Skiatook (Skī·ǎ·tōōk or Skī·ǎ·tǒǒk versus Skī·tōōk or Skī·tǒǒk) is a city in Osage and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma located in the northeastern part of the state, approximately 20 miles north and west of Tulsa. Due to its location on the border between Osage County and Tulsa County, Skiatook has been referred to as "the Gateway to the Osage." The town includes the state highway junction of Oklahoma State Highway 11 and Oklahoma State Highway 20. The population was 8,450 at the 2020 census, an increase of 14.24 percent over the figure of 7,397 recorded in 2010.

History 19th century Battle of Chustenahlah

The Battle of Chustenahlah was fought just west of Skiatook, on December 26, 1861, during the American Civil War. The battle began when Confederate Col. James McIntosh ordered an attack on the Union aligned Creek Chief Opothleyahola's forces. Opothleyahola was travelling with about 1,700 Creek and Seminole refugees following his defeat at the Battle of Chusto-Talasah. After being defeated by the Confederate forces, many refugees were forced to abandoned their supplies as they fled to Kansas. A historical marker commemorates the battle.Anna Mae Henderson, "Skiatook," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed April 4, 2015.

Founding and origin of name

In 1880, a trading post was opened by William Charles Rogers on the south bank of Bird Creek, several miles north of present-day Skiatook. On March 12, 1880, a post office was established in Rogers former trading post under the name of ski-a-took, Cherokee nation. The word is Cherokee in origin, and means "Big-Indian-Me" or refers to something of large size. By order of the U.S. postal service, on April 11, 1892, the name officially became Skiatook. December 18, 1904, Rogers moved his store and the post office to present day Skiatook. After being elected the Cherokee Chair in 1904, Rogers remained in Skiatook until his death in 1917.

Hillside Mission School Built in 1886 and run by the Friends Society of Philadelphia 4 miles north of the main area of Skiatook to serve to convert local native groups. The mission school first started by Simon Abbot in 1880 and then run by John Murdok in 1882. Under Murdok, a church was added and expanded the dormitory wings of the school and the addition of a gymnasium. On the property is a ceremonial Cherokee burial site, though there has not been any account found of any abuses to the native students at the school. The school served both white students and native students, with the majority of the student base being of mixed raced native/white students who already spoke some English. Many children who attended the school parents were settlers just coming into the territory working on farms nearby the school. The school seemed to have ceased operations by 1920, an article in The Daily Oklahoman in 1957 published a story of ex-students who remarked on having attended the school as children

20th century

1904 plats were laid out for business to build on and soon many businesses opened including the town bank by William C Rogers under the name "Skiatook Bank" and then changed later to "First National Bank". Starting in 1911 expansions for the bank marked the moment of significance to its commercial contribution to Skiatook for the early 20th century. going from $5,000 in stock 1905 to $10,000 in 1911. By 1921 stock amassed to $25,000. In 1930 owner ship of the bank was taken over by Alex Fox who renamed it to "Exchange Bank of Skiatook". in 1950 the bank was relocated to a different building and the original space served different commercial business until it became permanently vacant.NPS Form 10-900 (National Register of Historic Places Registration Form) for First National Bank, Skiatook, Oklahoma. National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. (Jan 28, 2015). The original building as September 2025 remains lists as an official historical site by the Oklahoma Historical Society“Oklahoma National Register Book”. State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society. (September 8th, 2025)

In March 1905 the Midland Valley Railroad was built through the town and the settlement expanded to include parts of Osage County and the Osage Nation. The route no longer exists, but has been converted from rail into the 14.5 mile Osage Prairie Trail linking Skiatook with Tulsa to the south.

Skiatook's first newspaper, the Skiatook Sentinel, began publication in April 1905, however publication ceased in 1912, and was replaced by the Skiatook Journal, which now resides under the Tulsa World. Skiatook's first school was also founded in 1905 and elected its first school board in 1907. The school was located in a house on the southeast corner of 4th and Broadway.

