Wister, Oklahoma
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1900 and the latest in 1989. It stands in the Wister census division. It lies in ZIP code area 74966. It stands on Mountain Creek. The Survey maps it on the Wister quadrangle. 1,031 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 486 feet above sea level.
Population over time
3 figuresWister grew from 1,002 to 1,031 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 | 1,002 | |
| 2010 | 1,102 | +100 (+10%) |
| 2020 | 1,031 | -71 (-6%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 17 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.
- 1900 USGS Winding Stair quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1909 USGS Winding Stair quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
- 1950 USGS Mcalester quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Heavener quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1962 USGS Mc Alester quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS McAlester quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Mc Alester quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1965 USGS McAlester quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS Wister quadrangle1:24000
- 1989 USGS Mena quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
107 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 107 fires within 5 miles of Wister between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,765 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 30 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 30 |
| Debris and open burning | 22 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
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 2013 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 7 September 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | 40 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 5 September 2002 | Smoking | 3.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 30 September 2006 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 20487 |
| 30 September 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 15 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 24 September 2004 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 20369 |
| 2 September 2002 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 18 September 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Wister: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Sandstone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 63 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wister in 63 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 29 hail, 25 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 flood. The reports record 3 injuries. 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 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Wister | 3 hurt, $40,000 | A tornado rolled a mobile home, injuring three people, damaged the roof of a permanent home, and snapped or uprooted numerous large trees. Maximum estimated wind in the tornado based on this damage was about 105 mph. A storm spotter witnessed this tornado. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Wister | $100,000 | Tennis ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| March 2000 | Hail | Wister | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Wister | $75,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| May 2022 | Hail | Wister | $50,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the roofs off of several outbuildings and also blew down several trees. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Wister | $20,000 | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a tree onto a vehicle. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Wister | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines. |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | $100 | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 61 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 66 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured thunderstorm wind gusts above 58 mph for more than 10 minutes. The highest gust during this period of time was measured at 63 mph. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 58 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Wister | - | Portions of Highway 270 between Wister and Heavener were closed due to flooding. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Wister | - | Portions of US 270 southeast of Wister were closed due to flooding. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Wister | - | Portions of US-270 between Wister Lake and Heavener remained closed due to continued flooding. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Wister | - | Highway 270 was closed south of the junction with Highway 271, between Wister and Heavener due to flooding of Wister Lake. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Wister | - | Lake Wister State Park was evacuated due to rising water. All roads around the park were closed. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Wister | - | US 270 was closed due to high water just south of the junction with US 271. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Wister | - | Highway 270 was closed south of the junction with Highway 271 between Wister and Heavener due to flooding at Wister lake. |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 63 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 58 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 73 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| December 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs northeast of town. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down small trees. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 64 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | The Oklahoma Mesonet station near Wister measured 73 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| April 2008 | Flash Flood | Wister | - | Heavy rain caused U.S. Highway 270 to be flooded between Wister and Heavener. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down large trees. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | A Oklahoma mesonet site measured a 60 miles an hour wind gust near Wister. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | A 73 miles an hour wind gust was recorded by an Oklahoma mesonet site. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs. |
| March 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs. |
| July 1995 | Hail | Wister | - | A severe thunderstorm produced dime-size hail at Wister. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| April 2020 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| February 2012 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| February 2012 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 2009 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| April 2009 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| December 2003 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | no account filed |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 2000 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Wister | - | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Wister | - | 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.
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 Wister | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1915380 | 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 1099932. 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.









