Why visit Altus
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 49 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Heritage Park Theatre 7, Jackson County Courthouse and W.C. Baker House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 97°F; January lows average 25°F.
Weather in Altus
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Altus
Altus () is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,729 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Altus, Oklahoma (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks12
Jackson County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historical courthouse in Altus, Oklahoma, United States
W.C. Baker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic house in Oklahoma, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
H "Bill" Luderson Memorial Park
Park · 2.0 mi
Altus's Soccer Complex, also used locally by model airplane/drone enthusiasts. Paved Parking/Porta potties in NW corner
Linda Wiginton Aquatic Center
Sports field and stadium · 1.4 mi
121 North Park Avenue, Altus
12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes49
The 580 Bar and Grill
Restaurant · American, Grill · 1.6 mi
802 North Main Street, Altus
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-00:00
Las Catrinas Taqueria & Bar
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.5 mi
1419 North Main Street, Altus
11:00-23:00
Tacos Los Reyes
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.7 mi
501 East Broadway Street, Altus
Mo-Fr 11:00-20:00
Altus Donuts & Fried Rice
Restaurant · Donut, Rice · 1.4 mi
1215 East Broadway Street, Altus
Mo-Su 05:00-14:00
Joey Ice Cream
Ice cream · 1.8 mi
Locally owned and made ice cream. Hosts karaoke and live music performances throughout the week.
503 North Hudson Street, Altus
13:00-21:00
Club Altus
Restaurant · American, Pizza, Burger, Wings · 1.2 mi
37 more on the map.
History
The town that would later be named Altus was founded in 1886. The community was originally called "Frazer", a settlement of about 50 people on Bitter Creek that served as a trading post on the Great Western Cattle Trail. Cowboys driving herds northward often stopped to buy buttermilk from John McClearan. Thus, the town was known locally as "Buttermilk Station". The Frazer post office opened February 18, 1886. A flash flood nearly destroyed Frazer on June 4, 1891. The residents moved to higher ground 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of the original site. W. R. Baucum suggested renaming the town "Altus", a Latin word meaning "high". This name stuck, although the town was also known as "Leger" from July 10, 1901, to May 14, 1904.
The population doubled between the time of Oklahoma statehood and the 1910 census and even increased during the Great Depression. Although Altus had been designated as the Jackson county seat at the time of statehood, an election was held in 1908 to determine the permanent seat. The two towns contending were Altus and Olustee. Altus won by a vote of 2,077 to 1,365. The county courthouse was built there in 1910. An irrigation project in the 1940s and World War II led to further growth in the town as the nearby airfield was used to train military pilots.
From the History section of Altus, Oklahoma on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay17
Churches and places of worship30
Altus Reformed Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.6 mi
2515 North Main Street, Altus
Prince of Peace Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.5 mi
1500 Falcon Road, Altus
Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.1 mi
721 North Thomas Street, Altus
Shopping11
Fox Building Supply & Carpet
Hardware store · 1.3 mi
2401 East Broadway Street, Altus
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries23
Healthcare5
JCMH - Counseling Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
1200 East Tamarack Road, Atlus
Pickett's Clinic Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
205 South Park Lane, Altus
Map of Altus
179 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°F | 25°F | 1.1 in | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 58°F | 29°F | 1.1 in | 0.5 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 38°F | 1.7 in | 0.5 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 46°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 58°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 93°F | 68°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 97°F | 71°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 96°F | 70°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 62°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 48°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 37°F | 1.4 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 54°F | 28°F | 1.3 in | 1.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Altus Irig Rsch Stn Hcn (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Jackson County has had 25 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-14: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2021-02-24: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-17: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-12-21: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Altus Air Force Base (LTS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Blair 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Olustee 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Tipton 15 mi southeast, about 24 min by car
- East Duke 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Mangum 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Snyder 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Granite 21 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Eldorado 23 mi southwest, about 37 min by car
- Lawton 51 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Elk City 51 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Jackson courthouse, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Self-storage Altus OK, Lbeaumont, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dillon's auto repair shop, Altus, OK 2024-03-17, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Downtown Altus, Oklahoma, Mainstreetaltus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Elmer and Lela Garnett House, Crimsonedge34, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jackson County Memorial Hospital, Survival Flight, N561SF on the hospital helipad 2024-03-17, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hailstorm, NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), Public domain
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Snow Storm (Image 1 of 5), DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Snow Storm (Image 2 of 5), DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0
- Wichita Falls Northwestern Railroad Passenger Depot, Crimsonedge34, CC BY-SA 3.0
- STS122-E-12478 - View of Earth, NASA, Public domain
- ISS035-E-23695 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS035-E-23694 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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