# Tulsa County, Oklahoma

Tulsa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in the state, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the second-largest city in the state. Founded at statehood, in 1907, it was named after the previously established city of Tulsa. Before statehood, the area was part of both the Creek Nation and the Cooweescoowee District of Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory. Tulsa County is included in the Tulsa metropolitan statistical area. Tulsa County is notable for being the most densely populated county in the state. Tulsa County also ranks as having the highest income.

## History

The history of Tulsa County greatly overlaps the history of the city of Tulsa. This section addresses events that largely occurred outside the present city limits of Tulsa.

### Lasley Vore Site

The Lasley Vore Site, along the Arkansas River south of Tulsa, was claimed by University of Tulsa anthropologist George Odell to be the most likely place where Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe first encountered a group of Wichita people in 1719. Odell's statement was based on finding both Wichita and French artifacts there during an architectural dig in 1988.

### Old Fort Arbuckle

The U. S. Government's removal of Native American tribes from the southeastern United States to "Indian Territory" did not take into account how that would impact the lives and attitudes of the nomadic tribes that already used the same land as their hunting grounds. At first, Creek immigrants stayed close to Fort Gibson, near the confluence of the Arkansas and Verdigris rivers. However, the government encouraged newer immigrants to move farther up the Arkansas. The Osage tribe had agreed to leave the land near the Verdigris, but had not moved far and soon threatened the new Creek settlements.
In 1831, a party led by Rev. Isaac McCoy and Lt. James L. Dawson blazed a trail up the north side of the Arkansas from Fort Gibson to its junction with the Cimarron River. In 1832, Dawson was sent again to select sites for military posts. One of his recommended sites was about two and a half miles downstream from the Cimarron River junction. The following year, Brevet Major George Birch and two companies of the 7th Infantry Regiment followed the "Dawson Road" to the aforementioned site. Flattering his former commanding officer, General Matthew Arbuckle, Birch named the site "Fort Arbuckle."
According to Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the fort was about 8 miles (13 km) west of the present city of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Author James Gardner visited the site in the early 1930s. His article describing the visit includes an old map showing the fort located on the north bank of the Arkansas River near Sand Creek, just south of the line separating Tulsa County and Osage County. After ground was cleared and a blockhouse built, Fort Arbuckle was abandoned November 11, 1834. The remnants of stockade and some chimneys could still be seen nearly a hundred years later. The site was submerged when Keystone Lake was built.

### Battle of Chusto-Talasah

Main article Battle of Chusto-Talasah
At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, many Creeks and Seminoles in Indian Territory, led by Opothleyahola, retained their allegiance to the U. S. Government. In November 1861, Confederate Col. Douglas H. Cooper led a Confederate force against the Union supporters with the purpose of either compelling their submission or driving them out of the country. The first clash, known as the Battle of Round Mountain, occurred November 19, 1861. Although the Unionists successfully withstood the attack and mounted a counterattack, the Confederates claimed a strategic victory because the Unionists were forced to withdraw.
The next battle occurred December 9, 1861. Col. Cooper's force attacked the Unionists at Chusto-Talasah (Caving Banks) on the Horseshoe Bend of Bird Creek in what is now Tulsa County. The Confederates drove the Unionists across Bird Creek, but could not pursue, because they were short of ammunition. Still, the Confederates could claim victory.

### Coming of the railroads

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad had extended its main line in Indian Territory from Vinita to Tulsa in 1883, where it stopped on the east side of the Arkansas River. The company, which later merged into the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (familiarly known as the Frisco), then built a steel bridge across the river to extend the line to Red Fork. This bridge allowed cattlemen to load their animals onto the railroad west of the Arkansas instead of fording the river, as had been the practice previously. It also provided a safer and more convenient way to bring workers from Tulsa to the oil field after the 1901 discovery of oil in Red Fork.

### Oil Boom

A wildcat well named Sue Bland No. 1 hit paydirt at 540 feet on June 25, 1901, as a gusher. The well was on the property of Sue A. Bland (née Davis), located near the community of Red Fork. Mrs. Bland was a Creek citizen and wife of Dr. John C. W. Bland, the first practicing physician in Tulsa. The property was Mrs. Bland's homestead allotment. Oil produced by the well was shipped in barrels to the nearest refinery in Kansas, where it was sold for $1.00 a barrel.
Other producing wells followed soon after. The next big strike in Tulsa County was the Glenn Pool Oil Reserve in the vicinity of where Glenpool, Oklahoma was later founded..
Ironically, while the city of Tulsa claimed to be "Oil Capital of the World" for much of the 20th century, a city ordinance banned drilling for oil within the city limits.

