Arkoma, Oklahoma
25 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1879 and the latest in 1987. It stands in the Arkoma census division. It lies in ZIP code area 74901. The Survey maps it on the South Fort Smith quadrangle. 1,806 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 522 feet above sea level.
On record in Arkoma
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Arkoma Schoollisted 1988
Population over time
3 figuresArkoma fell from 2,180 to 1,806 between 2000 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,180 | |
| 2010 | 1,989 | -191 (-9%) |
| 2020 | 1,806 | -183 (-9%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
13 surveys from 25 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1879 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:62500
- 1887 USGS Van Buren quadrangle1:62500
- 1890 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1943 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:125000
- 1946 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1947 USGS Van Buren quadrangle1:62500
- 1948 USGS South Fort Smith quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1951 USGS South Fort Smith quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1965 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1967 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1978 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1978 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1987 USGS South Fort Smith quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
12 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 12 fires within 5 miles of Arkoma between 1993 and 2020, burning about 274 acres in total. None started naturally. 5 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 9 July 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 March 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 15 March 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 16 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 13 March 2001 | Equipment and vehicle use | 29 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 10 March 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 27 February 2006 | Debris and open burning | 130 acres | Cherokee Nation Tribe | STATE 216 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
9 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Arkoma: 6 past producers, 3 producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Aggregate, Light Weight. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rescolite Company | Aggregate, Light Weight | Past Producer | ||
| Fort Smith Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| General Inn Quarry | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Jeffrey Sand Co | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Preston Quarry | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
52 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Arkoma in 52 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 27 thunderstorm wind, 17 hail, 5 flash flood, 2 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Hail | Arkoma | $50,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour blew out windows and damaged roofs. |
| April 2011 | Flash Flood | Arkoma | $25,000 | Homes and businesses were flooded. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $20,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted a tree onto a house. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Arkoma | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Tornado (EF0) | Arkoma | $10,000 | This is the first segment of a two-segment tornado. This tornado developed on the south side of Arkoma, where large tree limbs were snapped and the roofs of homes were damaged. The tornado quickly moved into Sebastian County, Arkansas. Based on the damage in Arkoma, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 75 to 85 mph. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $10,000 | Shingles were blown off roofs. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged homes and blew over a four wheeler. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $5,000 | Large trees and multiple power lines were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs and blew down power lines. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines and snapped large tree limbs. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs and blew down power lines. |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs. The falling tree limbs caused power outages. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a few large tree limbs. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | $100 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees. |
| May 2022 | Flood | Arkoma | - | The Poteau River near Panama rose above its flood stage of 29 feet at 3:45 pm CDT on May 5th. The river crested at 36.20 feet at 4:45 pm CDT on the 6th, resulting in moderate flooding. Agricultural land was flooded from near Panama to near Arkoma, and county roads were closed. The river fell below flood stage at 4:15 am CDT on the 8th. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Arkoma | - | Portions of Highway 9A were closed from Arkoma to the US-271 junction. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Arkoma | - | At least one home was evacuated due to rapidly rising water. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Large tree limbs were blown down by strong thunderstorm wind. |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several small trees. |
| May 2011 | Flash Flood | Arkoma | - | Locally heavy rainfall resulted in flooding of several county roads. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a tree. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a large tree. |
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Arkoma | - | Several Arkoma streets were flooded. |
| May 1999 | Flash Flood | Arkoma | - | There was street flooding in Arkoma. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | Severe thunderstorms developed in southeast Oklahoma during the evening of May 17th. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 miles an hour in Wilburton, two miles east of McCurtain, and in Arkoma. Strong thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs in Spiro, and dime-size hail fell at Haileyville. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2017 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| March 2015 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| March 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| March 2000 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
| November 1997 | Hail | Arkoma | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peno Corner | 2.3 miles | 25 | |
| Cedars | 5.6 miles | 25 | |
| Braden | 6.0 miles | 15 | |
| Cedar Knobb | 7.5 miles | 23 | |
| Pocola | 8.8 miles | 23 | |
| Murry Spur | 8.9 miles | 15 | |
| Fort Coffee | 9.2 miles | 15 | |
| Skullyville | 11.2 miles | 14 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Arkoma | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q673693 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1089693. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.












