Jay, Oklahoma
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Jay census division. It lies in ZIP code area 74346. The Survey maps it on the Jay quadrangle. 2,425 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,043 feet above sea level.
On record in Jay
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 2 records
- Delaware School, District No. 64listed 2023
- Polson Cemeterylisted 1977
Population over time
2 figuresJay fell from 2,448 to 2,425 between 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,448 | |
| 2020 | 2,425 | -23 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 19 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.
- 1899 USGS Siloam Springs quadrangle1:125000
- 1903 USGS Siloam Springs quadrangle1:125000
- 1904 USGS Siloam Springs quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1954 USGS Tulsa quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Tulsa quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1963 USGS Tulsa quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Jay quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1979 USGS Fayetteville quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
610 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 610 fires within 5 miles of Jay between 1992 and 2020, burning about 12,085 acres in total. 16 started naturally. 244 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 | 244 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 176 |
| Debris and open burning | 100 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 33 |
| Natural | 16 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 15 |
| Smoking | 11 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 9 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2004 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 30519 |
| 9 September 2001 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 8 September 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 7 September 2001 | Arson/incendiarism | 20 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 5 September 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 3 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 29 September 1994 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 23 September 2007 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 30497 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 100 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Jay in 100 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 57 hail, 31 thunderstorm wind, 9 flash flood, 3 tornado. The reports record 1 death. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2008 | Flash Flood | Jay | 1 killed | Runoff from locally heavy rainfall resulted in the flooding of several low water crossings to the east and north of Jay. A man was drowned when he tried to drive through flood waters flowing through one of these low water crossings. |
| May 2019 | Tornado (EF2) | Jay | $500,000 | This is the first segment of a two-segment tornado. The tornado developed on the west side of Jay and moved northeast severely damaging two homes and snapping numerous trees and power poles near Highway 59. The tornado continued northeast, destroying two mobile homes and snapping trees and power poles near the intersection of the E 380 Road and S 630 Road. It then moved northeast across heavily wooded terrain, crossed the E 340 Road, and then the E 290 Road. Trees were uprooted, large tree limbs were snapped, power poles were blown down, and outbuildings were damaged by the tornado throughout this wide and lengthy portion of the path. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 110 to 120 mph. It was observed by multiple people and produced a radar-detected debris signature. The tornado continued into McDonald County, Missouri. |
| April 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Jay | $100,000 | This tornado developed along the E 380 Road, west of Highway 59, where trees were uprooted and large tree limbs were snapped. The tornado moved east-southeast. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped, several homes were damaged, and several outbuildings were destroyed when it moved across Highway 59, through the S 640 Road. The tornado turned to the southeast after moving through Yellow Bird Hollow, and uprooted trees and snapped large tree limbs along the E 390 Road and S 670 Road. It dissipated east of the S 680 Road. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 95 to 100 mph. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Jay | $75,000 | A business and several homes were flooded in Jay. Portions of Highway 59 were flooded and closed. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Jay | $30,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles, homes, and businesses. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Jay | $30,000 | Tennis ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Jay | $25,000 | Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| March 2006 | Hail | Jay | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated in excess of 70 miles an hour downed numerous trees and damaged a few buildings. Some of the trees blocked roads. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $15,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs and damaged roofs. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Jay | $15,000 | Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged the roofs of homes and snapped large tree limbs. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged a baseball field and buildings in town. |
| February 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a mobile home. |
| March 2020 | Hail | Jay | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down numerous large tree limbs onto power lines. |
| January 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour damaged a carport and a roof of a home. The wind also blew down numerous large tree limbs. |
| January 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a tree and some power lines. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew tree down onto State Highway 28. |
| March 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | $100 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Tornado (EFU) | Jay | - | A brief tornado was witnessed over open country. No known damage occurred with the tornado, thus the EF-unknown rating. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Jay | - | Numerous county roads and low water crossings were under water. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Jay | - | Heavy rain caused the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 28 to be closed due to high water. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down a large tree limb. The tree limb block a highway. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees near Lake Eucha. |
| June 2005 | Flash Flood | Jay | - | Spavinaw Creek flooded adjacent roads. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down. |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Jay | - | Heavy thunderstorm rains caused two feet of water to flow over Highway 59. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 milesn an hour blew a few trees down. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees. |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Jay | - | Heavy rains from thunderstorms caused water to flow over Highway 59 north of Jay. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | Severe thunderstorms moved across northeast Oklahoma during the evening of June 29th and produced damaging winds. Strong thunderstorm winds downed 9 large trees at Bears Den Resort 5 miles northwest of Grove, and 2 cars were damaged by a fallen tree at the resort. In addition, 3 boats were damaged and 2 boats were unmoored from the dock at the resort. Power lines were blown down in Chelsea, and trees were blown down in Cleveland, 1 mile south of Bristow, and in Wagoner. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by 70 mile an hour winds in Shidler, and large tree limbs were blown down near Sapulpa, in Westport, at Tulsa Country Club 3 miles northwest of Tulsa, 9 miles north of Vinita, and in Chouteau. Trees and tree limbs were blown down by 73 mile an hour winds 6 miles northwest of Jay and by 60 mile an hour winds in Sand Springs. Thunderstorm winds gusted up to 80 miles an hour at Hulah Dam 4 miles northeast of Bowring, to 60 to 70 miles an hour in Lenapah, and to 60 to 65 miles an hour at several other locations in northeast Oklahoma. |
| March 1997 | Hail | Jay | - | A severe thunderstorm moved across Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers, Mayes, and Delaware Counties of northeast Oklahoma during the evening of March 27th. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 65 miles an hour at the intersection of Interstate 44 and 129th East Avenue in the city of Tulsa and to 60 miles an hour in Bristow, but large hail was the main feature with this storm. Hail ranging from dime size to 3.75 inches in diameter fell across the city of Tulsa, and hail up to golfball size fell at Kellyville, 2 miles southwest of Catoosa, and at Catoosa. Golfball size hail also fell 3 miles west of Jenks, 2 miles northwest of Jenks, 2 miles west of Jenks, 6 miles west of Inola, and 7 miles east southeast of Catoosa. Hail up to half dollar size covered the ground in Pryor, and half dollar size hail also fell 9 miles west of Jay. Nickel to quarter size hail fell at several other locations in northeast Oklahoma. |
| November 1995 | Hail | Jay | - | ,,,,,,,,Hail (1.00) |
| November 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | ,,,,,,,,Hail (1.00) |
| May 2024 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| October 2022 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| May 2021 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| January 2008 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| February 2000 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| March 1999 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| December 1999 | Hail | Jay | - | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jay | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brush Creek | 0.7 miles | 19 | |
| Sycamore | 4.6 miles | 18 | |
| Oak Hill-Piney | 4.7 miles | 18 | |
| Eucha | 5.0 miles | 19 | |
| Zena | 6.0 miles | 19 | |
| Tagg Flats | 8.9 miles | 19 | |
| Chloeta | 9.2 miles | 19 | |
| Dennis | 9.4 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 Jay | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q733055 | 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 1094183. 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.
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.







