lonestarconference.org/sports/2009/12/16/information_history_index.aspx? |title=Lone Star Conference History |publisher=Lone Star Conference |access-date=November 9, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.themiaa.com/sports/2012/5/18/about.aspx?|title=About the MIAA |publisher=Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association |access-date=November 9, 2015}} and eight other Oklahoma institutions participate in the NAIA, mostly within the Sooner Athletic Conference.{{cite web|url=http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=205322922 |title=NAIA Member Schools: Oklahoma |publisher=National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics |access-date=November 10, 2015}}

Regular LPGA tournaments are held at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Tulsa, and major championships for the PGA or LPGA have been played at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oak Tree Country Club in Oklahoma City, and Cedar Ridge Country Club in Tulsa.{{cite web| title = Oklahoma's Top 10 Private Golf Courses| publisher = Tulsaweb| url = http://www.tulsaweb.com/Golf/Private.htm| access-date = August 5, 2007| archive-date = August 6, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070806060137/http://tulsaweb.com/Golf/Private.htm| url-status = dead}} Rated one of the top golf courses in the nation, Southern Hills has hosted five PGA Championships, including one in 2022, and three U.S. Opens, the most recent in 2001.{{cite web | year=2007 | url=http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2007/news/20060228_history.html| title= Southern Hills Country Club is rich in History | publisher=PGA | access-date=August 5, 2007}} Rodeos are popular throughout the state, and Guymon, in the state's panhandle, hosts one of the largest in the nation.{{cite web | url=http://www.guymonrodeo.com/rodeohistory.htm | publisher=Guymon Rodeo Foundation | title=Rodeo History | access-date=May 2, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525105057/http://www.guymonrodeo.com/rodeohistory.htm | archive-date=May 25, 2007 | url-status=dead }}

ESPN called Oklahoma City "the center of the softball universe", specifically referring to the fast-pitch version, in a 2020 story. Oklahoma City is home to the governing body of the sport in the United States, USA Softball, which has its headquarters in a complex that also includes Devon Park. It annually hosts the Women's College World Series, the eight-team final round of the NCAA Division I softball tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/29224143/how-oklahoma-city-home-women-college-world-series-became-center-softball-universe |title=How Oklahoma City, home of the Women's College World Series, became the center of the softball universe |first=Graham |last=Hays |website=ESPN.com |date=May 28, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2020}} Devon Park will host softball at the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the Riversport OKC complex will host canoe slalom at the Games.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/2028-los-angeles-olympics-oklahoma-city-venues-softball-canoe-slalom/3442896/ |title=Why two 2028 Los Angeles Olympics events are moving to Oklahoma City |first=Jonathan |last=Lloyd |publisher=KNBC |date=June 24, 2024 |access-date=August 23, 2024}}

College wrestling has strong tradition in Oklahoma. Oklahoma State has the most NCAA national championships of any collegiate team with 34, with the Oklahoma Sooners having 7 NCAA wrestling titles. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is headquartered in Stillwater.[https://nwhof.org/news/exhibit-highlights-oklahomas-strong-wrestling-history-tradition Exhibit highlights Oklahoma's strong wrestling history, tradition]. nwhof.org. Retrieved January 22, 2022.

A teqball competition was held in Tulsa June 14–16, 2024.[https://www.fiteq.org/news/754 "Major Teqball extravaganza descends upon Tulsa"], FITEQ (April 4, 2024)

File:tulsacancertreatmentcenter.jpg

Oklahoma was the 21st-largest recipient of medical funding from the federal government in 2005, with health-related federal expenditures in the state totaling $75,801,364; immunizations, bioterrorism preparedness, and health education were the top three most funded medical items.{{cite web| title = Health Report: Oklahoma| publisher = Trust for America's Health| url = http://healthyamericans.org/state/index.php?StateID=OK| access-date = August 2, 2007| archive-date = August 12, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070812184402/http://healthyamericans.org/state/index.php?StateID=OK}} Instances of major diseases are near the national average in Oklahoma, and the state ranks at or slightly above the rest of the country in percentage of people with asthma, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.

In 2000, Oklahoma ranked 45th in physicians per capita and slightly below the national average in nurses per capita, but was slightly above the national average in hospital beds per 100,000 people and above the national average in net growth of health services over a twelve-year period.{{Cite FTP | title = State health workforce profiles:Oklahoma | url = ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/workforce/summaries/Oklahoma03.pdf | server = United States Department of Health and Human Services | url-status = dead | access-date = August 2, 2007 }} One of the worst states for percentage of insured people, nearly 25 percent of Oklahomans between the age of 18 and 64 did not have health insurance in 2005, the fifth-highest rate in the nation.{{cite web | title = Health insurance, lack of coverage among adults: State, 2002–2005 | publisher = United States Department of Health and Human Services | url = http://209.217.72.34/HDAA/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=151 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012213905/http://209.217.72.34/HDAA/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=151 | archive-date = October 12, 2007 | access-date = September 8, 2007 | url-status = dead }}

