Tulsa (County)

Not to be confused with Tulsa (City)
Tulsa County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 United States Census|2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Oklahoma County, Oklahoma|Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, Oklahoma|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 area|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.Per capita income in Tulsa County highest in state | Tulsa World
==History==
The history of Tulsa County greatly overlaps the History of Tulsa|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 River|Arkansas and Verdigris River|Verdigris rivers. However, the government encouraged newer immigrants to move farther up the Arkansas. The Osage Nation|Osage tribe had agreed to leave the land near the Verdigris, but had not moved far and soon threatened the new Creek settlements.Carter, Sandi and Marlene Clark. "Old Fort Arbuckle." Accessed April 10, 2011.
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 (Arkansas River)|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 (military)|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."Gardner, James E. Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 11, No. 2. June, 1933. "One Hundred Years Ago in the Region of Tulsa."
According to Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the fort was about west of the present city of Sand Springs, Oklahoma.O"Dell, Larry. "Tulsa County," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 5, 2015. 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, Oklahoma|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.Civil War Academy.com Website. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
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, Oklahoma|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, Oklahoma|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 Blowout (well drilling)|gusher. The well was on the property of Sue A. Bland (née Davis), located near the community of Red Fork, Oklahoma|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.Clinton, Fred S. "First Oil and Gas Well in Tulsa County," Chronicles of Oklahoma, p. 312-332. Accessed April 5, 2015.
Other producing wells followed soon after. The next big strike in Tulsa County was in the vicinity of Glenn Pool.
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 by 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."Sketches for Court House and County Jail." The American Contractor. Accessed July 15, 2015.
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 Center (Tulsa)|Bank of America building, completed in 1967.
===1921 race riot===
In the early 20th century, Tulsa was home to the "Greenwood, Tulsa#Black Wall Street|Black Wall Street", one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States at the time. Located in the Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma|Greenwood neighborhood, it was the site of the Tulsa race massacre|Tulsa Race Massacre, said to be "the single worst incident of mass racial violence in the United States|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 . 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 United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (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	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures	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 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com 	Source: USTravelWeather.com
===Adjacent counties===
* Washington County, Oklahoma|Washington County (north)
* Rogers County, Oklahoma|Rogers County (northeast)
* Wagoner County, Oklahoma|Wagoner County (southeast)
* Okmulgee County, Oklahoma|Okmulgee County (south)
* Creek County, Oklahoma|Creek County (west)
* Pawnee County, Oklahoma|Pawnee County (northwest)
* Osage County, Oklahoma|Osage County (northwest)
===Major highways===
* Image:I-44 (OK).svg|20px Interstate 44 in Oklahoma|Interstate 44
* Image:I-244 (OK).svg|20px Interstate 244
* Image:I-444 (OK).svg|20px Interstate 444
* Image:US 64.svg|20px U.S. Route 64 in Oklahoma|U.S. Route 64
* Image:US 66 (historic).svg|20px U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma|U.S. Historic Route 66
* Image:US 75.svg|20px U.S. Route 75 in Oklahoma|U.S. Route 75
* Image:US 169.svg|20px U.S. Route 169#Oklahoma|U.S. Route 169
* Image:US 412.svg|20px U.S. Route 412#Oklahoma|U.S. Route 412
* Image:Creek Turnpike.svg|20px Creek Turnpike
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 11.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 11
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 12.svg|20px Former Oklahoma State Highway 12
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 20.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 20
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 51.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 51
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 67.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 67
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 97.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 97
* Image:Ellipse sign 97T.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 97T
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 117.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 117
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 151.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 151
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 266.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 266
* Image:Oklahoma State Highway 364.svg|20px Oklahoma State Highway 364
* Gilcrease Expressway
* L.L. Tisdale Parkway
==Demographics==
As of 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 people per square mile (409/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% Race (United States Census)|White, 10.7% Race (United States Census)|Black or Race (United States Census)|African American, 6.0% Race (United States Census)|Native American, 2.3% Race (United States Census)|Asian, 0.1% Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander, 5.8% from Race (United States Census)|other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. 11.0% of the population were Race (United States Census)|Hispanic or Race (United States Census)|Latino of any race (8.8% Mexican). 14.2% were of Germans|German, 12.3% Irish people|Irish, 8.8% English people|English, 8.5% American ethnicity|American, 2.3% French American|French, and 2.3% Scottish American|Scottish ancestries. 88.3% spoke English language|English, 8.1% Spanish language|Spanish, and 0.4% Vietnamese language|Vietnamese as their first language.American FactFinder – ResultsAmerican FactFinder – Results
There were 241,737 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were Marriage|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 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.