After Oklahoma Statehood in 1907, construction began on permanent roads and bridges. The first church building constructed in Skiatook was the First Christian Church in 1907. Cement sidewalks were constructed between 1909 and 1910, and in 1912 Skiatook received water, sewer and electric light improvements. By 1920, the town's population had increased to around 2000. A road to Tulsa was paved in the early 1920s, and with good roads leading out in all directions, Skiatook became known as the "Gateway to all points North, South, East and West". In the 1930s, Skiatook began purchasing water from Lake Spavinaw. The completion of Skiatook Lake in 1984 gave Skiatook its own water source.

21st century In the 2000s, Skiatook commissioned a "Main Street Program" in order to revitalize its downtown area.

Geography Skiatook is located in the northeastern part of the state, approximately 20 miles northwest of Tulsa. Due to its location on the border between Osage County and Tulsa County, Skiatook has been referred to as "The Gateway to the Osage." The town includes the junction of Oklahoma State Highway 11 and Oklahoma State Highway 20. State Highways 20 and 11 intersect on the east side of Skiatook's downtown, and State Highway 20 connects Skiatook with U.S. 75. The Skiatook Central Retail Corridor is a five-mile segment of State Highway 20 that runs through the center of the community and directs thousands of visitors each year to the area's main destination, Skiatook Lake.

Skiatook Lake

Skiatook Dam and Lake was authorized for construction by the Flood Control Act approved October 23, 1962 (87th Congress). It is one of five projects in the Bird Creek Basin plan recommended to meet the comprehensive water resources needs of the area. The Damsite ("Damsite") is located on Hominy Creek about 5 miles (8 km) west of Skiatook in Osage County, Oklahoma. The project serves the purposes of flood control, water quality improvement, municipal and industrial water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife management. The total cost of the project was approximately $120 million. It was completed in 1984, and the lake elevated 714.0 feet (217.6 m) above sea level-has a surface area of about 10,500 acres (42 km2) and 160 miles (260 km) of shoreline. Approximately 8,000 acres around the lake are open for public hunting.

Historical local sources describe significant public debate prior to its construction. According to community accounts, the Osage Indian Tribe and local oil and gas producers raised concerns in the 1960s about the impact the lake would have on active leases and properties in the Hominy Creek floodplain. Another proposal was the Candy Creek Lake project and it was abandoned after tribal opposition, which cleared the way for Skiatook Lake to be complete. Construction continued through the 1970s, and the lake was finally filled and dedicated in October 1984.

Skiatook Lake today has eight public boat launching ramps, seven courtesy docks, three designated camping areas, two picnic areas, one group shelter, two public swimming beaches, and one public concession area. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a lake management office near the west end of the dam.

The Skiatook Lake Association was formed shortly after the lake's completion in 1985. Its primary focus has been to promote lake related activities and improve the lake and surrounding areas. The association hosts an annual Fourth of July celebration, which draws several thousand visitors to the area.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Skiatook had a population of 8,450. The median age was 36.4 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.0 males age 18 and over.

85.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,117 households in Skiatook, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.2% were married-couple households, 16.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,358 housing units, of which 7.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.6% were owner-occupied and 33.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Percent White 69.5% Black or African American 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 15.3% Asian 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.1% Some other race 1.7% Two or more races 12.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 4.4%

2010 census

In the 2010 census, there were 7,397 people, 2,796 households, and 1,989 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,125 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 73.3% White, 0.6% African American, 17.7% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 8.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 2,796 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,617, and the median income for a family was $52,072. Males had a median income of $30,873 versus $21,419 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,943. About 9.4% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over. Government

Skiatook has a city government with a 7-member city council and a city manager. The city operates under the council-manager form of government, in which the elected council sets policy and the city manager oversees daily operations. The current mayor is Cody Fuentes (term ends April 2027) and the current vice-mayor is Scott Neighbors (2027). Other City Council Members include: Ryan Alonso (2027), Jim Bradshaw (2027), Matt Bragg (2029), and Jerald Freeman (2027), with seat 1 open for election in 2027. The city manager is Brad White, since 2021.

City Administrative offcies are located at 110 North Broadway, Skiatook, Oklahoma 74070, with the mailing address P.O. Box 399, Skiatook, Oklahoma 74070, and a main contact number of 918-396-2797.