Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the county seat of Payne County. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 48,394. The Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. Stillwater was part of the first Oklahoma Land Run held on April 22, 1889, when the Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and became the core of the new Oklahoma Territory. The city charter was adopted on August 24, 1889, and the city operates under a council-manager government system.
Stillwater has a diverse economy with a foundation in aerospace, agribusiness, biotechnology, optoelectronics, printing and publishing, and software and standard manufacturing. Stillwater is home to the main campus of Oklahoma State University (the city's largest employer) as well as Northern Oklahoma College – Stillwater, Meridian Technology Center, and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. The city is also home to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
History The north-central region of Oklahoma became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1832, author and traveler Washington Irving provided the first recorded description of the area around Stillwater in his book A Tour on the Prairies. He wrote of "a glorious prairie spreading out beneath the golden beams of an autumnal sun. The deep and frequent traces of buffalo, showed it to be a one of their favorite grazing grounds."
According to one legend, local Native American tribes—Ponca, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee—called the creek "Still Water" because the water was always still. A second legend states that cattlemen driving herds from Texas to railways back east always found water "still there". A third legend holds that David L. Payne walked up to Stillwater Creek and said, "This town should be named Still Water". Members of the board thought he was crazy, but the name stuck.
Stillwater Creek received its official name in 1884 when William L. Couch established his "boomer colony" on its banks. While the creek itself was tranquil, the next few years saw turmoil as pioneers sought free, fertile land and soldiers held them off while complicated legal issues and land titles with Creek and Seminole tribes were hashed out. On April 22, 1889, the cannons fired signaling the first Land Run that opened up the Unassigned Lands of the Oklahoma Territory, which included Stillwater. By the end of the day, had been claimed and designated as Stillwater Township and a tent city with a population numbering 300 had sprung up on the prairie. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture simply says that the name officially became Stillwater only when the post office opened on May 28, 1889.D. Earl Newsom, "Stillwater," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed March 13, 2015.
On Christmas Eve, 1890, the legislature of Oklahoma Territory passed a bill certifying Stillwater as the land grant college site. In 1894, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College held a dedication of its first brick building, Assembly Building, later known as Old Central.Newsom, p. 129 Between 1889 and statehood, Stillwater grew. By statehood in 1907, downtown Stillwater was home to more than 50 buildings including several banks, churches, grocery stores, hotels, and department stores.
The first newspaper was the Stillwater Gazette; telephone and gas service arrived in 1899; and the Eastern Oklahoma Railroad arrived in 1900.Newsom, p. 83
Around this time, direct descendants of Johann Sebastian Bach began to reside in Stillwater, through his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and his illegitimate grandchild.
The population in 1917 was 3,000 and by World War II it had grown to more than 10,000. During the war, town leaders' aim was to convert Oklahoma A&M into a war training center. They succeeded in creating 12 training units that involved bringing nearly 40,000 service men and women to Stillwater. The WAVES (Women's Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) was the largest with 10,000 participants. Quonset huts were dotted across town and barracks occupied the site where Stillwater Medical Center and the CareerTech headquarters are now. This vast operation tided the city through the war and served as a base for a healthy economy in the postwar period.Newsom, p. 162 In 1952, the Industrial Foundation was established and its trustees worked to bring new industry to town: Moore Plant in 1966, Swan Hose in 1968, Mercury Marine in 1973, National Standard plant in 1988, World Color Press in 1974 and Armstrong World Industries, Inc. in 1988. The census of 2000, the population was 39,065; however, the population was adjusted to 46,156 in 2009.Newsom, p. 192
Government
The City of Stillwater operates under a council–manager government system, in which an elected city council is responsible for making policy, passing ordinances and approving the city's budget. The council appoints a city manager who implements the policies adopted by the council.
The city council meets the first and third Monday of the month in the Council Room at the Stillwater Municipal Building, 723 S. Lewis.
Stillwater does not have city council districts; instead, it has general elections every year. The mayor and councilors are elected to three-year or four-year terms with at least one of the five seats up for election in April every year. Any person elected to the office of mayor or council member after January 1, 2017, is eligible to serve no more than 12 years on the council. Years served do not need to be consecutive. The vice mayor is elected by the council members and acts as mayor during mayor's absence.
, the city council consists of Mayor Will Joyce, Vice Mayor Alane Zannotti, and councilors Amy Dzialowski, Kevin Clark and Christie Hawkins.
The City of Stillwater employs approximately 500 people. The city encourages resident participation on the boards and committees, and applications are accepted year around. Commissions and authorities oversee city policies and services.