### Tulsa County Court House

In 1911–1912, Tulsa County built a court house in Tulsa on the northeast corner of Sixth Street and South Boulder Avenue. Yule marble was used in its construction. The land had previously been the site of a mansion owned by George Perryman and his wife. This was the court house where a mob of white residents gathered on May 31, 1921, threatening to lynch a young black man held in the top-floor jail. It was the beginning of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
An advertisement for bids specified that the building should be fireproof, built of either reinforced concrete or steel and concrete. The size was to be 120 by 120 feet (37 by 37 m) with three floors and a full basement. Cost of the building was not to exceed $200,000. The jail on the top floor was not to exceed $25,000.
The building continued to serve until the present court house building (shown above) opened at 515 South Denver. The old building was then demolished and the land was sold to private investors. The land is now the site of the Bank of America building, completed in 1967.

### 1921 race massacre

In the early 20th century, Tulsa was home to the "Black Wall Street", one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States at the time. Located in the Greenwood neighborhood, it was the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre, said to be "the single worst incident of racial violence in American history", in which mobs of white Tulsans killed black Tulsans, looted and robbed the black community, and burned down homes and businesses. Sixteen hours of massacring on May 31 and June 1, 1921, ended only when National Guardsmen were brought in by the Governor. An official report later claimed that 23 Black and 16 white citizens were killed, but other estimates suggest as many as 300 people died, most of them Black. Over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, and an estimated 1000 Black people were left homeless as 35 city blocks, composed of 1,256 residences, were destroyed by fire. Property damage was estimated at $1.8 million. Efforts to obtain reparations for survivors of the violence have been unsuccessful, but the events were re-examined by the city and state in the early 21st century, acknowledging the terrible actions that had taken place.

## Geography and climate

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 587 square miles (1,520 km$^2$), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km$^2$) is land and 17 square miles (44 km$^2$) (2.9%) is water.
The Arkansas River drains most of the county. Keystone Lake, formed by a dam on the Arkansas River, lies partially in the county. Bird Creek and the Caney River, tributaries of the Verdigris River drain the northern part of the county.
Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Rec High °F | 79 | 90 | 96 | 102 | 96 | 103 | 112 | 110 | 109 | 98 | 87 | 80 |
| Norm High °F | 46.5 | 52.9 | 62.4 | 72.1 | 79.6 | 88 | 93.8 | 93.2 | 84.1 | 74 | 60 | 49.6 |
| Norm Low °F | 26.3 | 31.1 | 40.3 | 49.5 | 59 | 67.9 | 73.1 | 71.2 | 62.9 | 51.1 | 39.3 | 29.8 |
| Rec Low °F | -8 | -11 | -3 | 22 | 35 | 49 | 51 | 52 | 35 | 18 | 10 | -8 |
| Precip (in) | 1.6 | 1.95 | 3.57 | 3.95 | 6.11 | 4.72 | 2.96 | 2.85 | 4.76 | 4.05 | 3.47 | 2.43 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com |||||||||||||

### Adjacent counties

* Washington County (north)
* Rogers County (northeast)
* Wagoner County (southeast)
* Okmulgee County (south)
* Creek County (west)
* Pawnee County (northwest)
* Osage County (northwest)

### Major highways

* Interstate 44
* Interstate 244
* Interstate 444
* U.S. Route 64
* U.S. Historic Route 66
* U.S. Route 75
* U.S. Route 169
* U.S. Route 412
* Creek Turnpike
* Oklahoma State Highway 11
* Former Oklahoma State Highway 12
* Oklahoma State Highway 20
* Oklahoma State Highway 51
* Oklahoma State Highway 67
* Oklahoma State Highway 97
* Oklahoma State Highway 97T
* Oklahoma State Highway 117
* Oklahoma State Highway 151
* Oklahoma State Highway 266
* Oklahoma State Highway 364
* Gilcrease Expressway
* L.L. Tisdale Parkway