Oklahomans are in the upper half of Americans in terms of obesity prevalence, and the state is the 5th most obese in the nation, with 30.3 percent of its population at or near obesity.{{cite web|title=U.S. Obesity Trends |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |url=https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html |access-date=September 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825130031/http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html |archive-date=August 25, 2009 }} Oklahoma ranked last among the 50 states in a 2007 study by the Commonwealth Fund on health care performance.{{cite web |url=http://www.webmd.com/news/20070613/how-states-rank-on-health-care |title=How States Rank on Health Care |last=Hitti |first=Miranda |publisher=WebMD Health News |date=June 13, 2007 |access-date=January 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070617033457/https://www.webmd.com/news/20070613/how-states-rank-on-health-care | archive-date=June 17, 2007}}

The OU Medical Center, Oklahoma's largest collection of hospitals, is the only hospital in the state designated a Level{{nbsp}}I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons. OU Medical Center is on the grounds of the Oklahoma Health Center in Oklahoma City, the state's largest concentration of medical research facilities.{{cite web| title = OU Medical Center Employment Opportunities| publisher = University of Oklahoma| url = http://www.oumedcenter.com/eRecruit.asp| access-date = August 2, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070817194528/http://www.oumedcenter.com/eRecruit.asp| archive-date = August 17, 2007| url-status = dead}}{{cite web| title = Trauma One Center| publisher = University of Oklahoma| url = http://www.oumedcenter.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=3F100B4D-6724-11D4-81F3-00508B1249D5| access-date = August 2, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070721211811/http://www.oumedcenter.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=3F100B4D-6724-11D4-81F3-00508B1249D5| archive-date = July 21, 2007| url-status = dead}}

The Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southwestern Regional Medical Center in Tulsa is one of four such regional facilities nationwide, offering cancer treatment to the entire southwestern United States, and is one of the largest cancer treatment hospitals in the country.{{cite web| url=http://www.cancercenter.com/southwestern-hospital/about-this-hospital.cfm| title=Southwestern Regional Medical Center| publisher=Cancer Treatment Centers of America| access-date=May 7, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010160608/http://www.cancercenter.com/southwestern-hospital/about-this-hospital.cfm| archive-date=October 10, 2007| df=mdy-all| url-status=dead}} The largest osteopathic teaching facility in the nation, Oklahoma State University Medical Center at Tulsa, also rates as one of the largest facilities in the field of neuroscience.{{cite web | year=2007|url=http://osu.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=479&Itemid=90 | title= Tulsa Regional Medical Center Changes its name to OSU Medical Center | publisher=Oklahoma State University| access-date=August 2, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071013231828/http://osu.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=479&Itemid=90 |archive-date = October 13, 2007}}{{cite web | url=http://www.research.okstate.edu/report00/com/comnar.html | title= Basic Biomedical Research in the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine| publisher=Oklahoma State University| access-date=August 2, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060901125105/http://www.research.okstate.edu/report00/com/comnar.html |archive-date = September 1, 2006}}

On June 26, 2018, Oklahoma made marijuana legal for medical purposes, making it one of the most conservative states to approve medical marijuana.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Sean |title=Oklahoma voters approve medical marijuana despite opposition |url=https://apnews.com/article/70b6fafb4c0f4d2ea920cba5fa227737 |access-date=November 15, 2020 |work=AP News |date=June 27, 2018}}

The residents of Oklahoma have a lower life expectancy than the U.S. national average. In 2014, males in Oklahoma lived an average of 73.7 years compared to a male national average of 76.7 years and females lived an average of 78.5 years compared to a female national average of 81.5 years. Moreover, increases in life expectancy have been below the national average. Male life expectancy in Oklahoma between 1980 and 2014, increased by an average of 4.0 years, compared to a male national average of a 6.7 year increase. Life expectancy for females in Oklahoma between 1980 and 2014, increased by 1.0 years, compared to a female national average of a 4.0 year increase.{{cite web |title=US Health Map |url=https://vizhub.healthdata.org/subnational/usa |website=Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=December 27, 2020}}

Using 2016–2018 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy (all sexes) for Oklahoma counties ranged from 71.2 years for Okfuskee County to 79.7 years for Cimarron and Logan counties. Life expectancy for the state as a whole was 76.0 years.{{cite web |title=Oklahoma: Life Expectancy |url=https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/oklahoma/2020/measure/outcomes/147/data?sort=sc-2 |website=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |access-date=December 28, 2020}}

As of December 22, 2022, Oklahoma has been impacted more by the Covid pandemic (2020–2023) than the average U.S. state. Statistics for the U.S. as a whole are 331 deaths per 100,000 population with 68 percent of the population fully vaccinated. The comparable statistics for Oklahoma are 405 deaths per 100,000 population with 59 percent of the population fully vaccinated; 16,041 deaths from Covid have been recorded in Oklahoma. A wide variation in deaths from Covid exists among Oklahoma counties. Greer County recorded the highest death rate of .00753 (753 deaths per 100,000 residents). Payne County recorded the lowest death rate of .00231 (231 deaths per 100,000 residents).{{cite news |title=Tracking Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Latest Map and Case Count, December 22, 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html |website=New York Times |date=March 3, 2020 |access-date=23 December 2022}}

