Stephens County, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephens County
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Patterson Hospital in Duncan (2014)
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Location within the U.S. state of Oklahoma
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 Oklahoma's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Oklahoma |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Named for | John Hall Stephens |
| Seat | Duncan |
| Largest city | Duncan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 891 sq mi (2,310 km2) |
| • Land | 870 sq mi (2,300 km2) |
| • Water | 21 sq mi (50 km2) 2.4%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 42,848 |
| • Density | 48.090/sq mi (18.568/km2) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Stephens County is a county in Oklahoma, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 42,848 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Duncan.
Stephens County was created when Oklahoma became a state in 1907. It was formed from parts of the Chickasaw Nation (which was Indian Territory) and Comanche County (which was Oklahoma Territory). The county is named after John Hall Stephens, a politician from Texas.
The area around Duncan, Oklahoma, including Stephens County, is known as the Duncan, OK micropolitan statistical area. This means it's a smaller city area with strong ties to nearby communities.
Contents
History of Stephens County
Stephens County was officially formed in 1907. This was the year Oklahoma became a state. About two-thirds of the county came from the Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation area. The western part came from Comanche County.
The town of Duncan was chosen as the county seat. This means it's where the main government offices are. At first, county offices were in rented buildings in Duncan. The first courthouse was built in 1921. A newer courthouse replaced it in 1967.
Oil and gas exploration started around 1910. The first successful oil well began producing in 1918. This led to many businesses supporting the oil industry. For example, Erle P. Halliburton started the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company in Duncan. This company grew into a very large international business. Today, it has offices in Dubai and Houston, Texas.
Geography of Stephens County
Stephens County covers about 891 square miles. About 21 square miles of this area is water. This is about 2.4% of the total area. The county is located in the Red Bed plains. This area is known for its reddish soil.
There isn't a huge river in the county. However, several creeks help drain the land. Wildhorse Creek flows into the Washita River in the east. Beaver Creek flows into the Red River in the west.
Lakes in Stephens County
Several lakes are found in Stephens County. These include:
- Lake Humphreys
- Clear Creek Lake
- Duncan Lake
- Comanche Lake
- Waurika Lake
Neighboring Counties
Stephens County shares borders with several other counties:
- Grady County (to the north)
- Garvin County (to the northeast)
- Carter County (to the southeast)
- Jefferson County (to the south)
- Cotton County (to the southwest)
- Comanche County (to the northwest)
People of Stephens County (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 22,252 | — | |
| 1920 | 24,692 | 11.0% | |
| 1930 | 33,069 | 33.9% | |
| 1940 | 31,090 | −6.0% | |
| 1950 | 34,071 | 9.6% | |
| 1960 | 37,990 | 11.5% | |
| 1970 | 35,902 | −5.5% | |
| 1980 | 43,419 | 20.9% | |
| 1990 | 42,299 | −2.6% | |
| 2000 | 43,182 | 2.1% | |
| 2010 | 45,048 | 4.3% | |
| 2020 | 42,848 | −4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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In 2000, about 43,182 people lived in Stephens County. There were 17,463 households. A household is a group of people living together. About 12,590 of these were families. The population density was about 19 people per square kilometer.
Most people in the county identified as White (88.37%). Other groups included Black or African American (2.20%), Native American (4.92%), and Asian (0.30%). About 3.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
In 2000, about 30.40% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (59.50%) were married couples. The average household had 2.44 people. The average family had 2.91 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 24.60% were under 18 years old. About 18.50% were 65 years or older. The average age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were about 93.70 males.
Communities in Stephens County
Stephens County has several towns and cities.
Cities
Towns
Census-designated places
Other Unincorporated Places
These are smaller communities without their own local government.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Stephens (Oklahoma) para niños
