Welcome to Atoka!

Mission Statement

To promote economic growth in Atoka County, OK. by focusing on development and promotion of businesses, and by improving the quality of life.

A Bit of Our History

Atoka started to be settled in the 1850’s by the re-located Choctaw Nation, after the signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. The city was named in honor of Captain Atoka Oshlatubee, who led his people across the Trail of Tears to the Atoka area. The name “Atoka” is derived from the Choctaw word hitoka (or hetoka), which means “ball ground” in English. Captain Atoka is believed to be buried near the town of Farris, Atoka County.

One of the first families to settle the Atoka area were Hugh C. and Eliza Juzan Flack. Eliza Flack operated Flack’s Stagestand on the Butterfield Overland stagecoach route to California. Mrs. Flack was a prominent member of her community, and helped Atoka continue to grow.

Baptist missionary, Reverend J.S. Murrow, established the Baptist Church, Atoka’s first post office, and was important to the development of Atoka. Atoka is the site of the oldest Catholic parish in the Indian Territory, the oldest chapter of the Freemasons in Oklahoma, and the oldest chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Oklahoma.

In 1872, the MKT Railroad laid tracks through Atoka County and by 1884, Atoka was described as the “metropolis of the Choctaw Nation.”

Atoka County hosts nearly 50 miles of the historic Jefferson Highway, and has the longest expanse of the JH that does not follow US 69. Travelers can follow the scenic route through parts of Atoka’s beautiful countryside as they follow the “Pine to Palm.”

Demographics

Atoka County has a population of 13,971 in 2021. Within a 45-minute radius of Atoka County there is a population of 201,307, as of 2021, and a labor force of 80,151. The Union Pacific Railroad also bisects the county seat. The City of Atoka operates a district airport with a 3,015-foot runway.

Milage in Distance