### Transit

* Tulsa Transit
* Greyhound Lines
* Jefferson Lines

## Demographics

At the census of 2010, there were 603,403 people, 241,737 households, and 154,084 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,059 inhabitants per square mile (409/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% White, 10.7% Black or African American, 6.0% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. 11.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race (8.8% Mexican). 14.2% were of German, 12.3% Irish, 8.8% English, 8.5% American, 2.3% French, and 2.3% Scottish ancestries. 88.3% spoke English, 8.1% Spanish, and 0.4% Vietnamese as their first language. At the 2020 census, its population grew to 669,279 people; in 2022, the American Community Survey estimated its population was 677,358. The 2021 estimated racial makeup of the county was 59.9% non-Hispanic white, 10.8% African American, 7.3% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 6.6% multiracial, and 13.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of 2010, there were 241,737 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 29.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.07. In 2021, there were 295,350 households with a median house value of $168,800. The county had a median rent of $929.
As of 2010 in the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.
As of 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $47,005, and the median income for a family was $60,093. The per capita income for the county was $27,425. About 11.0% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over. Of the county's population over the age of 25, 29.2% held a bachelor's degree or higher, and 88.2% have a high school diploma or equivalent. As of 2021, its median household income was $60,382 and 14.7% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

## Government

Tulsa County has nine elected county officials: three county commissioners, a county sheriff, a district attorney, an assessor, a treasurer, a county clerk, and a county court clerk.
County officials :
| Position | Official | First Elected | Next Re-election Year | Party |
| County Commissioner District 1 | Stan Sallee | 2018 | 2026 | Rep |
| County Commissioner District 2 | Lonnie Sims | 2024 | 2028 | Rep |
| County Commissioner District 3 | Kelly Dunkerley | 2023 | 2026 | Rep |
| District Attorney | Steve Kunzweiler | 2015 | 2026 | Rep |
| County Assessor | John A. Wright | 2018 | 2026 | Rep |
| County Clerk | Michael Willis | 2017 | 2028 | Rep |
| County Court Clerk | Don Newberry | 2017 | 2028 | Rep |
| County Sheriff | Vic Regalado | 2017 | 2028 | Rep |
| County Treasurer | John Fothergill | 2020 | 2026 | Rep |
Oklahoma's 14th Judicial District, which includes Tulsa and Pawnee County, has 14 elected district judges. 13 of the judges are elected from Tulsa County. The one elected Associate Judge for Tulsa County is Cliff Smith of Tulsa.
County Judges :
| Position | Official | First Elected | Next Re-election Year | Hometown |
| Office 1 | Caroline Wall | 2010 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 2 | Sharron Holmes | 2014 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 3 | Tracy Priddy | 2018 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 4 | Daman H. Cantrell | 1998 | 2026 | Owasso |
| Office 5 (Pawnee County) | Michelle L. Bodine-Keely | 2020 | 2026 | Cleveland |
| Office 6 | Kelly Greenough | 2016 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 7 | William LaFortune | 2014 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 8 | Doug Drummond | 2014 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 9 | Richard L. Hathcoat | 2023 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 10 | Dawn Moody | 2018 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 11 | Rebecca Nightingale | 2002 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 12 | Kevin Gray | 2022 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 13 | David Guten | 2022 | 2026 | Tulsa |
| Office 14 | Kurt G. Glassco | 2009 | 2026 | Tulsa |