Stillwater's 2009 crime rate for serious crimes (UCR Part 1) was 3,657 per 100,000 residents compared to the 2009 national crime rate of 3,466 per crimes per 100,000 residents (FBI 2009 Crime in the United States). In 2009, Stillwater reported: 22 rapes, 15 robberies, 519 assaults, 308 burglaries, and 1,185 larcenies.
Stillwater is located in districts 33 and 34 of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives and is represented by Republican John Talley in the 33rd district and Democrat Trish Ranson in the 34th district; as of July 2022 In the Oklahoma State Senate, Stillwater is in the 21st district and is represented by Republican Tom Dugger.
In the United States House of Representatives, Stillwater is represented by Republican Frank Lucas, of the third district in Oklahoma. In the U.S. Senate, Stillwater is represented by Republicans James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin.
Geography Stillwater is located north-northeast of downtown Oklahoma City and directly west of downtown Tulsa by road. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.3 square miles (73.3 km), of which 27.9 square miles (72.1 km) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.2 km) (1.62%) is water.
Climate Stillwater has a humid subtropical climate, and is located in the area popularly known as "Tornado Alley". During peak storm season in the spring, tornado watches and warnings are frequent, with sirens sounding to warn townsfolk to hurry to shelters when necessary. Summers are sunny, hot, and humid, with the temperature reaching or exceeding 100 (38 °C) ten times annually on average. Winters are generally sunny, mild, and dry, with an average January high temperature of and an average annual snowfall of .
The highest recorded temperature was on August 11, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature was on February 10, 2011.
Neighborhoods
Downtown Downtown Stillwater is a business improvement district with Main Street as its primary thoroughfare. It is located between Duncan St. and Lowry St. from 4th Ave. to 15th Ave and includes roughly eleven blocks of businesses, storefronts, bars, and restaurants. Notable places near downtown include the Modella Art Gallery, the OSU Museum of Art, the Prairie Arts Center, the Stillwater Community Center, the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar, and the Stillwater Public Library.
OSU Campus
The Oklahoma State University campus sits just northwest of Downtown Stillwater. Notable landmarks include Boone Pickens Stadium, the Edmon Low Library, Theta Pond, the Oklahoma State Student Union, and Old Central, the oldest building on campus.
Campus Corner Campus Corner is a college-oriented shopping district on the Southeast corner of the OSU campus. The center of the district is the meeting point of S Knoblock St and W University Ave. It is similar to and modeled after Campus Corner on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma. The area is best known for its renowned restaurants and bars, including Eskimo Joe's, George's Stables, and the original location of Hideaway Pizza.
The Strip The Strip is an entertainment district on Washington St, just south of the OSU campus, running from W University Ave to W 6th Ave. It is known for its nightlife and is popular among local college students and alumni. The district has many restaurants, nightclubs, pool halls, and live music venues. Notable staples on the Strip include J.R. Murphy's, Coney Island Stillwater, and The Barn, a drive-thru liquor store. The career of Garth Brooks began on the Strip after he was discovered at the bar Willie's Saloon by Dallas entertainment attorney, Rod Phelps.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Stillwater city, Oklahoma – Racial and ethnic composition !Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) ! !2010 !2000 !1990 !1980 |- |White alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |69.3%(33,550) |77%(35,170) |81.3%(31,745) |86.5%(31,718) |89.4%(34,223) |- |Black alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |4.5%(2,155) |4.6%(2,104) |4.3%(1,666) |3.7%(1,346) |3.7%(1,404) |- |American Indian alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.6%(1,756) |3.8%(1,744) |3.8%(1,469) |3.4%(1,242) |2.5%(939) |- |Asian alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |5.2%(2,516) |5.5%(2,533) |5%(1,965) | |4.6%(1,688) | |2%(759) |- |Pacific Islander alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.1%(34) |0.1%(27) |0%(13) |- |Other race alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.4%(182) |0.1%(55) |0.1%(45) |0.1%(22) |0.2%(95) |- |Multiracial (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |9.5%(4,581) |4.6%(2,108) |3%(1,186) |— |— |- |Hispanic/Latino (any race) |style='background: #ffffe6; |7.5%(3,620) |4.3%(1,947) |2.5%(976) |1.8%(660) |2.2%(848)
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Stillwater had a population of 48,394. The median age was 24.4 years. 15.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.6 males age 18 and over.
99.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 18,477 households in Stillwater, of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 32.0% were married-couple households, 28.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.