Tonkawa, Oklahoma
Tonkawa is a city of 3,014 people in Kay County, Oklahoma, founded in 1894.
Why visit Tonkawa
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails and 5 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Tonkawa Lodge No. 157 A.F. & A.M. and A. D. Buck Museum of Science and History.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Tonkawa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tonkawa
Tonkawa is a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 3,015 as of the 2020 United States census.
From the Wikipedia article Tonkawa, Oklahoma (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Tonkawa Lodge No. 157 A.F. & A.M.
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, United States
A. D. Buck Museum of Science and History
Museum · 1.3 mi
Museum in Tonkawa, Oklahoma
Pickens Museum
Museum · 1.1 mi
Art Museum in Oklahoma; Tonkawa, Oklahoma; Woolaroc
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes5
Churches and places of worship6
First Presbyterian Church of Tonkawa
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Church building in Oklahoma, United States of America
History
Named after the Tonkawa tribe, the city of Tonkawa was founded in March 1894 by Eli V. Blake and Wiley William Gregory. Blake and Gregory, originally from Kansas, claimed the land that would become Tonkawa in the Land Run of 1893. Prior to the land run, from 1879 to 1885, the area was known as "Fort Oakland", home to the Nez Perce people. In 1885, the remnants of the Tonkawa tribe, who had fled Indian Territory after the 1862 Tonkawa Massacre, returned to settle in the Fort Oakland area. The Blackwell and Southern Railway (later bought by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) built a line through Tonkawa, which stimulated growth of the town. In 1901, the Oklahoma Territory Legislature established the University Preparatory School (now Northern Oklahoma College) here. By statehood, the population was 1,238. The discovery of oil caused a boom in the 1920s, and the population was 3,311 in 1930.
From the History section of Tonkawa, Oklahoma on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Map of Tonkawa
30 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 23°F | 1.2 in | 2.0 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 27°F | 1.4 in | 1.7 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 36°F | 2.8 in | 1.4 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 45°F | 3.9 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 79°F | 56°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 66°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 70°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 68°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 59°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 47°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 35°F | 1.9 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 49°F | 26°F | 1.7 in | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Blackwell 4Sse Mesonet (7 mi away), rain and snow from Blackwell 1Ssw, 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
Kay County has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-04-30: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Tornado)
- 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
Blackwell Tonkawa Municipal Airport (BWL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Ponca City 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- McCord 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Newkirk 20 mi northeast, about 33 min by car
- Arkansas City 32 mi northeast, about 51 min by car
- North Enid 34 mi southwest, about 55 min by car
- Fairfax 34 mi east, about 55 min by car
- Enid 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Pawnee 36 mi southeast, about 58 min by car
- Stillwater 40 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Winfield 44 mi northeast, 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
- First Presbyterian Church of Tonkawa, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- Tonkawa Lodge No. 157 A.F. & A.M., Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.