Idabel, Oklahoma

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title: "Idabel, Oklahoma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-oklahoma", "cities-in-mccurtain-county,-oklahoma", "county-seats-in-oklahoma", "populated-places-established-in-1902", "1902-establishments-in-indian-territory", "cities-in-the-ark-la-tex", "choctaw-nation-of-oklahoma"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idabel,_Oklahoma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Idabel, Oklahoma
native_name	cho
settlement_type	City
nickname	Dogwood Capital of Oklahoma
image_skyline	Idabel August 2018 08 (Idabel City Hall).jpg
image_caption	Idabel City Hall
image_map	OKMap-doton-Idabel.PNG
mapsize	250px
map_caption	Location in Oklahoma
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	United States
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Oklahoma
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	McCurtain
government_type	Mayor-council
leader_title	Mayor
unit_pref	Imperial
area_footnotes
area_total_sq_mi	16.75
area_land_sq_mi	16.63
area_water_sq_mi	0.12
area_total_km2	43.38
area_land_km2	43.08
area_water_km2	0.30
population_as_of	2020
population_footnotes
population_total	6961
population_density_sq_mi	418.51
population_density_km2	161.58
timezone	Central (CST)
utc_offset	-6
timezone_DST	CDT
utc_offset_DST	-5
elevation_footnotes
elevation_ft	463
coordinates
postal_code_type	ZIP Code
postal_code	74745
area_code	580
blank_name	FIPS code
blank_info	40-36750
blank1_name	GNIS feature ID
blank1_info	2410089
website
::

|image_skyline = Idabel August 2018 08 (Idabel City Hall).jpg |image_caption = Idabel City Hall |image_flag = |image_seal =

|image_map = OKMap-doton-Idabel.PNG |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location in Oklahoma

Idabel is a city in and the county seat of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,961 at the 2020 census. It is in Oklahoma's southeast corner, a tourist region known as Choctaw Country.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Another_view_of_downtown_Idabel,_OK_IMG_8501.JPG" caption="Part of downtown Idabel"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Idabel_August_2018_07_(Martha_A._Johnson_Idabel_Public_Library).jpg" caption="Martha A. Johnson Library in Idabel"] ::

Idabel was established in 1902 as a station by the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway. (This was later part of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, and the line is now operated by the Kiamichi Railroad).

The city was first named "Purnell", after Isaac Purnell, a railroad official. When postal officials rejected that designation, the name was changed to "Mitchell", honoring another railroad company officer. Postal officials rejected that name because another post office of the same name already existed elsewhere in the territory. They named the post office Bokhoma (a Choctaw word meaning Red River); it opened December 15, 1902.

Railroad officials then chose the name Idabel, a compound of the names of Isaac Purnell's two daughters, Ida and Bell. The post office was renamed as Idabel.

At the time of its founding, Idabel was located in Bok Tuklo County, a part of the Apukshunubbee District of the Choctaw Nation, within what was known as Indian Territory.

For the first four years, Idabel local government was conducted by the Choctaw tribe for its people. The federal government had legal jurisdiction in most matters over non-Choctaws. In 1906, the citizens elected their first mayor and established a mayor-council form of government.

At the time of statehood, November 16, 1907, the town was designated as the county seat of McCurtain County. A census in that year reported 726 residents. By 1910, the population had grown to 1,493. In 1920, there were 3,617 residents, but the number fell to 2,581 in 1930. Growth resumed by the end of the Great Depression in the late 1930s.

The death of Henry Lee Johnson in 1980 resulted in a riot in the town that resulted in two deaths.

Idabel residents elected their first African-American mayor in April 2019, mayor Craig Young.

2022 tornado

On November 4, 2022, Idabel was hit by a destructive EF4 tornado. The tornado warranted a tornado emergency and was at EF3 strength when it struck the city. It caused heavy damage, mainly to the southeast portion of the city.

Geography

Idabel is in southern McCurtain County, lying between the Little River and the Red River, about 21 mi west of the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line and 43 mi east of Hugo.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 16.8 sqmi, of which 0.1 sqmi, or 0.70%, are water. The Little River passes 2 mi north of the city, and the Red River is 9 mi to the south.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Idabel has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

