Community

Newkirk, Oklahoma is one of those small Oklahoma towns where everyone knows each other by name, people come together in times of need and in celebration, Main Street runs through the heart of town and stars light up the sky whenever Friday Night Lights aren't.

​A strong sense of community is felt deeply by all community members and business owners. With that sense of community comes a sense of belonging. This is your town, your home and your community. Further support Newkirk, Oklahoma and become a member of the Newkirk Chamber of Commerce where we are dedicated to protecting and promoting our business community!

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History of Newkirk

Newkirk, Oklahoma was platted by the U.S. Government as the county seat of “K” County as one of the seven counties in the Cherokee Outlet which was opened to homesteaders by a land run on September 16, 1893. The townsite was first named Lamoreaux after Silas W. Lamoreaux who was Commissioner of the General Land Office at the time. Unhappy with the name, one of the first acts by the citizens was to choose a different name.

For political reasons, on September 18, 1893, the citizens voted for the name Santa Fe to entice the railroad to build a depot here. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe tracks ran the length of the townsite on the east side. Two versions exist to explain why the name was once again changed. One version insists that the post office vetoed the name Santa Fe and the other suggests the railroad itself rejected the name.
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​The railroad still was influential in naming the community, however, because it had a cattle shipping point named Kirk on its line two miles north. On November 8, 1893 an election was held to change the name with Newkirk receiving three hundred ten votes.

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Living in Newkirk, Oklahoma

Full-Time Police Dept

Kay County Courthouse

Full-Time Fire Dept

Public Library

Low Property Tax

Low Crime Rate

Small Class Size

Low Cost of Living

Park and Recreation Areas

Golf Course

Senior Citizen Center

Well-Maintained Cemetery

Demographics

Newkirk, Oklahoma's estimated population is 2,195 according to the most recent United States census estimates and is the 138th largest city in Oklahoma based on official 2017 estimates from the US Census Bureau. The overall median age is 38.6 years, 37.9 years for males, and 39.6 years for females. For every 100 females there are 99.7 males.

​Based on data from the American Community Survey, in 2017 there were 1,067 households in the city, with an average size of 2.5 people per household. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%, with a median rent of $586/month. The median house has 5.4 rooms, and has a value of $72,000. The median income for households in Newkirk, Oklahoma is $37,500, while the mean household income is $47,683.

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Newkirk Historic District

Newkirk, Oklahoma's entire business district was placed on the National Register in 1984 as a historic district. Newkirk has one of the most intact streetscapes in Oklahoma. Many of the lovely, turn-of-the-century buildings are constructed of native limestone which was quarried just a few miles east of Newkirk, Oklahoma.

The predominant architecture of these buildings is known as Plains Romanesque. The later buildings constructed in the 1920s and 1930s are of brick with the architecture being Plains Commercial. As a result of Newkirk’s beautiful buildings, the community qualified in 1992 to become one of the first small towns in the Main Street program under the direction of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!