Why visit Wilburton
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 10 places to eat and 3 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Riddle's Station.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 30°F.
Weather in Wilburton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wilburton
Wilburton is a city in and the county seat of Latimer County, Oklahoma, United States. The city had a population of 2,285 as of the 2020 Census. Robbers Cave State Park is 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Wilburton.
From the Wikipedia article Wilburton, Oklahoma (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Riddle's Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Overland Mail stagecoach stop in Oklahoma
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes10
El Jimador Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican
102 East Main Street, Wilburton
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.5 mi
213 East Main Street, Wilburton
Mo-Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 10:00-15:00
Where to stay3
History
The community now known as Wilburton was originally established as a group of settlers living around Riddle's Station, a stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach along the trail from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Fort Worth, Texas. Riddle's Station was built in 1858 and the Overland Stage operated from 1857 to 1861. According to the Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture, it was likely named for Will Burton, a contractor and surveyor who was involved in platting the townsite and building the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company line from Wister to McAlester. According to Oklahoma Place Names, it was named after Elisha Wilbur, who was the president of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The post office was established at Wilburton, Indian Territory in 1891. At the time of its founding, the community was located in Sans Bois County, a part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation.
On 13 January 1926, ninety-one people were killed in a coal mine explosion in or near Wilburton.
A tornado struck Wilburton on May 5, 1960, and injured more than one hundred people and killed thirteen.
From the History section of Wilburton, Oklahoma on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship7
Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Rectory
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Wilburton Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.0 mi
121 Jensen Street, Wilburton
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Map of Wilburton
39 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 30°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 33°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 41°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 48°F | 5.0 in |
| May | 81°F | 59°F | 7.4 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 66°F | 5.5 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 70°F | 2.7 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 68°F | 3.2 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 62°F | 4.3 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 52°F | 4.7 in |
| Nov | 63°F | 40°F | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 54°F | 32°F | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wilburton 9 Ene (8 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
Latimer County has had 21 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)
- 2016-02-10: Severe Winter Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2015-05-26: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
McAlester Regional Airport (MLC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Hartshorne 16 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Krebs 24 mi west, about 38 min by car
- Stigler 26 mi northeast, about 42 min by car
- McAlester 27 mi west, about 43 min by car
- Eufaula 30 mi northwest, about 49 min by car
- Heavener 39 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Panama 40 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Checotah 41 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Spiro 44 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gore 44 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
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Rectory, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Riddle's Station Site, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rosenstein Building, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mitchell Hall, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS042-E-134183 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-6478 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS059-E-36469 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS031-E-118947 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-134182 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS031-E-118946 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS031-E-118948 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-6479 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-134184 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS031-E-118949 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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