Oologah, Oklahoma
Oologah is a town of 1,774 people in Rogers County, Oklahoma, founded in 1889.
Why visit Oologah
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails and 2 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Dog Iron Ranch.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Oologah
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Oologah
Oologah is a town in Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Oologah had a population of 1,305. Renowned humorist Will Rogers was born on a ranch two miles east of Oologah, although he usually claimed Claremore as his birthplace "because nobody but an Indian can pronounce 'Oologah.'" There has been disagreement about the town name's proper spelling. It was often spelled "Oolagah" before statehood, and this spelling appears on some old buildings.
From the Wikipedia article Oologah, Oklahoma (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Dog Iron Ranch
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Oklahoma, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes2
Shopping1
History
In 1889, the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway (later, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway and subsequently part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and now the Union Pacific Railroad) laid tracks through the area and established a townsite named Oologah, Indian Territory. Oologah was named for Oologah (Dark Cloud), a Cherokee chief. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture says that the Oklahoma Federal Writers' Project claimed the name means "red horse fish" in the Cherokee language, while other sources say it means "cloudy weather" or just "clouds". The post office opened on May 25, 1891.
Early in the 20th century, the town flourished because of agriculture, coal mining, and oil and gas production, but these were hard hit during the Great Depression. The town's population declined from 324 in 1910 to 236 in 1940. The population had recovered to 299 in 1960. Construction of Oologah dam and lake in 1963, east of town, revitalized the town, which continues to grow.
In 1963, the Army Corps of Engineers completed the first phase of Oologah Lake.
On April 26, 1991, a destructive F4 tornado destroyed Oologah's north side, including the town's school. The tornado occurred as part of a major tornado outbreak that spanned across a majority of the Great Plains that day.
From the History section of Oologah, Oklahoma on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Oologah
12 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 24°F | 1.8 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 28°F | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 61°F | 37°F | 3.6 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 46°F | 4.9 in |
| May | 78°F | 57°F | 6.1 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 66°F | 5.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 70°F | 4.5 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 68°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 60°F | 4.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 48°F | 3.9 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 37°F | 3.3 in |
| Dec | 50°F | 28°F | 2.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Claremore 2 Ene Hcn (11 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
Rogers 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)
- 2023-07-19: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2021-02-24: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-17: 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
Tulsa International Airport (TUL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Claremore 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Owasso 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Justice 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Chelsea 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Tulsa 24 mi southwest, about 39 min by car
- Bartlesville 24 mi northwest, about 39 min by car
- Chouteau 27 mi southeast, about 44 min by car
- Broken Arrow 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Sand Springs 31 mi southwest, about 50 min by car
- Jenks 34 mi southwest, about 55 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
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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
- Oologah Pump, Clancyp0563, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20150824-bank of Oologah-2, Clancyp0563, CC BY-SA 3.0
- I.W.W. Beck Building, Oologah, OK, OKJaguar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DogIronRanchHouse, David Stapleton ( Dsmdgold ), CC BY-SA 3.0
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