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.American FactFinder – Results 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.
==Politics==
Tulsa County is very conservative for an urban county; it has voted Republican at every election since Franklin Roosevelt’s landslide 1936 United States presidential election|in 1936.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 The county's Republican bent predates Oklahoma's swing toward the GOP. As a measure of how Republican the county is, Barry Goldwater won the county by 11 points even as Lyndon Johnson became the last Democrat to date to carry Oklahoma.
Only George H. W. Bush in 1992 has obtained less than a majority for the Republicans in the county since Roosevelt’s landslides, and then only because of Ross Perot’s strong candidacy – although neither Perot nor George Wallace in 1968 made as much impact here as both did in some other parts of Oklahoma. 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, alongside Oklahoma County, where Biden outperformed Southerner Jimmy Carter's margin as he narrowly lost the state in 1976.
The city of Tulsa proper is a swing city, after voting for Donald Trump in 2016 United States presidential election in Oklahoma|2016 by four points swung to a six-point Joe Biden win in 2020, and also backed Drew Edmondson for Governor in 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election|2018 by 13 points. The suburbs, 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 September 30, 2022	Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2022	Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2022	Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2022	Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2022	Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2022
Party 	Party 	Number of Voters 	Percentage 	 	
 	Republican 	183,111 	48.49% 	 	
 	Democratic 	117,864 	31.21% 	 	
 	Libertarian 	3,517 	0.93% 	 	
 	Unaffiliated 	73,161 	19.37% 	 	
Total 	Total 	377,653 	100% 	 	
==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|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 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 area that contains over of dirt trails available for hiking, trail running, mountain biking and horseback riding."About the Park." River Parks Authority. Retrieved November 30, 2014. 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.Tulsa Townies. "How it works." Retrieved November 30, 2014.
==Communities==
===Cities===
* Bixby (part)
* Broken Arrow (part)
* Collinsville
* Glenpool
* Jenks
* Owasso (part)
* Sand Springs (part)
* Sapulpa (part)
* Tulsa (county seat) (part)
===Towns===
* Liberty (part)
* Lotsee
* Skiatook (part)
* Sperry
===Census-designated places===
* Oakhurst, Oklahoma|Oakhurst
* Turley, Oklahoma|Turley
===Unincorporated communities===
* Berryhill, Oklahoma|Berryhill
* Garnett, Oklahoma|Garnett
* Leonard, Oklahoma|Leonard
* Lake, Oklahoma|Lake
* Mingo, Oklahoma|Mingo
===Former communities===
* Alsuma - Annexed by Tulsa in 1968.Alsuma website. Retrieved September 30, 2011"Alsuma: The Town That Disappeared From Southeast Tulsa." Arnett, David. GTR Newspapers. March 30, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
* Carbondale, Oklahoma|Carbondale - Annexed by Tulsa in 1928.Breed, David M., with early drafting and initial research by Kent Schell. "Appendix D: Early History of Southwest Tulsa" Southwest Tulsa Planning Team, Southwest Tulsa Historical Society and Tulsa Planning Department. p. 111. Accessed April 5, 2015.
* Dawson, Oklahoma|Dawson - Annexed by Tulsa in 1949.Tulsa City Council. A History of Tulsa Annexation. 2004. Accessed April 5, 2015.
* Keystone, Oklahoma - Submerged by Keystone Lake, whose construction began in 1958.