### Politics

Tulsa County is very conservative for an urban county; it has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1940. The county's Republican bent predates Oklahoma's swing toward the GOP.
George H. W. Bush in 1992 remains the only Republican since Alf Landon in 1936 to fail to obtain a majority in the county, and even then only because of Ross Perot’s strong third-party candidacy. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to win more than 40% of the vote in Tulsa County, and only the second to do so since 1948. It is one of only two counties in the state, alongside Oklahoma County, where Biden outperformed Southerner Jimmy Carter's 1976 margin, when he narrowly lost the state.
In 2022, Democratic gubernatorial candidate (and county resident) Joy Hofmeister narrowly carried the county, 49.1-48.9, against incumbent Republican Kevin Stitt. This was the first time Tulsa County had backed a Democratic gubernatorial candidate since 2006, and the first time in its history that it had ever backed a losing Democrat for governor.
The city of Tulsa proper is a swing city. After voting for Donald Trump in 2016 by four points, it swung to a six-point win for Joe Biden in 2020, and also backed Drew Edmondson for Governor in 2018 by 13 points. The suburbs and rural communities, however, remain very strongly Republican.
In February 2020, registered Republicans were reduced from a majority to a plurality in the county's voter registration.
Voter registration and party enrollment as of January 15, 2025 :
| Party | Party | Number of Voters | Percentage |
| | Republican | 195,133 | 47,96% |
| | Democratic | 119,120 | 29,29% |
| | Libertarian | 4,207 | 1,03% |
| | Unaffiliated | 88,390 | 21,72% |
| Total | Total | 406,850 | 100% |
United States presidential election results for Tulsa County, Oklahoma :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 145,241 | 56.53% | 106,105 | 41.30% | 5,593 | 2.18% |
| 2020 | 150,574 | 56.46% | 108,996 | 40.87% | 7,108 | 2.67% |
| 2016 | 144,258 | 58.39% | 87,847 | 35.56% | 14,949 | 6.05% |
| 2012 | 145,062 | 63.68% | 82,744 | 36.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2008 | 158,363 | 62.23% | 96,133 | 37.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2004 | 163,452 | 64.43% | 90,220 | 35.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2000 | 134,152 | 61.34% | 81,656 | 37.34% | 2,883 | 1.32% |
| 1996 | 111,243 | 53.65% | 76,924 | 37.10% | 19,189 | 9.25% |
| 1992 | 117,465 | 49.13% | 71,165 | 29.77% | 50,438 | 21.10% |
| 1988 | 127,512 | 64.48% | 69,044 | 34.91% | 1,207 | 0.61% |
| 1984 | 159,549 | 72.90% | 58,274 | 26.62% | 1,049 | 0.48% |
| 1980 | 124,643 | 66.25% | 53,438 | 28.40% | 10,067 | 5.35% |
| 1976 | 108,653 | 61.63% | 65,298 | 37.04% | 2,349 | 1.33% |
| 1972 | 125,278 | 77.75% | 32,779 | 20.34% | 3,069 | 1.90% |
| 1968 | 81,476 | 57.11% | 32,748 | 22.95% | 28,443 | 19.94% |
| 1964 | 76,770 | 55.53% | 61,484 | 44.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 89,899 | 63.03% | 52,725 | 36.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 83,219 | 65.51% | 43,805 | 34.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 73,862 | 61.25% | 46,728 | 38.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 42,892 | 52.67% | 38,548 | 47.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 42,663 | 56.00% | 33,436 | 43.89% | 89 | 0.12% |
| 1940 | 40,342 | 54.83% | 33,098 | 44.99% | 135 | 0.18% |
| 1936 | 28,759 | 40.88% | 41,256 | 58.65% | 328 | 0.47% |
| 1932 | 25,541 | 41.96% | 35,330 | 58.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 38,769 | 70.49% | 16,062 | 29.20% | 167 | 0.30% |
| 1924 | 19,537 | 55.54% | 14,377 | 40.87% | 1,265 | 3.60% |
| 1920 | 14,357 | 57.43% | 10,025 | 40.10% | 617 | 2.47% |
| 1916 | 3,857 | 41.74% | 4,497 | 48.67% | 886 | 9.59% |
| 1912 | 2,029 | 37.95% | 2,747 | 51.37% | 571 | 10.68% |
| 1908 | 2,150 | 46.04% | 2,292 | 49.08% | 228 | 4.88% |

## Parks and recreation

River Parks was established in 1974 as a joint operation of the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County, with funding from both governments as well as private entities. It is not a part of the Tulsa Parks and Recreation Department, but is managed by the River Parks Authority. It is a series of linear parks that run adjacent to the Arkansas River for about 10 miles (16 km) from downtown to the Jenks bridge. Since 2007 a significant portion of the River Parks area has been renovated with new trails, landscaping and playground equipment. The River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area on the west side of the Arkansas River in south Tulsa is a 300 acres (120 ha) area that contains over 45 miles (72 km) of dirt trails available for hiking, trail running, mountain biking and horseback riding. The "Tulsa Townies" organization provide bicycles that may be checked out for use. There are three kiosks in the parks where bicycles may be obtained or returned.