{{Main|List of newspapers in Oklahoma|List of radio stations in Oklahoma|List of television stations in Oklahoma}}

File:Tulsa World Office.jpg

Oklahoma City and Tulsa are the 45th- and 61st-largest media markets in the United States as ranked by Nielsen Media Research. The state's third-largest media market, Lawton-Wichita Falls, Texas, is ranked 149th nationally by the agency.{{cite web | url=http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2009-2010-dma-ranks.pdf | title=Local Television Market Universe Estimates Comparisons of 2008–09 and 2009–10 Market Ranks | publisher=Nielsen Media | access-date=October 17, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317170600/http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2009-2010-dma-ranks.pdf | archive-date=March 17, 2011 }} Broadcast television in Oklahoma began in 1949 when KFOR-TV (then WKY-TV) in Oklahoma City and KOTV-TV in Tulsa began broadcasting a few months apart.{{cite web |url= http://www.tulsatvmemories.com/tvthesi2.html|title= Historical Highlights of Television in Tulsa, Oklahoma | publisher=Tulsa TV History| access-date=August 6, 2007}} Currently, all major American broadcast networks have affiliated television stations in the state.{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.globalcomputing.com/GetTV_Map1.cfm?PageNum_q_GetTV_Map=1&stateid=OK |title=U.S. Television Stations in Oklahoma |publisher=Global Computing |access-date=August 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064302/http://www.globalcomputing.com/GetTV_Map1.cfm?PageNum_q_GetTV_Map=1&stateid=OK |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }}

The state has two primary newspapers. The Oklahoman, based in Oklahoma City, is the largest newspaper in the state and 54th-largest in the nation by circulation, with a weekday readership of 138,493 and a Sunday readership of 202,690. The Tulsa World, the second-most widely circulated newspaper in Oklahoma and 79th in the nation, holds a Sunday circulation of 132,969 and a weekday readership of 93,558.{{cite web | title=2011 Top Media Outlets: Newspapers, Blogs, Consumer Magazines & Social Network | publisher=BurrellesLuce | url=http://www.burrellesluce.com/sites/default/files/TopMedia2011_UpdatedFebruary2011_FINAL.pdf | access-date=October 17, 2011 | year=2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023162955/http://www.burrellesluce.com/sites/default/files/TopMedia2011_UpdatedFebruary2011_FINAL.pdf | archive-date=October 23, 2013 | url-status=dead }} Oklahoma's first newspaper was established in 1844, called the Cherokee Advocate, and was written in both Cherokee and English. In 2006, there were more than 220 newspapers in the state, including 177 with weekly publications and 48 with daily publications.{{cite web | title=History of Newspapers in Oklahoma| publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society | url=http://www.okhistory.org/research/collections/news_history.html | access-date=August 6, 2007}}

The state's first radio station, WKY in Oklahoma City, began broadcasting in 1920.{{cite news|url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/radio-days-oklahomas-first-station-broadcast-pioneer-wky-began-in-garage-living-room/article_598b57f4-03e1-5a4c-85ec-6c08c7138fe3.html#:~:text=WhatsApp-,Radio%20Days%3A%20Oklahoma's%20First%20Station%3A%20Broadcast%20pioneer%20WKY,began%20in%20garage%2C%20living%20room&text=In%201922%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Department,west%20of%20the%20Mississippi%20River.|title=Radio Days: Oklahoma's First Station: Broadcast pioneer WKY began in garage, living room|work=Tulsa World|last1=Gleason|first1=Matt|date=January 28, 2007|access-date=October 28, 2020}} In 2006, there were more than 500 radio stations in Oklahoma broadcasting with various local or nationally owned networks. Five universities in Oklahoma operate non-commercial, public radio stations/networks.{{cite web | year = 2006 | title = Complete List of Radio Stations in the State of OK | url = http://www.ontheradio.net/states/oklahoma.aspx | publisher = On the Radio.net | access-date = August 6, 2007 | archive-date = August 24, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824110916/http://www.ontheradio.net/states/oklahoma.aspx | url-status = dead }}

Oklahoma has a few ethnic-oriented TV stations broadcasting in Spanish and Asian languages, and there is some Native American programming. TBN, a Christian religious television network, has a studio in Tulsa, and built its first entirely TBN-owned affiliate in Oklahoma City in 1980.{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=67999&Callsign=KTBO-TV|author=Federal Communications Commission|title=Call Sign History|access-date=May 16, 2010|archive-date=May 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525205031/http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=67999&Callsign=KTBO-TV|url-status=dead}}

File:National-atlas-oklahoma.PNG]]

Transportation in Oklahoma is generated by an anchor system of Interstate Highways, inter-city rail lines, airports, inland ports, and mass transit networks. Situated along an integral point in the United States Interstate network, Oklahoma contains three primary Interstate highways and four auxiliary Interstate Highways. In Oklahoma City, Interstate 35 intersects with Interstate 44 and Interstate 40, forming one of the most important intersections along the United States highway system.

