Payne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, its population was 81,646. Its county seat is Stillwater. The county was created in 1890 as part of Oklahoma Territory and is named for Capt. David L. Payne, a leader of the "Boomers".

Payne County comprises the Stillwater, OK Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county lies northeast of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area although some consider it an extension of the Oklahoma City metro area due to commuter patterns and other indicators.

This county was established and named as the Sixth County by the Oklahoma Organic Act of 1890. It included land settled during the Land Run of 1889. The Organic Act settled a dispute between the towns of Stillwater and Perkins over which should be the county seat.

Eastern Oklahoma Railway built two lines in Payne County between 1900 and 1902, then immediately leased them to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The historic civil townships of the county were abolished by 1930. One north–south line ran between Pawnee, Stillwater, Ripley and Cushing before joining another north–south line that from Newark to Shawnee. Another line was built from Guthrie along the Cimarron River to Ripley. These lines were important in getting crops from farm to market.

In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed into Payne County.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 697 square miles (1,810 km), of which 685 square miles (1,770 km) is land and 12 square miles (31 km) (1.8%) is water.

Payne County is covered by rolling plains, mostly within the Sandstone Hills physiographic region, but with the western part of the county in the Red Bed plains. The county has two significant reservoirs: Lake McMurtry and Lake Carl Blackwell. The Cimarron River and Stillwater Creek drain most of the county.

• OSU-Stillwater Community Transit

• KSWO - Stillwater Regional Airport, Commercial service to Dallas via American Airlines
• KCUH - Cushing Municipal Airport

• Noble County (northwest)
• Pawnee County (northeast)
• Creek County (east)
• Lincoln County (south)
• Logan County (southwest)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	7,215		—
1900	20,909		189.8%
1910	23,735		13.5%
1920	30,180		27.2%
1930	36,905		22.3%
1940	36,057		−2.3%
1950	46,430		28.8%
1960	44,231		−4.7%
1970	50,654		14.5%
1980	62,435		23.3%
1990	61,507		−1.5%
2000	68,190		10.9%
2010	77,350		13.4%
2020	81,646		5.6%
2023 (est.)	83,352		2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

As of the census of 2000, there were 68,190 people, 26,680 households, and 15,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 inhabitants per square mile (38/km). There were 29,326 housing units at an average density of 43 units per square mile (17/km). The racial makeup of the county was 84.33% White, 3.63% Black or African American, 4.58% Native American, 3.00% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. 2.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Since the 2000 census, its population has increased to 81,646 at the 2020 census. As of 2022, it had an estimated population of 82,794; according to census estimates in 2021, its racial makeup was 76.1% non-Hispanic white, 3.9% African American, 5.7% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.0% multiracial, and 5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of 2000, there were 26,680 households, out of which 25.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.60% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.60% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county as of 2000, the population was spread out, with 19.60% under the age of 18, 25.90% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 17.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.60 males.

According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $28,733, and the median income for a family was $40,823. Males had a median income of $31,132 versus $21,113 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,983. About 10.80% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over. According to 2021 census estimates, its median household income was $43,686 with a poverty rate of 20.7%.

Payne County is very conservative for a county dominated by a college town. While many such counties swung hard to the Democrats in the 1990s, Payne County has gone Republican in every election since 1968 and all but twice since 1944. Since 1968, Southerners Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton are the only Democrats to cross the 40 percent mark.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	11,814	27.46%
	Republican	22,548	52.42%
	Others	8,655	20.12%
Total		43,017	100%

United States presidential election results for Payne County, Oklahoma

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	17,813	60.09%	10,904	36.78%	926	3.12%
2016	16,651	59.98%	8,788	31.66%	2,321	8.36%
2012	16,481	64.18%	9,198	35.82%	0	0.00%
2008	18,435	63.49%	10,601	36.51%	0	0.00%
2004	19,560	65.95%	10,101	34.05%	0	0.00%
2000	15,256	61.15%	9,319	37.36%	372	1.49%
1996	11,686	48.07%	9,985	41.08%	2,637	10.85%
1992	13,032	42.20%	9,886	32.01%	7,962	25.78%
1988	16,027	59.57%	10,568	39.28%	310	1.15%
1984	20,811	72.64%	7,653	26.71%	184	0.64%
1980	15,955	62.10%	7,466	29.06%	2,270	8.84%
1976	13,481	56.43%	9,987	41.81%	420	1.76%
1972	17,019	73.77%	5,644	24.46%	407	1.76%
1968	9,577	53.73%	5,772	32.38%	2,475	13.89%
1964	7,936	47.12%	8,906	52.88%	0	0.00%
1960	9,943	63.59%	5,694	36.41%	0	0.00%
1956	9,381	59.75%	6,320	40.25%	0	0.00%
1952	10,605	62.04%	6,490	37.96%	0	0.00%
1948	5,799	43.97%	7,390	56.03%	0	0.00%
1944	6,048	51.68%	5,624	48.06%	30	0.26%
1940	6,772	46.58%	7,704	52.99%	63	0.43%
1936	4,783	37.02%	8,081	62.54%	57	0.44%
1932	3,874	33.13%	7,819	66.87%	0	0.00%
1928	7,864	72.19%	2,904	26.66%	125	1.15%
1924	4,817	48.49%	4,342	43.71%	774	7.79%
1920	4,583	54.76%	3,238	38.69%	549	6.56%
1916	1,767	36.74%	2,140	44.50%	902	18.76%
1912	1,669	41.65%	1,534	38.28%	804	20.06%

Agriculture was the basis of the county economy for more than fifty years. The primary crops were cotton, corn and wheat.

World War II caused hundreds of students at Oklahoma A & M to leave school for military service. To offset this loss to the local economy, civic and college leaders lobbied military officials and Oklahoma Senator Mike Monroney to have the school designated as a war training center. This resulted in the establishment of twelve training programs for the Navy, with nearly 40,000 people. The wartime experience showed local political leaders that it would be essential to diversify the county's economic base. They formed an Industrial Foundation to attract manufacturing plants and industrial jobs. This effort succeeded and accelerated an increase in population.

Educational entities located in Payne County include:

• Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
• Oklahoma State University-Stillwater
• Northern Oklahoma College
• Meridian Technology Center

• Ingalls
• Mehan
• Quay (partly in Pawnee County)

• Oak Grove
• Vinco
• Yost Lake

The following sites in Payne County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

James E. Berry House, Stillwater Campus Fire Station, Stillwater Citizens Bank Building (Stillwater, Oklahoma), Stillwater Cottonwood Community Center, Stillwater Cushing American Legion Building, Cushing Cushing Armory, Cushing William Frick House, Stillwater Hoke Building, Stillwater Hopkins Sandstone House and Farmstead, Ripley Irvings Castle, Ingalls Josephine Reifsnyder Lustron House, Stillwater Magruder Plots, Stillwater Murphy House, Stillwater Oklahoma A & M College Agronomy Barn and Seed House, Stillwater Old Central, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Payne County Courthouse, Stillwater Perkins Downtown Historic District, Perkins Pleasant Valley School, Stillwater Selph Building, Stillwater Stillwater Santa Fe Depot, Stillwater Jim Thorpe House, Yale Walker Building, Stillwater

Other landmarks include:

• Allen Williamson Bridge - Memorial bridge near Ripley, named after the Oklahoma Representative Allen Williamson.

• Payne County Government's website
• Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory

36°05′N 96°58′W / 36.08°N 96.97°W / 36.08; -96.97