Choctaw County, Oklahoma

Choctaw County, Oklahoma
Location in the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location in the U.S.
Founded	1907
Seat	Hugo
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	801 sq mi (2,074 km²) 774 sq mi (2,004 km²) 27 sq mi (69 km²), 3.34%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	15,342 20/sq mi (8/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Choctaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 15,342. Its county seat is Hugo^[1].

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 801 square miles (2,074.6 km²), of which 774 square miles (2,004.7 km²) is land and 27 square miles (69.9 km²) (3.34%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 70
• U.S. Highway 271
• State Highway 93
• Indian Nation Turnpike

Adjacent counties

• Pushmataha County (north)
• McCurtain County (east)
• Red River County, Texas (southeast)
• Lamar County, Texas (south)
• Bryan County (west)
• Atoka County (northwest)

Demographics

Map of Choctaw County, 1909

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 15,342 people, 6,220 households, and 4,285 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 7,539 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.55% White, 10.94% Black or African American, 14.96% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 4.90% from two or more races. 1.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 97.1% spoke English, 1.6% Spanish and 1.3% Choctaw as their first language.

There were 6,220 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.30% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.00% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.00 ma The median income for a household in the county was $22,743, and the median income for a family was $28,331. Males had a median income of $25,777 versus $18,805 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,296. About 20.40% of families and 24.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.50% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over....

Cities and towns

Boswell Fort Towson Hamden

Hugo Nelson Ringold

Rufe Sawyer Slim

Soper Spencerville Swink

Recent events

In October 2011 the U.S. Navy announced plans to honor Choctaw County with the naming of a ship. The upcoming vessel--a Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV)--will simultaneously honor the three American counties named Choctaw County, in Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. "I grew up in Choctaw County, Miss., where people work hard to raise their families and provide for their children," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in announcing the plan. "I chose to name JHSV after Choctaw County to honor those men and women who represent rural America." USNS Choctaw County will bear hull number JHSV-6. ^[3]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Choctaw County, Oklahoma

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Ronald O'Rourke, "Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress," pp. 5-6. October 7, 2011. Congressional Research Service. This report is quoting U.S. Department of Defense news release 859-11, "Navy Names New Joint High Speed Vessel," dated October 6, 2011, accessed on October 6, 2011 at http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14846.

External links

• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Choctaw County

Coordinates: 34°02′N 95°33′W / 34.03°N 95.55°W / 34.03; -95.55