More than {{convert|12000|mi}} of roads make up the state's major highway skeleton, including state-operated highways, ten turnpikes or major toll roads,{{cite web| title = Transportation in Oklahoma City| publisher=Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce| year = 2007| url =http://www.okcchamber.com/index.php?submenu=Transportation&src=gendocs&ref=Transportation&category=OklahomaCity| access-date = August 2, 2007}} and the longest drivable stretch of Route 66 in the nation.{{cite web | year=2007 | url=http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Facts.html | title=Route 66—Facts and Trivia | publisher=Legends of America | access-date=August 2, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809135444/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Facts.html | archive-date=August 9, 2007 | df=mdy-all | url-status=dead }} In 2008, Interstate 44 in Oklahoma City was Oklahoma's busiest highway, with a daily traffic volume of 123,300 cars.{{cite web | year=2008 | url=http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/aadt/2008/statemap.pdf| title=2008 Annual Average Daily Traffic | publisher=Oklahoma Department of Transportation | access-date=September 28, 2011}} In 2010, the state had the nation's third-highest number of bridges classified as structurally deficient, with nearly 5,212 bridges in disrepair, including 235 National Highway System Bridges.{{cite web |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi/defbr10.cfm |publisher=United States Department of Transportation—Federal Highway Administration | title=Deficient Bridges by State and Highway System| year=2010 |access-date=September 28, 2011}}

Oklahoma's largest commercial airport is Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, averaging a yearly passenger count of more than 3.5 million (1.7 million boardings) in 2010.{{cite web | year=2010 | url=http://www.flyokc.com/statistics/December%2010%20Activity.pdf | title=Aviation Activity Report December 2010 | publisher=Oklahoma City Airport Authority | access-date=September 30, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317073707/http://www.flyokc.com/statistics/December%2010%20Activity.pdf | archive-date=March 17, 2012 | df=mdy-all | url-status=dead }} Tulsa International Airport, the state's second-largest commercial airport, served more than 1.3 million boardings in 2010.{{cite web|year=2010 |url=http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy10_primary_enplanements_prelim.pdf |title=Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |access-date=September 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920023456/http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy10_primary_enplanements_prelim.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2011 }} Between the two, six airlines operate in Oklahoma.{{cite web| year=2007| url=http://www.tulsaairports.com/airline-information/| title=Tulsa International Airport—Airline Information| publisher=Tulsa Airport Authority| access-date=August 2, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928005948/http://tulsaairports.com/airline-information/| archive-date=September 28, 2012| df=mdy-all}}{{cite web| year=2004| url=http://flyokc.com/Airlines.aspx| title=Will Rogers World Airports—Airline Information| publisher=Oklahoma City Airport Authority| access-date=August 2, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315095936/http://flyokc.com/Airlines.aspx| archive-date=March 15, 2011| df=mdy-all| url-status=dead}} In terms of traffic, R. L. Jones Jr. (Riverside) Airport in Tulsa is the state's busiest airport, with 335,826 takeoffs and landings in 2008.{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.tulsaairports.com/index.cfm?id=11 |title=Riverside Jones Airport |publisher=Tulsa Airport Authority |access-date=September 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822190220/http://www.tulsaairports.com/index.cfm?id=11 |archive-date=August 22, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Oklahoma has more than 150 public-use airports.{{cite web| url= http://www.okairports.com/airports.html| title= Airports of Oklahoma | publisher=Oklahoma Airport Operators Association| access-date=August 2, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928150603/http://www.okairports.com/airports.html|archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}

Oklahoma is connected to the nation's rail network via Amtrak's Heartland Flyer, its only regional passenger rail line. It currently stretches from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. Lawmakers began seeking funding in early 2007 to connect the Heartland Flyer to Tulsa,{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Barber |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-157844553.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910071640/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-157844553.html |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |title=Federal matching funds may help bring Amtrak to Tulsa |date=January 18, 2007 |work=Tulsa World |access-date=August 2, 2007 |url-status=dead }} but nothing came of this. In June 2023, following studies and negotiations, Oklahoma and Kansas state officials began seeking federal approval and funding to extend the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas. The two locations are currently connected by an Amtrak Thruway Bus route that includes a stop in Wichita, Kansas.{{cite web|url= https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-politics/tulsa-not-included-in-proposed-okc-to-kansas-passenger-rail-expansion/article_68b5344e-053d-11ee-a5f2-b3714a93e9bb.html#tracking-source=home-top-story |title= Tulsa not included in proposed OKC-to-Kansas passenger rail expansion|date= June 12, 2023|publisher= Carmen Forman, Tulsa World, June 12, 2023|accessdate=June 12, 2023}} In November 2023, KDOT said the service would start in 2029 if approved, but could begin sooner were the project to be fast tracked.{{Cite web |title=KDOT gives update on potential Amtrak expansion into Wichita |url=https://www.kake.com/story/49974341/kdot-gives-update-on-potential-amtrak-expansion-into-wichita |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=www.kake.com |language=en}}

