Why visit Panama
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks and 1 park or trail in and around town.
Highlights include Shady Point School and Skullyville County Jail.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Panama
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Panama
Panama is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Panama had a population of 1,269.
From the Wikipedia article Panama, Oklahoma (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Shady Point School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
School building in Shady Point, Oklahoma
Skullyville County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
County jail in Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries8
History
A post office was established at Panama, Indian Territory on January 14, 1898. At the time of its founding, Panama was located in Skullyville County, part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation.
This town began as a coal mining community named Red Town because all of the miners' shacks were painted red. The origin of the town name of "Panama" is uncertain. Some historians claim that the name was inspired by the building of the Panama Canal. But since the town was already called Panama by 1898, the inspiration would have to have been based on the unsuccessful French effort at building the canal which started 1881 and ended in 1889, and not the successful American effort which did not start until 1904 and was not completed until 1914. In 1896 the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (trackage acquired by the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1900) built a north–south line through the region. The Midland Valley Railroad built an east–west line through the region in 1903–1904. The town of Panama moved to the crossing of the two railroads. The Panama post office first opened January 14, 1898, but the order was rescinded for some unknown reason on February 23, 1898. The post office reopened February 21, 1899.
From the History section of Panama, Oklahoma on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Panama
12 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°F | 27°F | 2.9 in | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 56°F | 32°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 39°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 47°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 59°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 68°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 70°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 93°F | 69°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 61°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 50°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 39°F | 4.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 53°F | 31°F | 3.8 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wister 3S (16 mi away), rain and snow from Spiro, 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
Le Flore County has had 24 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 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)
- 2019-06-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2019-05-25: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Robert S Kerr Airport (RKR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Arkoma 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Heavener 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Fort Smith 21 mi northeast, about 34 min by car
- Van Buren 26 mi northeast, about 42 min by car
- Gore 36 mi northwest, about 57 min by car
- Eufaula 52 mi west, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Checotah 53 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Tahlequah 54 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Norwood 54 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Muskogee 55 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 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
- Poteau River Panama Oklahoma, unknown NOAA employee, Public domain
- Skullyville County Jail, Front View, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
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