* North Tulsa - Annexed by Tulsa in 1904.Tulsa Preservation Commission. "Urban Development {1901–1945) Accessed May 5, 2011.>
* Prattville, Oklahoma|Prattville - Annexed by Sand Springs in 1965.Gregory, Carl N. "Sand Springs," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Accessed April 5, 2015.
* Red Fork, Oklahoma|Red Fork - Annexed by Tulsa in 1927.
* South Haven, Oklahoma|South Haven - Annexed by Tulsa in 1966.
==Education==
School districts include: - Text list
* 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
* Charles Page High School|Sand Springs Public Schools
* Skiatook Public Schools
* Sperry Public Schools
* Tulsa Public Schools
* Union Public Schools
* Keystone Public School (elementary only)
==NRHP sites==
The following sites in Tulsa County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
* 66 Motel, Tulsa
* Ambassador Hotel (Tulsa, Oklahoma)|Ambassador Hotel, Tulsa
* Bishop Kelley High School
* Boston Avenue Methodist Church|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 Ballroom|Cain's Dancing Academy, Tulsa
* The Church Studio, Tulsa
* Circle Theater (Tulsa, Oklahoma)|Circle Theater, Tulsa
* Clinton-Hardy House, Tulsa
* Brady Theater|Tulsa Convention Hall, Tulsa
* Cosden Building, Tulsa
* Creek Council Oak Tree, Tulsa
* Dawson School, Tulsa
* Carl K. Dresser House, Tulsa
* 11th Street Bridge (Tulsa)|Eleventh Street Arkansas River Bridge, Tulsa
* Fort Arbuckle Site (Sand Springs, Oklahoma)|Fort Arbuckle Site, Sand Springs
* Gillette (Tulsa)|Gillette Historic District, Tulsa
* Pythian Building|Gillette-Tyrell Building, Tulsa (Later named the Pythian Building)
* Harwelden Mansion, Tulsa
* Haskell State School of Agriculture, Broken Arrow
* Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa|Holy Family Cathedral, Rectory, and School, Tulsa
* Hooper Brothers Coffee Company Building, Tulsa
* Robert Lawton Jones House, Tulsa
* Maple Ridge (Tulsa)|Maple Ridge Historic Residential District, Tulsa
* Mayo Building (Tulsa, Oklahoma)|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)|Mount Zion Baptist Church, Tulsa
* North Cheyenne Historic District, Tulsa
* Oil Capital of the World#Oil Capital of the World Historic District|Oil Capital of the World Historic District
* Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Building, Tulsa
* Owen Park|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
* Philbrook Museum of Art|Waite Phillips Mansion (now Philbrook Museum), Tulsa
* Philtower, Tulsa
* Pierce Block, Tulsa
* Public Service of Oklahoma Building, Tulsa
* Ranch Acres Historic District (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, Oklahoma)|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 (Tulsa)|Swan Lake Historic District, Tulsa
* Tracy Park Historic District (Tulsa)|Tracy Park Historic District
* Tulsa Tribune#Tribune Building|Tribune Building, Tulsa
* Tulsa Fire Alarm Building, Tulsa
* Government of Tulsa, Oklahoma#City Hall|Tulsa Municipal Building, Tulsa
* United States Post Office and Courthouse (Tulsa, Oklahoma)|United States Post Office and Courthouse, Tulsa
* James Alexander Veasey House, Tulsa
* Vickery Phillips 66 Station, Tulsa
* Westhope, Tulsa
* White City (Tulsa)|White City Historic District, Tulsa
* Woodward Park (Tulsa)|Woodward Park and Gardens Historic District
* Yorktown (Tulsa)|Yorktown Historic District, Tulsa
==See also==
* Lasley Vore Site
* Yule marble
==References==
==External links==
* Tulsa County Government's website
* Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
Category:Tulsa County, Oklahoma| 
Category:1907 establishments in Oklahoma
Category:Populated places established in 1907
Category:Tulsa metropolitan area