Stillwater

Around Stillwater

Photo: August Schwerdfeger · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Town and around · Oklahoma · 84k people

Stillwater

“Cowboy Country”

Cowboy spirit, small-town heart.

OSU OrangeBlack

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Welcome to Stillwater, where the orange runs deep and the lakes are just a short drive away. Whether you're here for the Cowboys or the quiet prairie, you'll find a friendly community ready to share a meal and a story.

Clubs for Stillwater

No clubs for Stillwater yet.

The room

One room for everyone around Stillwater. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

Ask the neighbours

All

A good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.

Coming up

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Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Stillwater. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

  • Boone Pickens Stadium Home of OSU Cowboys football, packed on game days.
  • Gallagher-Iba Arena Legendary for basketball and wrestling, known for its loud crowd.
  • National Wrestling Hall of Fame Celebrates the sport's history and champions.
  • Lake Carl Blackwell Popular for fishing, boating, and camping.
  • Lake McMurtry Offers hiking trails and quiet fishing spots.
  • Stillwater Main Street Brick streets and local shops, a classic downtown.
  • Outdoors Fishing at Lake Carl Blackwell
  • Outdoors Hiking and biking at Lake McMurtry
  • With kids Visiting the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • With kids Attending OSU football games
  • Evenings Bar hopping on Washington Street
  • Evenings Dancing at Tumbleweed Dance Hall
  • Locals love College game-day spots
  • Locals love Lake recreation spots

Through the year

  • OSU Cowboys football games fall Home games at Boone Pickens Stadium draw the whole town.
  • Payne County Free Fair September Carnival rides, livestock shows, and local food.
  • OSU Homecoming October Parade, pep rally, and football game – a huge tradition.
  • Cushing Oilfield Days summer Community celebration with a parade and street fair.
  • Stillwater Fourth of July Celebration July Fireworks and family activities at the lake.

Humid subtropical with hot summers and cold winters. Frequent severe weather in spring. Best: Spring and fall are the most pleasant, with mild temps and lower humidity.

Talk like a local

“Pokes”
Nickname for OSU Cowboys athletes and teams.
“The Strip”
The entertainment district on Washington Street near campus.
“Lake Carl”
Lake Carl Blackwell, the local lake.
“The Hall”
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Getaways

  • Oklahoma City Big-city attractions, museums, and dining.
  • Tulsa Art deco architecture, river parks, and the Gathering Place.
  • Ponca City Historic homes and the Marland Mansion.
  • Enid Railroad history and the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center.

Local flavour

Teams

  • Oklahoma State Cowboys NCAA Division I
  • Oklahoma State Cowgirls NCAA Division I

Also rooting for Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA), Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

Eat and drink

  • Chicken fried steak Classic Oklahoma comfort food, served with cream gravy across local diners.
  • Oklahoma-style BBQ Slow-smoked meats, often with a sweet-tangy sauce, popular at local smokehouses.
  • Onion burgers Though El Reno is famous, onion burgers are a regional staple found in nearby diners.
  • Fried pies Hand-held fruit pies sold at local bakeries and gas stations, a Southern Plains treat.

Where people go

  • College sports venues Boone Pickens Stadium, Gallagher-Iba Arena, and other OSU athletic facilities anchor the town.
  • Prairie lakes Lake McMurtry and Lake Carl Blackwell offer boating, fishing, and camping amid rolling hills.
  • Historic main streets Downtown Stillwater, Perry, and Cushing have preserved brick streets and old storefronts.
  • Rodeo arenas
  • National Wrestling Hall of Fame Located in Stillwater, celebrating the sport's history and OSU's legacy.

Heritage and traditions

Stillwater and its surrounding towns are proud of their cowboy heritage, the legacy of Oklahoma State University, and being the birthplace of Red Dirt music. The region also celebrates its oil boom history and the small-town traditions that have endured for generations.

This time of year in Stillwater

  • OSU Homecoming Fall Fall tradition with a parade, tailgates, and a football game.

Say it like a local: “Y'all” — A plural second-person pronoun.

Festivals

  • Perkins Peach Festival August Celebrates the peach harvest with peach cobbler, pie-eating contests, and a parade.
  • Red Dirt Music Festival Spring Showcases the region's signature Red Dirt sound with local and national acts.

Landmarks with a story

  • Cherokee Strip Museum (Perry) Interprets the 1893 Land Run and pioneer life in the Cherokee Strip.
  • Jim Thorpe Home (Yale) The preserved home of the legendary athlete, now a museum.
  • Old Central (Stillwater) The oldest building on the OSU campus, dating to 1894, now a museum.
  • Stillwater's Main Street Historic District A walkable downtown with early 20th-century architecture and local shops.

Food traditions

  • Peach cobbler at the Perkins Peach Festival A summer tradition where the small town celebrates its peach orchards with homemade cobbler.
  • OSU Homecoming barbecue tailgates During Homecoming week, families fire up smokers for classic Oklahoma-style BBQ, a beloved campus tradition.

Music and arts

  • Red Dirt music A genre born in Stillwater, blending country, folk, and rock, with a loyal local following.
  • Oklahoma State's art museums The OSU Museum of Art and the Gardiner Art Gallery showcase regional and national works.
  • Cowboy poetry Reflecting the ranching heritage, local gatherings often feature cowboy poetry and storytelling.

A little history

  • 1889 Stillwater founded during the Land Run of 1889
  • 1890 Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) established
  • 1893 Perry founded during the Cherokee Strip Land Run
  • 1912 Cushing becomes a major oil pipeline hub
  • 1970s Red Dirt music scene emerges in Stillwater

Rivalries

  • OSU vs OU (Bedlam Series) The biggest rivalry across all sports.
  • OSU vs Texas (football) A heated matchup in the Big 12.
  • Game day OSU football tailgating
  • Game day Wrestling matches at Gallagher-Iba Arena
  • Outdoors Attending a rodeo at the Payne County Expo Center
  • Outdoors Walking the OSU Botanical Garden
  • With kids Visiting the Jim Thorpe Museum in Yale
  • With kids Attending the Perkins Peach Festival

Locals speak with a mild Oklahoma drawl, often using Southern and Western expressions. The accent is not as thick as in deeper South states, but you'll hear 'y'all', 'fixin' to', and 'pop' for soda.

Only here

  • Stillwater is considered the 'Birthplace of Red Dirt Music'.
  • Cushing is nicknamed the 'Pipeline Crossroads of the World' due to its many oil pipelines.
  • Yale is the hometown of Jim Thorpe, one of the greatest athletes of all time.
  • The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is in Stillwater, a mecca for wrestling fans.
New here? A few tips
  • Learn to say 'Stillwater' with a soft 't' – it's 'STILL-wah-ter'.
  • Be tornado-aware in spring; know your safe spot and have a weather radio.
  • On OSU football home games, traffic around Boone Pickens Stadium is heavy – plan extra time.
  • Try an onion burger at a local drive-in – it's a regional specialty.
  • Get to know the Red Dirt music scene at small venues; it's a point of pride.

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Nearby

Every area
PerryOklahomaWhere the prairie still whispersPonca CityOklahomaBig skies, warm hearts, and a taste of the prairie.EnidOklahomaWhere the prairie meets the wheat.Oklahoma CityOklahomaWhere the plains meet the sky and the storms roll in.KingfisherOklahomaGolden wheat, blue skies, and open heartsShawneeOklahomaSmall-town heart, Oklahoma soul.TulsaOklahomaGreen Country's vibrant heartBartlesvilleOklahomaWhere the prairie meets the sky

Stillwater, OK. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.

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