Nescatunga, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nescatunga, Oklahoma
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 Nescatunga, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Alfalfa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.23 sq mi (0.58 km2) |
| • Land | 0.23 sq mi (0.58 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,145 ft (349 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 90 |
| • Density | 398.23/sq mi (154.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| FIPS code | 40-50975 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2629933 |
Nescatunga is a small community in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is not a city or town with its own government. Instead, it is called a census-designated place (CDP). This means the United States Census Bureau counts the people living there. Nescatunga is located right next to the Great Salt Plains State Park. In 2020, about 90 people lived in Nescatunga. This was more than the 70 people who lived there in 2010.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
How Nescatunga Got Its Name
Long ago, in 1811, an Osage Indian named Sans Orielle helped guide a group of explorers. Major George C. Sibley led this group from Fort Osage, Missouri. They traveled to the area we now call the Great Salt Plains in Alfalfa County. People believe Sibley's group was the first group of white men to see these amazing salt plains. Major Sibley called the area the "Grand Saline."
The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River flows through these plains. The Osage people knew this river as Nescatunga. This name means 'big salt water'. That is how the community of Nescatunga got its name!
Building the Great Salt Plains Reservoir
Nescatunga is very close to the Great Salt Plains Reservoir. This large body of water is on the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a dam and created this reservoir. The project started in the late 1930s and finished in July 1941. It cost about $4.6 million to build.
Where is Nescatunga?
Nescatunga is located in the eastern part of Alfalfa County, Oklahoma. It is near where the Great Salt Plains Lake flows into the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River. The community is right next to the Great Salt Plains State Park.
Oklahoma State Highway 38 goes right through the middle of Nescatunga. If you drive south on this highway, you will reach Jet. Jet is the closest town with its own government, about 10 miles away.
The area of Nescatunga that the United States Census Bureau counts is about 0.6 square kilometers. All of this area is land.
Who Lives in Nescatunga?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 90 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The number of people living in Nescatunga is counted every ten years. This count is called a census. In 2010, the census showed that 70 people lived in Nescatunga. By the 2020 census, the population had grown to 90 people.
See also
In Spanish: Nescatunga (Oklahoma) para niños
