Editing Kay County, Oklahoma

{{short description|County in Oklahoma, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county             = Kay County
| state              = Oklahoma
| seal               = 
| founded year       = 1893
| founded date       = 
| seat wl            = Newkirk
| largest city wl    = Ponca City
| area_total_sq_mi   = 945
| area_land_sq_mi    = 920
| area_water_sq_mi   = 25
| area percentage    = 2.7%
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_total   = 43700
| census estimate yr = 
| pop                = 
| density_sq_mi      = auto
| time zone          = Central
| district           = 3rd
| footnotes          = 
| website            = https://www.courthouse.kay.ok.us/
| named for          = 
| ex image           = Kay County Oklahoma Courthouse by Smallchief.jpg
| ex image cap       = Kay County Courthouse in [[Newkirk, Oklahoma|Newkirk]] (2010)
}}

'''Kay County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Oklahoma]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 43,700.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Kay County, Oklahoma|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Kay_County,_Oklahoma?g=050XX00US40071|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 13, 2023}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Newkirk, Oklahoma|Newkirk]],<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> and the largest city is [[Ponca City, Oklahoma|Ponca City]].

Kay County comprises the Ponca City [[micropolitan statistical area]]. It is in north-central Oklahoma on the Kansas state line.

Before statehood, Kay County was formed from the "Cherokee Strip" or "[[Cherokee Outlet]]" and originally designated as county "K". Its name means simply that.<ref name="EOHC-KayCo">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=KA009 Linda D. Wilson, "KayCounty." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. ]</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n171 172]}}</ref> Kay County is the only county to keep its same name as the Oklahoma area moved from a territory to a state.

==History==
The remains of two large 18th-century villages, the [[Deer Creek/Bryson Paddock Sites]], of [[Wichita people|Wichita]] Native Americans have been found overlooking the [[Arkansas River]] in Kay County. The [[Osage Nation|Osage]] used Kay County for hunting in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1825, the Osage ceded to the U.S. government their rights to a large expanse of land, including Kay County, and the government gave the [[Cherokee]] ownership of the land after their migration to Oklahoma in the 1830s.<ref name="EOHC-KayCo"/>

After the Civil War, the Cherokee Nation was forced to allow the federal government to relocate other Native American tribes to settle in the area known as the Cherokee Outlet. The [[Kaw people|Kansa (Kaw)]] arrived in June 1873, settling in what became the northeastern part of Kay County. The Ponca followed in 1877. The [[Nez Perce people|Nez Perce]] came from the Pacific Northwest in 1879, but remained only until 1885, when they returned to their earlier homeland. Their assigned land in Oklahoma was then occupied by the [[Tonkawa]] and [[Lipan Apache people]]s. Most of Kay County became open to non-Native American settlement in 1893 with the [[Cherokee Strip Land Run]] in which thousands of people rushed into Kay County to claim free land.<ref name="EOHC-KayCo"/>

The [[Chilocco Indian Agricultural School]], north of Newkirk, was a boarding school for Indians that operated from 1884 to 1980. Its enrollment peaked at 1,300 in the 1950s and its graduates include members of 126 Indian tribes. The distinguished old buildings of the school were constructed of local limestone.<ref>Brumley, Kim. ''Chilocco: Memories of a Native American Boarding School.'' Fairfax, OK: Guardian Publishing Co., 2010, p. 37</ref>

In 2010, the [[Keystone Pipeline|Keystone-Cushing Pipeline]] (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Kay County to [[Cushing, Oklahoma|Cushing]] in [[Payne County, Oklahoma|Payne County]].

On September 17, 2024, the [[National Park Service]] announced that Kay County and Ponca City were jointly named a [[World War II Heritage City]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Park Service Announces New American World War II Heritage Cities - Sept 2024 - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-announces-new-american-world-war-ii-heritage-cities-sept-2024.htm |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Griffin |title=Ponca City Recognized As American World War II Heritage City |url=https://www.news9.com/story/66e9a58251ef992c9701acff/ponca-city-recognized-as-american-world-war-ii-heritage-city |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=www.news9.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{cvt|945|sqmi}}, of which  {{convert|25|sqmi}} (2.7%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_40.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 21, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> The highest point in Kay County, Oklahoma, is west of North Sage Lane (36′56″12°N, 96′53″40°W), at {{convert|1310|ft|m}} above sea level. The lowest point is {{convert|891|ft|m}} where the Arkansas River leaves the county.<ref>Google Earth</ref>

