Custer

Formed September 22, 1891 (11^th county)

Custer County (28,521), Arapaho (669), Weatherford (12,093)

The large red brick and masonry Neo-Classical courthouse sits at Broadway and B streets.  United States Highway 183 passes four blocks to the west.  The building looks out of place in this small community.  It was built in 1935 from the design of Forrest Butler.  It is the only permanent courthouse for the county since the September 22, 1891 county organization as the 11^th county.  Arapaho has always been the county seat.  The building was enlarged in 1985.  Custer County is named for General George A. Custer.  The county was originally part of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation.  Arapaho got its name from the Native American tribe. 

The area of the county is 987 square miles.  It is 22 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 33 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.9 persons per square mile making it 38 out of 77 in the state.  Custer County has 80.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses the southern part of the county coming from Caddo County on the east and going into Washita County to the southwest.  United States Highway 183 goes from Dewey County in the north into Washita County to the south.  The county is a flat rectangle.  Arapaho is in the southern half of the county.  Weatherford is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Arapaho is the county seat and Weatherford is the largest city.  Arapaho is 2.4% of the county population while Weatherford is 42.4% of the county population. 

Custer County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Custer, Beckham, Ellis, Roger Mills and Washita counties and a court clerk serves Custer County (judicial.)  Custer County is west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma.  The county center is 8.2 miles North-Northeast of Arapaho nearer Custer City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Dewey, Blaine, Caddo, Washita, Beckham, and Roger Mills counties.  The county seat is pronounced A-RAP-A-HOE.

Hammon