Crime Scene & Biohazard Cleanup Near Millers Stillwater, OK

Stillwater is the county seat of Payne County and was settled during Oklahoma's first land run, the opening of the Unassigned Lands on April 22, 1889.

Stillwater's name became official when its post office was established on May 28, 1889, and residents formed a city government on June 11, 1889.

Payne County is named for Capt. David L. Payne, the leader of the Boomers who pushed to open the Unassigned Lands to settlement in the 1880s.

In December 1890 the territorial legislature chose Stillwater as the site of Oklahoma's land-grant college, which opened as Oklahoma A&M College and was renamed Oklahoma State University in 1957.

Oklahoma State University is Stillwater's largest employer, and its main campus — with landmarks such as Theta Pond and the Edmon Low Library — defines the city's identity as a college town.

Stillwater's population was 48,394 at the 2020 census, up from 45,688 in 2010 and just 39,065 in 2000, growth driven largely by the university.

Stillwater has about 19,650 households according to Census Bureau figures for 2020–2024, with a small average household size of about 2.05 people that reflects its large student population.

Boomer Lake Park is Stillwater's largest park, built around Boomer Lake with a roughly 3-mile paved path circling the water.

Stillwater is also served by Lake Carl Blackwell, an Oklahoma State University recreation area about ten minutes west of town, and Lake McMurtry to the northwest, known for its mountain biking trails.

Eskimo Joe's, the restaurant and bar founded near the OSU campus on West Elm Avenue, grew from a college hangout into one of Oklahoma's most famous restaurant and apparel brands.