|location = Idabel, Oklahoma (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1907–present) |single line = Y |collapsed = yes |Jan record high F = 87 |Feb record high F = 89 |Mar record high F = 94 |Apr record high F = 97 |May record high F = 99 |Jun record high F = 107 |Jul record high F = 111 |Aug record high F = 114 |Sep record high F = 109 |Oct record high F = 101 |Nov record high F = 89 |Dec record high F = 82 |year record high F = 114 |Jan high F = 54.4 |Feb high F = 58.9 |Mar high F = 67.3 |Apr high F = 74.9 |May high F = 81.8 |Jun high F = 89.1 |Jul high F = 93.5 |Aug high F = 93.6 |Sep high F = 87.1 |Oct high F = 77.1 |Nov high F = 65.4 |Dec high F = 56.7 |year high F = 75.0 |Jan mean F = 41.9 |Feb mean F = 46.3 |Mar mean F = 54.1 |Apr mean F = 61.4 |May mean F = 70.2 |Jun mean F = 77.5 |Jul mean F = 81.8 |Aug mean F = 81.3 |Sep mean F = 74.3 |Oct mean F = 63.1 |Nov mean F = 52.2 |Dec mean F = 44.4 |year mean F = 62.4 |Jan low F = 29.4 |Feb low F = 33.8 |Mar low F = 40.9 |Apr low F = 48.0 |May low F = 58.7 |Jun low F = 66.0 |Jul low F = 70.1 |Aug low F = 68.9 |Sep low F = 61.4 |Oct low F = 49.0 |Nov low F = 39.1 |Dec low F = 32.2 |year low F = 49.8 |Jan record low F = −6 |Feb record low F = -12 |Mar record low F = 9 |Apr record low F = 21 |May record low F = 31 |Jun record low F = 45 |Jul record low F = 45 |Aug record low F = 49 |Sep record low F = 36 |Oct record low F = 23 |Nov record low F = 11 |Dec record low F = -2 |year record low F = -12 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 3.77 |Feb precipitation inch = 4.09 |Mar precipitation inch = 5.02 |Apr precipitation inch = 5.37 |May precipitation inch = 6.35 |Jun precipitation inch = 4.12 |Jul precipitation inch = 3.61 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.03 |Sep precipitation inch = 4.31 |Oct precipitation inch = 5.18 |Nov precipitation inch = 4.68 |Dec precipitation inch = 4.98 |year precipitation inch = 54.51 |Jan snow inch = 0.6 |Feb snow inch = 0.9 |Mar snow inch = 0.2 |Apr snow inch = 0.0 |May snow inch = 0.0 |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 0.0 |Nov snow inch = 0.0 |Dec snow inch = 0.3 |year snow inch = 2.0 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 8.7 |Feb precipitation days = 8.5 |Mar precipitation days = 9.6 |Apr precipitation days = 8.5 |May precipitation days = 9.9 |Jun precipitation days = 7.5 |Jul precipitation days = 6.3 |Aug precipitation days = 6.6 |Sep precipitation days = 6.2 |Oct precipitation days = 8.0 |Nov precipitation days = 8.2 |Dec precipitation days = 9.3 |year precipitation days = 97.3 |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = 0.3 |Feb snow days = 0.5 |Mar snow days = 0.1 |Apr snow days = 0.0 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.0 |Nov snow days = 0.0 |Dec snow days = 0.1 |year snow days = 1.0 |source 1 = NOAA{{cite web | url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=shv | title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = August 21, 2021 | archive-date = June 27, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150627103535/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=shv | url-status = dead | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00344451&format=pdf | title = Station: Idabel, OK | work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020) | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = August 21, 2021}}

Demographics

|align=right |1910= 1493 |1920= 3067 |1930= 2581 |1940= 3689 |1950= 4671 |1960= 4967 |1970= 5946 |1980= 7622 |1990= 6957 |2000= 7658 |2010= 7010 |2020= 6961 |estyear=2021 |estimate=7004 |estref= |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Idabel had a population of 6,961, 2,721 households, and 1,790 families residing in the city. The median age was 35.1 years; 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.4 males age 18 and over.

79.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 20.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,721 households in Idabel, of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.4% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,128 housing units, of which 13.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 51.2% were owner-occupied and 48.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.1%.

::data[format=table title="Racial composition as of the 2020 census{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A36750&in=state%3A40|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=January 16, 2026|df=mdy}}"]

Race	Percent
White	46.4%
Black or African American	22.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native	10.9%
Asian	0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	1.8%
Some other race	5.6%
Two or more races	12.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	10.4%
::

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,658 people, 2,735 households, and 1,785 families residing in the city. The population density was 436.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,129 housing units at an average density of 196.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 56.99% White, 24.45% African American, 10.44% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.37% from other races, and 4.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.96% of the population.

There were 2,735 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% 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 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,496, and the median income for a family was $24,189. Males had a median income of $24,182 versus $16,958 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,241. About 28.7% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.5% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Idabel_August_2018_30_(Idabel_Chamber_of_Commerce_&Agriculture-_Frisco_Station).jpg" caption="Idabel train station aka Frisco Station"] ::

Idabel is served by US-259, US-70, SH-3, and SH-37.

