Kiowa County, Oklahoma

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Kiowa County is in the southwestern part of Oklahoma. Its county seat and largest city is Hobart. The county was created in 1901 and is named after the Kiowa people. It covers about 1,031 square miles, mostly land.

Geography and water: The southern and western borders are formed by the North Fork of the Red River. Nearby water features include Lake Altus-Lugert, Tom Steed Reservoir, the Washita River, and Elk Creek. The Washita Mountains lie along the southern edge.

Population and people: As of the 2020 census, Kiowa County had 8,509 residents. The median age is about 44 years. The population is mainly White, with Native American and other races also represented, and about 11% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. There are about 3,553 households, and roughly 70% of homes are owner-occupied.

History in brief: In 1892, the Jerome Commission began enrolling Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache people in preparation for opening the reservation to settlement. A land lottery was held on August 6, 1901. Hobart was named the county seat. In 1910–1911, an attempt to create a new Swanson County from parts of Kiowa and Comanche counties was voided by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Time and government: Kiowa County is in the Central Time Zone and is part of Oklahoma’s 3rd congressional district.