Two inland ports on rivers serve Oklahoma: the Port of Muskogee and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is one of the United States' most inland international ports, at head of navigation of the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which connects barge traffic from Tulsa and Muskogee to the Mississippi River.{{cite web |url=http://www.tulsaport.com/news_and_events.html |title=What's new at the port? |publisher=Tulsa Port Authority |access-date=July 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714184501/http://www.tulsaport.com/news_and_events.html |archive-date=July 14, 2007 |url-status=dead }} The port ships over two million tons of goods annually and is a designated foreign trade zone.

{{Main|Government of Oklahoma}}

File:Oklahoma State Capitol.jpg in Oklahoma City]]

Oklahoma is a constitutional republic with a government modeled after the federal government of the United States, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.{{cite web | year=2006 | publisher=GoveEngine.com | access-date=July 31, 2007 | url=http://www.govengine.com/stategov/oklahoma.html| title=State Government—Oklahoma}} The state has 77 counties with jurisdiction over most local government functions within each respective domain, five congressional districts, and a voting base with a majority in the Republican Party.{{cite web|url=https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/elections/voter-registration-statistics/2023-vr-statistics/vrstats-county-jan15-2023.pdf|title=Current Registration Statistics by County|date=January 15, 2023|publisher=State of Oklahoma|access-date=March 2, 2023|archive-date=March 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305071400/https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/elections/voter-registration-statistics/2023-vr-statistics/vrstats-county-jan15-2023.pdf|url-status=dead}} State officials are elected by plurality voting in the state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has capital punishment as a legal sentence, and the state has had (between 1976 through mid-2011) the highest per capita execution rate in the nation.{{cite web|url=http://oklahomawatch.org/2013/02/21/this-news-brief-has-a-featured-image/ |title=The Execution State? |publisher=Oklahoma Watch |date=February 21, 2013 |access-date=July 10, 2013}} Authorized methods of execution include the electric chair, the gas chamber and the firing squad.{{cite web | url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/methods-of-execution | title=Methods of Execution }}

In a 2020 study, Oklahoma was ranked as the 14th most difficult state for citizens to vote in.{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=15 Dec 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free | issn=1533-1296 }} In May 2020, it became the first state to enact an anti-red flag law, prohibiting the acceptance of any grants or funding to enact red flag laws.{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma SB1081 {{!}} 2020 {{!}} Regular Session |url=https://legiscan.com/OK/bill/SB1081/2020 |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=LegiScan |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-05-21 |title=Nation's first anti-red flag law now on the books |url=https://www.claremoreprogress.com/news/nation-s-first-anti-red-flag-law-now-on-the-books/article_3eba8328-9b6f-11ea-a178-57cce31dba87.html |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=Claremore Daily Progress |language=en}} Abortion in Oklahoma is illegal in nearly all circumstances.{{Cite web |title=Where Can I Get an Abortion? {{!}} U.S. Abortion Clinic Locator |url=https://www.abortionfinder.org/abortion-guides-by-state/abortion-in-oklahoma |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=www.abortionfinder.org |language=en}}

{{See also|Governor of Oklahoma||Oklahoma Legislature|Oklahoma Supreme Court}}

The Legislature of Oklahoma consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. As the lawmaking branch of the state government, it is responsible for raising and distributing the money necessary to run the government. The Senate has 48 members serving four-year terms, while the House has 101 members with two-year terms. The state has a term limit for its legislature that restricts any one person to twelve cumulative years service between both legislative branches.{{cite web|publisher=U.S. Term Limits |access-date=August 9, 2007 |url=http://www.ustl.org/leglong.html |title=Legislative Longevity Limits |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920054851/http://www.ustl.org/leglong.html |archive-date=September 20, 2007 }}

Oklahoma's judicial branch consists of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and 77 District Courts that each serve one county. The Oklahoma judiciary also contains two independent courts: a Court of Impeachment (for impeachment trials) and the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary. Oklahoma has two courts of last resort: the state Supreme Court hears civil cases, and the state Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal cases (this split system exists only in Oklahoma and neighboring Texas). Judges of those two courts, as well as the Court of Civil Appeals are appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the state Judicial Nominating Commission, and are subject to a non-partisan retention vote on a six-year rotating schedule.{{cite web | date=June 7, 2007 | publisher=Netstate| access-date=August 1, 2007 | url=http://www.netstate.com/states/government/ok_government.htm| title=Oklahoma State Government}}

