Quick Facts: Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central United States. It is bordered to the west by Texas and New Mexico, the north by Colorado and Kansas, the east by Arkansas, and the south by Texas.

ABBREVIATION: OK
NICKNAME: The Sooner State
POPULATION: 4,095,393 (2024 est.)
CAPITAL: Oklahoma City
STATE BIRD: Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
STATE FLOWER: Mistletoe
AREA: 69,898 sq. mi.
TIME ZONE: Central, with Kenton (unofficially): Mountain
ENTERED UNION: Nov. 16, 1907
ALTITUDE: High, 4,975 ft. Black Mesa
CLIMATE: Generally mild winters, hot summers, with great temperature fluctuations. Dry in the west.

Here the grassy lowlands of the central United States fade imperceptibly into the dry Great Plains of the West. In the eastern part of the state, the moist winds of the Gulf of Mexico, rising and cooling as they meet cold air from the northwest, drop sufficient rainfall to permit Oklahoma farmers to grow cotton, fruit, nuts, and the grain crops typical of the Midwest.

But west of the 100th meridian, where the Gulf’s humid winds seldom blow, rainfall gradually diminishes. There, even though men have learned to raise winter wheat on the dry land, cattle ranching remains predominant.

Farming on these plains is risky business. In the years when rain is plentiful, the land can be bountiful. But in the 1930’s, when poor farming practices combined with the sun and the wind to destroy the topsoil, the heavily mortgaged Oklahoma farmers packed up and headed toward California, giving their name-“Okies”-to a generation of westward-bound migrants.

Wichita Mountains Narrows, Oklahoma

On the searing plains of Oklahoma, which were spurned by white men as seemingly worthless, Indian tribes were forcibly resettled in the early 1800’s, with President Jackson promising a peaceful existence to the Indians in a letter with the statement “their white brethren will not trouble them”…”while grass should grow or waters run”.

This sentiment is badly contradicted by the way in which the US government actually treated the Indians. Ironically, the land the U.S. government assigned to the red man was to prove among the nation’s richest in oil reserves.

Eventually, the Indians would be forced to make new treaties, taking away some of the land and leaving them with smaller and smaller areas on which to live.

Fun Facts:

The country’s first parking meters were installed in Oklahoma City in 1935.
Oklahoma has had 14 official flags during its history.
The state capitol building in Oklahoma City has a working oil well on its grounds.
Oklahoma has more artificial lakes than any other state, with over one million surface acres of water.
Until statehood, Oklahoma was known as Indian Territory. Today 39 tribes have their headquarters in the state.
The state of Oklahoma was opened to settlers in a “Land Rush” in 1889. Prospective settlers claimed plots of land by outlining their territory with stakes. A few of these settlers laid stakes prior to the official start of the land run and were later known as the “Sooners”.

History:

Oklahoma, often called the “Sooner State,” has a unique and complex history marked by Indigenous heritage, westward expansion, conflict, and renewal. From ancient Native civilizations to modern industries, Oklahoma’s story is one of survival, change, and cultural blending.

Long before European contact, the land now known as Oklahoma was inhabited by Native American peoples for thousands of years. Ancient mound-building cultures, such as the Spiro Mound builders, thrived in the region, creating complex societies with trade networks stretching across North America.

By the 1700s, various Native tribes, including the Wichita, Caddo, and Osage, were living in the area.

Oklahoma’s central location made it a crossroads for exploration and trade. In the 18th century, French and Spanish explorers traveled through the region, but it remained largely under Native control. In the early 19th century, the U.S. government began forcibly relocating Eastern tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River, leading to the infamous Trail of Tears.

Between the 1830s and 1840s, the “Five Civilized Tribes”—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole—were relocated to what became known as Indian Territory. These tribes rebuilt their communities, governments, schools, and economies in Oklahoma, despite the trauma of removal.

By the late 19th century, pressure grew to open Indian Territory to white settlement. In 1889, the U.S. government allowed non-Native settlers to claim land in what became the first of several “Land Runs,” in which settlers rushed to claim plots of land.

Some entered illegally ahead of time—earning the nickname “Sooners,” which eventually became the state’s nickname.

On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union. Statehood merged Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory into one state, a move that brought new governance but also further complicated Native land rights.

In the early 20th century, Oklahoma experienced an oil boom, especially in cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Oil wealth transformed the state’s economy and helped fuel urban growth. However, the state also faced major challenges, including racial tensions and environmental crises.

One of the darkest moments was the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, when white mobs destroyed the prosperous Black community of Greenwood, killing hundreds and leaving thousands homeless.

During the 1930s, Oklahoma was hit hard by the Dust Bowl, a series of droughts and dust storms that devastated farmland. Thousands of Oklahomans, known as “Okies,” migrated to California and other states in search of better opportunities, a movement famously chronicled in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.

In the post–World War II era, Oklahoma diversified its economy beyond oil and agriculture, developing industries in aerospace, energy, and technology. The state also made strides in education and Native American rights.

Today, Oklahoma has one of the largest Native populations in the country and is home to 39 federally recognized tribes.

Oklahoma’s history is marked by perseverance through adversity. Its rich cultural heritage, shaped by Native, African American, and settler experiences, continues to define the state’s identity. From tribal nations to trailblazers, Oklahoma remains a land of resilience and renewal.