View source for Oktaha, Oklahoma

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Oktaha, Oklahoma
|settlement_type          = Town
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Oktaha OK School 5-2025.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Athletic field at the Oktaha school complex in May 2025
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = OKMap-doton-Oktaha.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in Oklahoma
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_name1        = [[Oklahoma]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Muskogee County, Oklahoma|Muskogee]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024">{{cite web |title=2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Oklahoma|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_place_40.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=July 15, 2025}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 0.71
|area_land_km2            = 0.71
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.27
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.27
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?q=&g=160XX00US4055200| title=P1. Race – Oktaha town, Oklahoma: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=July 15, 2025}}</ref>
|population_total         = 343
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|population_density_km2   = 485.17
|population_density_sq_mi = 1256.41

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 597
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|34|39|N|95|28|40|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 74450
|area_codes                = [[area codes 539 and 918|539/918]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 40-55200<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2413077<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413077}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Oktaha''' is a town in [[Muskogee County, Oklahoma|Muskogee County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 343.<ref name="Census 2020"/>

==History==
Oktaha was named for a [[Creek people|Muscogee]] chief, Oktarharsars Harjo<ref name="EOHC-Oktaha">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=OK095 Wallace F. Waits, Jr., "Oktaha," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.] Accessed May 2, 2015.</ref><ref name="Etter, Jim 2007">{{cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/3125616/remnants-of-the-pastbrspan-classhl2plan-for-museum-has-oktaha-residents-seeking-span|title= REMNANTS OF THE PAST: Plan for museum has Oktaha residents seeking ... |publisher=Jim Etter, The Oklahoman, September 14, 2007|access-date=March 29, 2020}}</ref> (also known as Sands<ref>Thoburn, J.B. & I.M. Holcomb (1908). ''A History of Oklahoma''. Doub & Co., 155</ref>). The town originated in 1872 as a stop on the [[Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad|MK&T "Katy" Railroad]]. By 1900, the town had its own post office; a small business district emerged as well. Local business was lagging, however, by mid-century, and the town struggled even more when [[U.S. Route 69 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 69]] was rerouted to bypass Oktaha.<ref name="Etter, Jim 2007"/> Nevertheless, Oktaha remains the site of a K-12 school that draws several hundred students from rural portions of Muskogee County.<ref>[http://www.greatschools.net/schools.page?district=369&state=OK Oktaha Schools, Oktaha – OK: charter and public schools. Oktaha School District – Oktaha OK School District<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://geo.ou.edu/MapsFrame.htm CSA – Maps<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Geography==
Oktaha is located {{convert|14|miles|km}} south-southwest of [[Muskogee, Oklahoma|Muskogee]].<ref name="EOHC-Oktaha"/> U.S. Highway 69 passes {{convert|1|mi}} west of town, leading north to Muskogee and south {{convert|7|mi|0}} to [[Checotah, Oklahoma|Checotah]].

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.27|sqmi|2}}, all land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/> The town is within the watershed of Anderson Creek, a south-flowing tributary of Dirty Creek, which leads east to the [[Arkansas River]] at [[Robert S. Kerr Reservoir]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 324
|1920= 335
|1930= 292
|1940= 233
|1950= 207
|1960= 199
|1970= 193
|1980= 376
|1990= 266
|2000= 327
|2010= 390
|2020= 343
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
| align = right
| align-fn = center
}}

===2020 census===

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], Oktaha had a population of 343. The median age was 34.2 years. 30.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.6 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME%2CDP1_0021P%2CDP1_0024P%2CDP1_0025C%2CDP1_0049C%2CDP1_0045C%2CDP1_0069C%2CDP1_0073C%2CDP1_0125P%2CDP1_0126P%2CDP1_0129P%2CDP1_0133P%2CDP1_0137P%2CDP1_0138P%2CDP1_0139P%2CDP1_0141P%2CDP1_0142P%2CDP1_0143P%2CDP1_0145P%2CDP1_0146P%2CDP1_0147C%2CDP1_0148C%2CDP1_0149C%2CDP1_0156C%2CDP1_0157C%2CDP1_0158C%2CDP1_0159P%2CDP1_0160P&for=place%3A55200&in=state%3A40|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 25, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL"/>

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME%2CP2_002N%2CP2_003N&for=place%3A55200&in=state%3A40|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=April 25, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 122 households in Oktaha, of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 141 housing units, of which 13.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A55200&in=state%3A40|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 25, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| [[White Americans|White]] || 201 || 58.6%
|-
| [[African Americans|Black or African American]] || 3 || 0.9%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]] || 105 || 30.6%
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| [[Native Hawaiians|Native Hawaiian]] and [[Pacific Islander|Other Pacific Islander]] || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] || 34 || 9.9%
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race)'' || 6 || 1.7%
|}
===2000 census===
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 327 people, 110 households, and 91 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,256.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 127 housing units at an average density of {{convert|487.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 70.95% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.36% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 16.82% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.61% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.31% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 7.95% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.31% of the population.

There were 110 households, out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,844, and the median income for a family was $30,556. Males had a median income of $23,958 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,174. About 18.5% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
* The noted Native American sculptor [[Willard Stone]] was born in Oktaha in 1916.<ref>David C. Hunt, [http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/S/ST059.html "Stone, Willard"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416084151/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia |date=April 16, 2009 }} at [[Oklahoma Historical Society]] [http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105083521/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/B/BO019.html |date=January 5, 2009 }}  (retrieved March 20, 2009).</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{Muskogee County, Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Muskogee County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Towns in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Muscogee Nation]]
[[Category:1872 establishments in Indian Territory]]