The executive branch consists of the governor, their staff, and other elected officials. The principal head of government, the governor is the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, serving as the ex officio Commander-in-chief of the Oklahoma National Guard when not called into Federal use and reserving the power to veto bills passed through the legislature. The responsibilities of the Executive branch include submitting the budget, ensuring state laws are enforced, and ensuring peace within the state is preserved.{{cite web| date=December 1, 1995| publisher=Governor's Commission| access-date=August 6, 2007| url=http://www.oklaosf.state.ok.us/osfdocs/gvcmmsh2.html| title=Report of the Governor's Commission on Government Performance| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429100905/http://www.oklaosf.state.ok.us/osfdocs/gvcmmsh2.html| archive-date=April 29, 2007| url-status=dead}}

{{See also|List of counties in Oklahoma}}

The state is divided into 77 counties that govern locally, each headed by a three-member council of elected commissioners, a tax assessor, clerk, court clerk, treasurer, and sheriff.{{cite web |date=January 6, 2006 |publisher=Government of Oklahoma |access-date=August 1, 2007 |url=http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/county.html |title=List of County Officers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070531193042/http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/county.html |archive-date=May 31, 2007 |url-status=dead }} While each municipality operates as a separate and independent local government with executive, legislative and judicial power, county governments maintain jurisdiction over both incorporated cities and non-incorporated areas within their boundaries, and have executive power but no legislative or judicial power. Both county and municipal governments collect taxes, employ a separate police force, hold elections, and operate emergency response services within their jurisdiction.{{cite news|first=Don |last=Diehl |url=http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2754&dept_id=573976&newsid=18622071&PAG=461&rfi=9 |date=July 24, 2007 |title=Metro About Jenks population figures ... doubled in size since 2000 census |publisher=Neighbor Newspapers |access-date=August 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015351/http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2754&dept_id=573976&newsid=18622071&PAG=461&rfi=9 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }} Other local government units include school districts, technology center districts, community college districts, rural fire departments, rural water districts, and other special use districts.

Thirty-nine Native American tribal governments are based in Oklahoma, each holding limited powers within designated areas. While Indian reservations are typical in most of the United States, they are not present in Oklahoma, tribal governments hold land granted during the Indian Territory era, but with limited jurisdiction and no control over state governing bodies such as municipalities and counties. Tribal governments are recognized by the United States as quasi-sovereign entities with executive, judicial, and legislative powers over tribal members and functions, but are subject to the authority of the United States Congress to revoke or withhold certain powers. The tribal governments are required to submit a constitution and any subsequent amendments to the United States Congress for approval.{{cite news |first=Robert|last=Henry| url=http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=61934| date=March 22, 1989|title= Oklahoma Attorney General's Opinions: Question Submitted by: The Honorable Enoch Kelly Haney, Oklahoma State Senate| publisher=The Oklahoma State Courts Network | access-date=August 21, 2007}}{{cite news|first=Lindsay|last=Robertson|url=http://thorpe.ou.edu/guide/robertson.html|year=2001|title=Native Americans and the Law: Native Americans Under Current United States Law|publisher=University of Oklahoma|access-date=August 21, 2007|archive-date=April 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416012037/http://thorpe.ou.edu/guide/robertson.html|url-status=dead}}

Oklahoma has 11 substate districts including the two large Councils of Governments, INCOG in Tulsa (Indian Nations Council of Governments) and ACOG (Association of Central Oklahoma Governments).

{{further|Political party strength in Oklahoma}}

{{Main|Politics of Oklahoma}}

During the first half-century of statehood, Oklahoma was considered a Democratic stronghold, being carried by the Republican Party in only two presidential elections (1920 and 1928). After the 1948 election, the state turned firmly Republican. Although registered Republicans were a minority in the state until 2015,{{cite web | url=http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/VRStatsbycountyjan152015.pdf | title=Registration by Party as of January 15, 2015 | publisher=Oklahoma State Election Board | access-date=February 6, 2015 | archive-date=February 7, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207050926/http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/VRStatsbycountyjan152015.pdf }} Oklahoma has been carried by Republican presidential candidates in all but one election since 1952: Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide victory. Every single county in the state has been won by the Republican candidate in each election since 2004. In fact, it was the only state where Barack Obama failed to carry any counties in 2008. Oklahoma City was the largest city in the United States carried by Republican Donald Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Democrats are strongest in urban areas, such as the inner parts of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, as well as the college towns of Norman and Stillwater, and areas which are most heavily African American. The party once held dominance in the eastern part of the state and Little Dixie before the area gradually shifted Republican in the late 2000s. As of the 2020 election, Native American voters, 16% of the state's population, are split, with urban populations supporting the Democrats and rural reservation populaces favoring the Republicans.{{Cite news|date=2020-11-03|title=Oklahoma Voter Surveys: How Different Groups Voted|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/ap-polls-oklahoma.html|access-date=2020-11-16|issn=0362-4331}}

Following the 2000 census, the Oklahoma delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives was reduced from six to five representatives, each serving one congressional district. Oklahoma has had an all-Republican congressional delegation since 2021 and previously from 2013 to 2019.