The northern boundary is the border with [[Kansas]] and its eastern boundary is with [[Osage County, Oklahoma|Osage County]].  [[Kaw Lake]], a large reservoir on the Arkansas River completed in 1975 includes most of the water area of the country. East of Kaw Lake and the Arkansas River is the region called the [[Osage Hills]] or ''The Osage'', a tall-grass prairie region of large livestock, mostly cattle, ranches. West of the Arkansas River the land is flatter and a mixture of cultivated lands and livestock ranches. Principal rivers flowing through the county are the [[Chikaskia River]], the Arkansas River and the [[Salt Fork of the Arkansas River]].<ref name="EOHC-KayCo"/>

===Major highways===
*[[Image:I-35 (OK).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 35 in Oklahoma|Interstate 35]]
*[[Image:US 60.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 60 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 60]]
*[[Image:US 77.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 77 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 77]]
*[[Image:US 177.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 177#Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 177]]
*[[Image:Oklahoma State Highway 11.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 11 (Oklahoma)|State Highway 11]]
*[[Image:Oklahoma State Highway 156.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 156 (Oklahoma)|State Highway 156]]

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Cowley County, Kansas]] (north)
*[[Garfield County, Oklahoma|Garfield County]] (southwest)
*[[Grant County, Oklahoma|Grant County]] (west)
*[[Noble County, Oklahoma|Noble County]] (south)
*[[Osage County, Oklahoma|Osage County]] (east)
*[[Sumner County, Kansas]] (north)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 22530
|1910= 26999
|1920= 34907
|1930= 50186
|1940= 47084
|1950= 48892
|1960= 51042
|1970= 48791
|1980= 49852
|1990= 48056
|2000= 48080
|2010= 46562
|2020= 43700 
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 21, 2015}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=February 21, 2015}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ok190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=February 21, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=February 21, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40/40071.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606154845/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40/40071.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 48,080 people, 19,157 households, and 13,141 families residing in the county.<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|52|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 21,804 housing units at an average density of {{convert|24|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 84.16% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 1.79% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 7.53% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.53% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.98% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.00% from two or more races; 4.25% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. In 2020, its population was 43,700.<ref name=":0" />

As of 2000, there were 19,157 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.40% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $30,762, and the median income for a family was $38,144. Males had a median income of $30,431 versus $19,617 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $16,643. About 12.40% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.70% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over. In 2021, its median household income was $50,391.<ref name=":0" />

==Life expectancy and health==
Of 3,142 counties in the United States in 2014, the [[Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation]] ranked Kay County 2,441 in the average life expectancy at birth of male residents and 2,650 in the life expectancy of female residents. Life expectancy in Kay county ranked in the bottom 20 percent of U.S. counties. Males in Kay County lived an average of 73.3 years and females lived an average of 78.0 years compared to the national average for life expectancy of 76.7 for males and 81.5 for females.<ref name="Choctaw County">{{cite web |title=County Profiles: Kay County, Oklahoma |url=http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/county_profiles/US/2015/County_Report_Kay_County_Oklahoma.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/county_profiles/US/2015/County_Report_Kay_County_Oklahoma.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live
 |website=Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=December 28, 2020}}</ref> In the 1980-2014 period, the average life expectancy in Kay County for females increased by 0.1 years while male longevity increased by 3.0 years compared to the national average for the same period of an increased life expectancy of 4.0 years for women and 6.7 years for men.<ref>{{cite web |title=US Health Map |url=https://vizhub.healthdata.org/subnational/usa |website=Institute of Health Metrics and Evaulation |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=December 28, 2020}}</ref>

In 2020, the [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] ranked Kay country as 47th of 77 counties in Oklahoma in "health outcomes," as measured by length and quality of life.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Oklahoma Report |url=https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/oklahoma/2020/rankings/seminole/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot |website=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |access-date=December 27, 2020}}</ref>

===Impact of Covid===
As of December 22, 2022, Oklahoma has been impacted more by the [[Covid pandemic]] (2020-?) than the average U.S. State. Statistics for the U.S. as a whole are 331 deaths per 100,000 population with 68 percent of the population fully vaccinated. The comparable statistics for Oklahoma are 405 deaths per 100,000 population with 59 percent of the population fully vaccinated. Kay County has been impacted more by Covid than the average county in Oklahoma. 238 Covid deaths have been recorded in Kay County. The Covid death rate was .00547 (547 deaths per 100,000 residents). Forty-five percent of Kay County residents are fully vaccinated.<ref name="Tracking Coronavirus">{{cite web |title=Tracking Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Latest Map and Case Count, December 22, 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html |website=New York Times |access-date=December 23, 2022}}</ref>

==Politics==

Kay County, like the rest of Oklahoma, is heavily Republican. Republicans have carried the county with a majority of the vote in all but one election since [[1948 United States presidential election|1948]], and have won greater than 70% of the county's vote in every election since 2004.

