Stilwell, Oklahoma

Stilwell, Cherokee Nation
ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ (Cherokee)
Defunct train station in Stilwell
Location within Adair County and the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°48′55″N 94°37′53″W / 35.81528°N 94.63139°W / 35.81528; -94.63139
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountyAdair
Incorporated1897
Named afterArthur Stilwell (Stilwell) / Strawberries (ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ)
Government
  TypeMayor and council
  MayorJean Ann Wright
Area
  Total
3.46 sq mi (8.95 km2)
  Land3.43 sq mi (8.89 km2)
  Water0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation
1,083 ft (330 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
3,700
  Density1,077.77/sq mi (416.12/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
74960
Area code(s)539/918
FIPS code40-70350
GNIS feature ID2411983
Per capita income$12,872 per year
Adult poverty rate37.2%
Child poverty rate49.0%
Websitecityofstilwell.com

Stilwell / ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ is a city located in the sovereign territory of the Cherokee Nation. It is also the county seat of Adair County, Oklahoma. The population was 3,700 as of the 2020 U.S. census, a decline of 6.7 percent from the 3,949 population recorded in 2010. The Oklahoma governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as the "Strawberry Capital of the World” in 1949, but the role of strawberries in the local economy has diminished significantly since then. Today, residents of Stilwell are among the poorest and most impoverished in the United States. Stilwell also serves as a gateway to Lake Tenkiller and Adair Park, formerly called Adair State Park before it was defunded.