{{Main|List of military units and installations in Oklahoma|List of battles fought in Oklahoma}}

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{{See also|List of Oklahoma state symbols}}

{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States

|state = Oklahoma

|image_flag = Flag of Oklahoma.svg

|image_seal = Seal of Oklahoma.svg

|mammal = American bison{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-mammal/buffalo |title=Oklahoma State Animal—Buffalo |date=September 6, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

|dinosaur = Acrocanthosaurus atokensis{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-dinosaur-fossil/acrocanthosaurus-atokensis |title=Oklahoma State Dinosaur—Acrocanthosaurus atokensis |date=September 6, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

|amphibian = Bullfrog{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-amphibian/bullfrog |title=Oklahoma State Amphibian—Bullfrog |date=September 6, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

|bird = Scissor-tailed Flycatcher{{cite web |url=http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/stinfo.html |title=Oklahoma State Icons |publisher=Oklahoma Department of Libraries |access-date=May 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115182454/http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/stinfo.html |archive-date=January 15, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

|colors = Green and white

|dance = Waltz: Oklahoma Wind

|fish = Sand bass{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-fish-aquatic-life/white-bass |title=Oklahoma State Fish—White Bass |date=September 7, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

|flower = {{ubl|Oklahoma Rose|Wildflower: Indian Blanket}}

|folk_dance = Square dance

|fossil = Saurophaganax maximus{{cite web |url=http://www.statefossils.com/ok/ok.html |title=Oklahoma State Fossil |access-date=January 20, 2007 |website=State fossils|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070220160253/http://www.statefossils.com/ok/ok.html |archive-date = February 20, 2007}}

|grass = Indian Grass

|insect = European honey bee

|instrument = Drum{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-dance-music-symbol/drum |title=Oklahoma State Percussive Instrument—Drum |date=September 7, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

|beverage = Milk{{cite news|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-food-agriculture-symbol/milk |title=Oklahoma State Beverage—Milk |date=September 6, 2014 |newspaper=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

|image_quarter =2008 OK Proof.png

|quarter_release_date = 2008, as part of the state quarters series. Oklahoma's state bird flying above its state wildflower.{{cite web| url=http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=press_release&id=862| title=New Oklahoma Quarter Launches into History| publisher=United States Mint| access-date=February 9, 2008| archive-date=December 6, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206094747/http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=press_release&id=862| url-status=dead}}

|reptile = Mountain Boomer

|tree = Redbud

|rock = Rose Rock

|soil = Port Silt Loam

|tartan = Oklahoma Tartan

|image_route = Oklahoma State Highway 1.svg

|other =

• Cartoon: Gusty created by Don Woods, Oklahoma's first professional meteorologist, used on KTUL-TV from 1954 to 1989.Oklahoma Statutes, §25–98.8{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-arts-drama-symbol/gusty |title=Oklahoma State Cartoon Character—Gusty |date=September 6, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}
• Fruit: Strawberry{{cite web|title = Oklahoma State Symbols and Emblems—Complete list of Oklahoma state symbols including the state flag and state seal from NETSTATE.COM|url = http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/ok_symb.htm|website=Netstate.com|access-date = November 18, 2015}}
• Vegetable: Watermelon{{cite web |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Oklahoma/stateVegetable.html |title=Watermelon State Vegetable |date=September 6, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-date=March 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327104415/http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Oklahoma/stateVegetable.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/apr/18/usa.matthewweaver|title=It's a scandal: Oklahoma declares watermelon a vegetable|author=Matthew Weaver|newspaper=The Guardian|date=April 18, 2007}}
• Game bird: Wild turkey{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-bird/wild-turkey |title=Oklahoma State Game Bird—Wild Turkey |date=September 7, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}
• Monument: Golden Driller{{cite web |url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-cultural-heritage/golden-driller |title=Oklahoma State Monument—Golden Driller |date=September 7, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}
• Rock song: "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips{{cite news

|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/chinaNews/idUKTRE53R0L520090428 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501154801/http://uk.reuters.com/article/chinaNews/idUKTRE53R0L520090428 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 1, 2009 |title=Flaming Lips prepare for Oklahoma honor|author=John Benson |work=Reuters |date=April 28, 2009}}

• Theater group: Lynn Riggs Players of Oklahoma{{cite web|url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-arts-drama-symbol/lynn-riggs-players-oklahoma |title=Oklahoma State Theater Group—Lynn Riggs Players of Oklahoma |date=September 7, 2014 |publisher=State Symbols USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

}}

File:American bison k5680-1.jpg is Oklahoma's state mammal.]]