{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/20190115%20-%20Registration%20By%20County%20(vr2420).pdf|title=Oklahoma Registration Statistics by County|date=January 15, 2019|website=OK.gov|access-date=February 27, 2019|archive-date=July 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717212721/https://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/20190115%20-%20Registration%20By%20County%20(vr2420).pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party 
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | 5,491
| align = center | 21.81%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | 14,797
| align = center | 58.78%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Others
| align = center | 4,885
| align = center | 19.41%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | 25,173
! align = center | 100%
|}

{{PresHead|place=Kay County, Oklahoma|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|12,483|4,136|294|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|12,834|4,040|375|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|12,172|3,738|893|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|11,499|4,627|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|13,230|5,463|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|14,121|5,957|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|11,768|6,122|272|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|9,741|6,882|2,891|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|9,115|6,643|7,070|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|12,646|7,751|167|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|16,731|6,044|136|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|15,004|6,449|884|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|12,441|9,371|274|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|17,244|4,246|494|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|12,751|6,031|2,809|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|12,033|11,296|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|15,156|8,249|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|14,837|8,071|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|16,460|8,382|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|8,982|10,119|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|9,498|8,656|88|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|10,003|10,725|156|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|6,671|11,846|132|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|5,884|12,841|0|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|13,829|4,196|136|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|7,392|6,049|1,007|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|5,959|4,546|231|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,482|2,340|496|Oklahoma}}
{{PresRow|1912|Republican|2,508|2,380|379|Oklahoma}}
{{PresFoot|1908|Republican|2,754|2,511|145|Oklahoma}}

==Communities==
===Cities===
*[[Blackwell, Oklahoma|Blackwell]]
*[[Kaw City, Oklahoma|Kaw City]]
*[[Newkirk, Oklahoma|Newkirk]] (county seat)
*[[Ponca City, Oklahoma|Ponca City]] (largest city) (partially in Osage County)(best known as "Ponca")
*[[Tonkawa, Oklahoma|Tonkawa]]

===Towns===
*[[Braman, Oklahoma|Braman]]
*[[Kildare, Oklahoma|Kildare]]

===Census-designated places===
*[[Nardin, Oklahoma|Nardin]]
*[[Peckham, Oklahoma|Peckham]]
*[[Tonkawa Tribal Housing, Oklahoma|Tonkawa Tribal Housing]]
*[[White Eagle, Oklahoma|White Eagle]]

===Other unincorporated community===
*[[Chilocco, Oklahoma|Chilocco]]

==Notable people==
*[[Joseph James and Joseph James Jr.|Joseph James]], Mixed-blood [[Kaw people|Kaw]] native American, died in Kay County in 1898. 
*[[Les Layton]], baseball player.
*[[Jim Reese (Oklahoma politician)|Jim Reese]], former member of the [[Oklahoma House of Representatives]] and since 2011 the commissioner of the [[Oklahoma Department of Agriculture]], was born in Kay County c. 1957.
*E.W. Marland, 10th Governor of Oklahoma, U.S. Congressman, and Oil tycoon who gained and lost a fortune in the Oklahoma oil fields.
*The Miller Brothers - Joseph, George and Zack - who inherited the famous 101 Ranch from parents G.W. and Molly Miller, who encouraged their children to go big or go home. 
*Lew Wentz - oil tycoon and philanthropist

==See also==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Kay County, Oklahoma]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Kay County
|North     = [[Cowley County, Kansas]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = [[Osage County, Oklahoma|Osage County]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Noble County, Oklahoma|Noble County]]
|Southwest = [[Garfield County, Oklahoma|Garfield County]]
|West      = [[Grant County, Oklahoma|Grant County]]
|Northwest = 
}}

{{Kay County, Oklahoma}}
{{Oklahoma}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|36.81|-97.14|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-OK_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Kay County, Oklahoma| ]]
[[Category:1893 establishments in Oklahoma Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1893]]