## Communities
### Cities

* Bixby (part)
* Broken Arrow (part)
* Collinsville
* Glenpool
* Jenks
* Owasso (part)
* Sand Springs (part)
* Sapulpa (part)
* Skiatook (part)
* Tulsa (county seat) (part)

### Towns

* Liberty (part)
* Lotsee
* Sperry

### Census-designated places

* Oakhurst
* Turley

### Unincorporated communities

* Berryhill
* Garnett
* Leonard
* Lake
* Mingo

### Former communities

* Alsuma - Annexed by Tulsa in 1968.
* Carbondale - Annexed by Tulsa in 1928.
* Dawson - Annexed by Tulsa in 1949.
* Keystone - Submerged by Keystone Lake, whose construction began in 1958.
* North Tulsa - Annexed by Tulsa in 1904.
* Prattville - Annexed by Sand Springs in 1965.
* Red Fork - Annexed by Tulsa in 1927.
* South Haven - Annexed by Tulsa in 1966.

## Education
### K-12 education

Public school districts include:
* Berryhill Public Schools
* Bixby Public Schools
* Broken Arrow Public Schools
* Collinsville Public Schools
* Glenpool Public Schools
* Jenks Public Schools
* Liberty Public Schools
* Owasso Public Schools
* Sand Springs Public Schools (operates Charles Page High School)
* Skiatook Public Schools
* Sperry Public Schools
* Tulsa Public Schools
* Union Public Schools
* Keystone Public School (elementary only)

### Colleges and universities

Public institutions:
* University of Tulsa
* Tulsa Community College
Private institutions:
* Oral Roberts University

## NRHP sites

The following sites in Tulsa County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
* 66 Motel, Tulsa
* Ambassador Hotel, Tulsa
* Bishop Kelley High School
* Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Tulsa
* Boulder-on-the-Park, Tulsa
* Brady Heights Historic District, Tulsa
* Broken Arrow Elementary--Junior High School, Broken Arrow
* Cain's Dancing Academy, Tulsa
* The Church Studio, Tulsa
* Circle Theater, Tulsa
* Clinton-Hardy House, Tulsa
* Tulsa Convention Hall, Tulsa
* Cosden Building, Tulsa
* Creek Council Oak Tree, Tulsa
* Dawson School, Tulsa
* Carl K. Dresser House, Tulsa
* Eleventh Street Arkansas River Bridge, Tulsa
* Fort Arbuckle Site, Sand Springs
* Gillette Historic District, Tulsa
* Gillette-Tyrell Building, Tulsa (Later named the Pythian Building)
* Harwelden Mansion, Tulsa
* Haskell State School of Agriculture, Broken Arrow
* Holy Family Cathedral, Rectory, and School, Tulsa
* Hooper Brothers Coffee Company Building, Tulsa
* Robert Lawton Jones House, Tulsa
* Maple Ridge Historic Residential District, Tulsa
* Mayo Building, Tulsa
* Mayo Hotel, Tulsa
* Mayo Motor Inn
* James H. McBirney House, Tulsa
* McFarlin Building, Tulsa
* Robert M. McFarlin House, Tulsa
* B. W. McLean House and Office, Jenks
* Mincks-Adams Hotel, Tulsa
* Moore Manor, Tulsa
* Mount Zion Baptist Church, Tulsa
* North Cheyenne Historic District, Tulsa
* Oil Capital of the World Historic District
* Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Building, Tulsa
* Owen Park Historic District, Tulsa
* Page Memorial Library, Sand Springs
* Foster B. Parriott House, Tulsa
* Petroleum Building, Tulsa
* Philcade Building, Tulsa
* Phillips 66 Station 473, Tulsa
* Waite Phillips Mansion (now Philbrook Museum), Tulsa
* Philtower, Tulsa
* Pierce Block, Tulsa
* Public Service of Oklahoma Building, Tulsa
* Ranch Acres Historic Residential District, Tulsa
* Riverside Historic Residential District, Tulsa
* Riverside Studio, Tulsa
* Sand Springs Power Plant, Sand Springs
* Sinclair Service Station, Tulsa
* William G. Skelly House, Tulsa
* Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building, Tulsa
* St. John Vianney Training School for Girls, Tulsa
* Swan Lake Historic District, Tulsa
* Tracy Park Historic District
* Tribune Building, Tulsa
* Tulsa Fire Alarm Building, Tulsa
* Tulsa Municipal Building, Tulsa
* United States Post Office and Courthouse, Tulsa
* James Alexander Veasey House, Tulsa
* Vickery Phillips 66 Station, Tulsa
* Westhope, Tulsa
* White City Historic District, Tulsa
* Woodward Park and Gardens Historic District
* Yorktown Historic District, Tulsa