State law codifies Oklahoma's state emblems and honorary positions;{{cite web | url=http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/index.asp?ftdb=STOKST&level=1 | title=OCIS Document Index | publisher=The Oklahoma Supreme Court Network | access-date=May 11, 2007}} the Oklahoma Senate or House of Representatives may adopt resolutions designating others for special events and to benefit organizations. In 2012 the House passed HCR 1024, which would change the state motto from "Labor Omnia Vincit" to "Oklahoma—In God We Trust!" The author of the resolution stated a constituent researched the Oklahoma Constitution and found no "official" vote regarding "Labor Omnia Vincit", therefore opening the door for an entirely new motto.{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/article/3660948 |title=Oklahoma House approves 'In God We Trust' for state motto |publisher=newsok.com |access-date=March 27, 2018|date=March 26, 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2011-12%20INT/hres/HCR1024%20int.pdf |title=HCR 1024 |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

{{Clear|left}}

• {{Portal-inline|Oklahoma}}
• {{Portal-inline|United States}}
• Index of Oklahoma-related articles
• Outline of Oklahoma
• Zodletone Mountain

{{notelist}}

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{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web|title=The Tornado Outbreak of April 27–28, 1912|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=events-19120427|website=National Weather Service|publisher=National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=August 20, 2013}}

}}

• {{cite book|last=Baird|first=W. David|author2=Danney Goble|title=The Story of Oklahoma|year=1994|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-2650-0}}
• {{cite book|last=Dale|first=Edward Everett|author2=Morris L. Wardell|title=History of Oklahoma|year=1948|publisher=Prentice-Hall|location=New York|url=https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=9570550|access-date=September 7, 2017|archive-date=July 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721140154/http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=9570550|url-status=dead}}
• {{cite book|last=Gibson|first=Arrell Morgan|title=Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries|year=1981|edition=2nd|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-1758-4}}
• {{cite book|last=Goble|first=Danney|title=Progressive Oklahoma: The Making of a New Kind of State|year=1980|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-1510-8}}
• {{cite book|last=Gunther|first=John|author-link=John Gunther|chapter=Oklahoma and the Indians|title=Inside U.S.A|pages=[https://archive.org/details/insideusa00guntrich/page/869 869–885]|location=New York City, London|publisher=Harper & Brothers|year=1947|title-link=Inside U.S.A. (book)}}
• {{cite book|last=Jones|first=Stephen|title=Oklahoma Politics in State and Nation|year=1974|edition=vol. 1 (1907–62)|publisher=Haymaker Press|location=Enid, Okla.}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Joyce|editor-first=Davis D. |title=An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History|year=1994|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-2599-2}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Morgan |editor-first=Anne Hodges |editor2=Morgan, H. Wayne |title=Oklahoma: New Views of the Forty-sixth State|year=1982|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-1651-8}}
• {{cite book|last=Morgan|first=David R.|author2=Robert E. England|author3=George G. Humphreys|title=Oklahoma Politics and Policies: Governing the Sooner State|year=1991|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln|isbn=978-0-8032-3106-1|url=https://archive.org/details/oklahomapolitics00morg}}
• {{cite book|last=Morris|first=John W.|author2=Charles R. Goins |author3=Edwin C. McReynolds |title=Historical Atlas of Oklahoma|year=1986|edition=3rd|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-1991-5}}
• {{cite book|editor1-link=David J. Wishart|editor1-last=Wishart|editor1-first=David J.|title=Encyclopedia of the Great Plains|year=2004|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln|isbn=978-0-8032-4787-1}} [http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/ complete text online]; 900 pages of scholarly articles

{{Sister project links|Oklahoma|voy=Oklahoma}}

• {{Official website|https://www.ok.gov/}}
• [http://www.oklegislature.gov/ Oklahoma Legislative Branch]
• [http://www.okcommerce.gov/ Oklahoma Department of Commerce]
• [http://www.okdhs.org/ Oklahoma Department of Human Services]
• [http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/ Oklahoma Department of Transportation]

• [http://www.travelok.com/ Official Oklahoma Tourism Info]
• [http://www.touroklahoma.com/ Oklahoma State Parks]
• [https://www.redearth.org/ Red Earth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129174921/https://www.redearth.org/ |date=January 29, 2021 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090722210244/http://www.woodyguthrie.com/ Woody Guthrie Folk Festival]

• [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/oklahoma/ Oklahoma State Guide from the Library of Congress]
• [https://www.arts.ok.gov/ Oklahoma Arts Council]
• [http://www.oktheatre.org/ Oklahoma Theatre Association]
• [http://www.library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/ Oklahoma Oral History Research Program]
• [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/encyclopediaonline.php Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture]
• [http://voicesofoklahoma.com Voices of Oklahoma Oral History Project]

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120120082128/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40000.html Oklahoma QuickFacts Geographic and Demographic information]
• [http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/2005state/index.htm State highway maps]
• [http://www.okgensoc.org/ Oklahoma Genealogical Society]
• [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=OK Realtime USGS geographic, weather, and geologic information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501104714/http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=OK |date=May 1, 2012 }}
• {{osmrelation-inline|161645}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121024013411/http://www.library.okstate.edu/okmaps/ Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory]

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