McCurtain County Regional Airport (FAA ID: 4O4) is 2 mi northwest of Idabel, and features a 5002 by paved runway.

Commercial air transportation is available out of Texarkana Regional Airport, about 73 miles southeast.

Idabel has rail freight service through the Kiamichi Railroad.

Economy

Initially, timber was the basis for the local economy, but this was supplanted by cotton production after the nearby forests were cleared. One cotton gin operated in Idabel in 1904, but six were in business in 1930. However, the Great Depression, depleted soil and destructive pests essentially wiped out this industry around Idabel. Landowners converted their properties to pastures and expanded beef production. Chicken farms were also established in the area and marginal agricultural land was turned into pine plantations.

Parks, recreation and attractions

Parks actually within Idabel include Garvin City Park.

Little River National Wildlife Refuge is to the northeast; further to the northeast are Broken Bow Lake, Beavers Bend State Park, Hochatown State Park (now part of Beavers Bend), McCurtain County Game Reserve, and the Carson Creek Recreation Area. To the southeast is the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area.

The Museum of the Red River houses art as well as archaeology, including Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, the Oklahoma State Dinosaur.

The Barnes-Stevenson House is a 1912 restored Victorian house complete with period furnishings, and is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Other Idabel locales on the list include the Frisco Station, the Idabel Armory, the Rouleau Hotel, and the Spaulding-Olive House.

Education

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Former_State_Theater_in_Idabel,_OK_IMG_8500.JPG" caption="The former State Theater, across from the courthouse in Idabel, houses a law office, the Legal Arts Building."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Idabel_August_2018_27_(McCurtain_Daily_Gazette).jpg" caption="''McCurtain Daily Gazette'' office in Idabel"] ::

Public schools

Idabel Public Schools serves the community.

Idabel High School - Grades 9–12
Idabel Middle School - Grades 6–8
Central Elementary - Grades 3–5
Idabel Primary South - Grades 1–2 PRE-K–K
EvenStart - Ages 2–4
Southeast Elementary - pre-k–4–Adult Ed
Denison Elementary - Pre-Kindergarten - 8th

Advanced education

Kiamichi Technology Center
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, McCurtain County campus (formerly called the ET Dunlap Center)
Eastern Oklahoma State College

Notable people

Vice Admiral Phillip Balisle, United States Navy
Randall Burks, former professional football player
Ray Burris, professional baseball player
Hadley Caliman, jazz musician
Robert Evans, podcaster and journalist
Earl Grant, organist
Larzette Hale-Wilson, first Black woman in US to earn a PhD in accounting and the first Black female CPA in the state of Georgia.
Jeff Keith, lead singer for the rock band Tesla
Sunny Murray, jazz drummer, composer and band leader
Harold Stevenson, artist (1929–2018)
Countess Vaughn, actress

References

"2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Oklahoma". United States Census Bureau.
"P1. Race – Idabel city, Oklahoma: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau.
"U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
{{GNIS. 2410089
"Oklahoma 2018-2020 State Railroad Map". Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
"Kiamichi Railroad Company KRR #424". Union Pacific.
Coleman, Louis. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=ID002 "Idabel"], ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed September 3, 2015.
Morris, John W. ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma'' (Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1986), plate 38.
"Okla. Town Tense After Night of Rioting, Gunfire". [[The Washington Post]].
Wilson, Colleen. (2022-11-05). "Injuries, fatalities reported after tornado slams southeastern Oklahoma".
[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=154443&cityname=Idabel%2C+Oklahoma%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Idabel, Oklahoma]
(July 1, 2021). "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau.
(2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
(2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
(2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
"Idabel, Oklahoma". Google Maps.
"McCurtain County Regional Airport". AirNav.com.
"Texarkana Regional Airport to Idabel, Oklahoma". Google Maps.
"Oklahoma 2018-2020 State Railroad Map". Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
"Garvin City Park".
"Idabel, Oklahoma". Google Maps.
"Home Page". Museum of the Red River.
"Barnes-Stevenson House". TravelOK.com.
"Vice Adm. Phillip Balisle Takes Helm at NAVSEA". [[United States Navy]].
[http://bleacherreport.com/articles/209709-the-10-best-and-worst-one-game-careers-in-nfl-history The 10 Best and Worst One-Game Careers in NFL History], Bleacher Report. (accessed October 14, 2013)
[http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=3837#.UlwXh_Mo7Dc All About Jazz - Hadley Caliman]
[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tesla-mn0000029808 Tesla], Allmusic.com. (accessed October 13, 2013)
[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891153/ Countess Vaughn], Internet Movie Database. (accessed October 14, 2013)

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