Stilwell, Oklahoma

Stilwell, Cherokee Nation
ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ (Cherokee)
Defunct train station in Stilwell
Defunct train station in Stilwell
Location within Adair County and the state of Oklahoma
Location within Adair County and the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°48′55″N 94°37′53″W / 35.81528°N 94.63139°W / 35.81528; -94.63139
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountyAdair
Incorporated1897
Named forArthur Stilwell (Stilwell) / Strawberries (ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ)
Government
 • TypeMayor and council
 • MayorJean Ann Wright[citation needed]
Area
 • Total
3.46 sq mi (8.95 km2)
 • Land3.43 sq mi (8.89 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation1,083 ft (330 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
3,700
 • Density1,077.77/sq mi (416.12/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
74960
Area code(s)539/918
FIPS code40-70350[3]
GNIS feature ID2411983[2]
Per capita income$12,872 per year
Adult poverty rate37.2%
Child poverty rate49.0%
Websitecityofstilwell.com

Stilwell / ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ is a city located in the sovereign territory of the Cherokee Nation.[4] It is also the county seat of Adair County, Oklahoma.[5] The population was 3,700 as of the 2020 U.S. census, a decline of 6.7 percent from the 3,949 population recorded in 2010.[6] The Oklahoma governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as the "Strawberry Capital of the World” in 1949, but the role of strawberries in the local economy has diminished significantly since then.[7] Today, residents of Stilwell are among the poorest and most impoverished in the United States.[8][6] Stilwell also serves as a gateway to Lake Tenkiller and Adair Park, formerly called Adair State Park before it was defunded.[9]

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Stilwell, Oklahoma
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Cherokee Nation". SPTHB. April 10, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Jarvis, Jencee (May 26, 2022). "Small-town Strawberries". Oklahoma State University. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Barker, Betty Starr. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Stilwell." Retrieved September 10, 2010.[1] Archived 2010-05-01 at the Wayback Machine.