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Kiowa County, Oklahoma facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Kiowa, Oklahoma.
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Kiowa County
U.S. county
Kiowa County Courthouse in Hobart
Kiowa County Courthouse in Hobart
Map of Oklahoma highlighting Kiowa County
Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Map of the United States highlighting Oklahoma
Oklahoma's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Oklahoma
Founded July 8, 1901
Seat Hobart
Largest city Hobart
Area
 • Total 1,031 sq mi (2,670 km2)
 • Land 1,015 sq mi (2,630 km2)
 • Water 15 sq mi (40 km2)  1.5%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 8,509
 • Density 9.3/sq mi (3.6/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Kiowa County is a county in the southwestern part of Oklahoma. In 2020, about 8,509 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Hobart. Kiowa County was created in 1901. It was named after the Kiowa people, a Native American tribe.

History of Kiowa County

How Kiowa County Started

In 1892, a group called the Jerome Commission started signing up members of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes. This was to prepare for opening their land to new settlers.

A lottery system was suggested to give out land. This was seen as a safer way than the "land runs" used before. People could sign up in towns like Lawton or El Reno. About 165,000 people signed up for 13,000 pieces of land, each 160 acres big. The drawing happened on August 6, 1901.

After this, the area became Kiowa County. The town of Hobart was chosen as the county seat. It was named after Vice President Garrett A. Hobart.

Plat book of Kiowa County, Oklahoma - containing maps of villages, cities and townships of the county and of the state, United States and world - also portraits of representative citizens, old LOC 2008622014-26
This map from 1913 shows land ownership in Kiowa County.

Changes to the County Borders

Around 1908, people in the southern part of Kiowa County wanted to form a new county. In 1910, parts of Kiowa and Comanche Counties were supposed to become a new county called Swanson County. However, this new county did not last long. In 1911, the Oklahoma Supreme Court said the change was not allowed. So, Swanson County stopped existing.

Geography of Kiowa County

Kiowa County covers about 1,031 square miles. Most of this area is land, about 1,015 square miles. The rest, about 15 square miles, is water. The county is mostly flat. However, the southern edge has the Washita Mountains.

Rivers and Lakes

The North Fork of the Red River forms the southern and western borders of the county. Important water bodies include Lake Altus-Lugert. This lake holds water from the North Fork of the Red River. Another important lake is Tom Steed Reservoir on Otter Creek. Other rivers in the county are the Washita River and Elk Creek.

Main Roads

  • US 62.svg U.S. Highway 62
  • US 183.svg U.S. Highway 183
  • Oklahoma State Highway 9.svg State Highway 9
  • Oklahoma State Highway 19.svg State Highway 19
  • Oklahoma State Highway 44.svg State Highway 44

Neighboring Counties

Kiowa County shares borders with these other counties:

Population of Kiowa County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1910 27,526 —
1920 23,094 −16.1%
1930 29,630 28.3%
1940 22,817 −23.0%
1950 18,926 −17.1%
1960 14,825 −21.7%
1970 12,532 −15.5%
1980 12,711 1.4%
1990 11,347 −10.7%
2000 10,227 −9.9%
2010 9,446 −7.6%
2020 8,509 −9.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010

In 2000, there were 10,227 people living in Kiowa County. The population density was about 10 people per square mile. The average age of people in the county was 41 years old. About 24% of the population was under 18 years old.

Towns and Communities

Cities

Towns

Other Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities or towns:

Famous People from Kiowa County

  • Tommy Franks (born 1945): A retired U.S. Army general. He led the U.S. Central Command during the Iraq War. He lives in Roosevelt, Oklahoma.
  • Dale Meinert (1933-2004): A great football player (linebacker) for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was born in Lone Wolf.
  • N. Scott Momaday (1934-2024): A writer who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for his book House Made of Dawn. He is from Mountain View.
  • Angela R. Riley: The chief justice of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation since 2010.
  • Col. Jack Treadwell (1919-1977): From Snyder, he served in World War II and received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
  • Lt. Gen. La Vern E. Weber (1923-2004): Born in Lone Wolf, he was the chief of the National Guard Bureau.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Kiowa (Oklahoma) para niños

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