Kenton, Oklahoma Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kenton, Oklahoma
Census-designated place
Church in Kenton, April 2024
Location in Cimarron County and the state of Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Cimarron
Area
• Total	0.71 sq mi (1.85 km²)
• Land	0.71 sq mi (1.85 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	4,350 ft (1,326 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	31
• Density	43.36/sq mi (16.74/km²)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP codes	73946
Area code(s)	580
FIPS code	40-39400
GNIS feature ID	1094330

Kenton is a small community in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, in the United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's a special area counted by the census bureau. In 2020, only 31 people lived there.

Kenton is located in the Cimarron River valley. It sits just south of Black Mesa. This mesa is the highest point in Oklahoma. Kenton is a popular starting point for people who want to visit Black Mesa.

On the east side of Black Mesa, you can find real dinosaur tracks! These tracks are preserved in sandstone rocks near Carrizo Creek. Nearby, you'll also find Black Mesa State Park, which has Lake Carl Etling. The Preston Monument is about 10 miles away. This monument marks the spot where the states of Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma meet.

Kenton is also close to Carrizo Canyon in Colorado. This small canyon has juniper and cottonwood trees. You can see ancient American Indian petroglyphs (rock carvings) on its walls.

History of Kenton
- Time Zone in Kenton
- Kenton Museum
Geography and Climate
Population Information
Notable People
Images for kids
See also

History of Kenton

The town of Kenton started as a place called Carizzo. It was later named Florence. This original settlement was just across the border in New Mexico. Before Oklahoma became a state, Carizzo (and another place called Mineral) were important settlements in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

In 1893, a man named Fairchild B. Drew became the postmaster. He was a nephew of the famous showman P.T. Barnum. Mr. Drew moved the post office a bit east and changed the town's name to Kenton.

When Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907, Kenton was the temporary county seat for Cimarron County. The building known as "The Merc" served as the temporary courthouse. It held all the county records.

However, the citizens voted to move the county seat to Boise City on June 11, 1908. People in Kenton didn't want to give up the records. So, a group from Boise City took the documents before a 30-day waiting period ended. This event started a local story that Boise City "stole" the courthouse.

In its busiest times, Kenton had two car dealerships, a motel, a bank, and two general stores. Even today, the post office in Kenton is still open, despite past threats of closure.

Time Zone in Kenton

Kenton is unique because it's the only community in Oklahoma that uses Mountain Time. This is even though Oklahoma officially uses Central Time. Most people who visit or do business in Kenton are from New Mexico or Colorado. Both of those states use Mountain Time.

To avoid confusion, people in Kenton often add "Mountain Time" or "MT" when telling visitors the time. Business hours often end with "MT" or "MST" to make it clear.

Kenton Museum

The Kenton Museum in April 2024

Kenton has a museum called the Kenton Museum. It's located in an old house built in 1902 from local rock. The museum has many different items. These include artifacts that helped people settle the area known as "No Man's Land." You can also see old photos and antiques from that time.

Geography and Climate

Kenton is in the very northwest corner of Cimarron County. It's about 3 miles (5 km) east of the New Mexico state line. It's also about 6 miles (10 km) south of the Colorado state line. The town sits on the south side of the Cimarron River.

State Highway 325 runs through the community.

Kenton has a semi-arid climate. This means it has cool, dry winters. The summers are very hot and get more rain.

Population Information

In 2010, there were 17 people living in Kenton. These people lived in 9 households, and 6 of these were families. Everyone living there was White. About 11.8% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

In the households, 11.1% had children under 18. Most households (66.7%) were married couples. The average household had about 1.89 people.

The population had people of all ages. About 11.8% were under 18. The largest group, 41.2%, were 65 years old or older. The average age in Kenton was 58.8 years.

Notable People

Foy Vance is a popular singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland. He lived in Kenton for part of his childhood in the late 1970s. His father was a traveling preacher.