McCurtain

Formed November 16, 1907 (55^th county)

McCurtain County (30,809), Idabel (6,967)

The Modern McCurtain County courthouse was built in 1964.  The building is located at Central and 1^st streets.  United States Highway 70 Business is one block west.  Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates designed this red/tan brick structure.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  A 1920 courthouse also was located in Idabel, the only county seat.  McCurtain County was formed on November 16, 1907 from the Choctaw Nation as the 55^th county.  McCurtain County was named for a prominent Choctaw family who provided many chiefs to the Choctaw Nation.  Idabel was named for two daughters of a railroad commissioner, Ida and Belle Purnell. 

McCurtain County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Six District Court Judges serve McCurtain, Choctaw, and Pushmataha counties.  The county is located in the furthest southeast corner of the state on the border with both Arkansas and Texas.  The Red River comprises the southern border with Texas.  The county center is 20 miles North of Idabel nearer Glover.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Le Flore County and Arkansas and Texas and Choctaw and Pushmataha counties. 

The area of the county is 1852 square miles.  It is 3 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 31 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 16.6 persons per square mile making it 49 out of 77 in the state.  McCurtain County has 43.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 70 crosses east to west from Arkansas to Choctaw County.  United States Highway 259 enters from Le Flore County in the north and exits south into Texas.  The county is a fat J with the southern border wandering further south from west to east.  Idabel is in the extreme south of the county approximately 9 miles north of the Red River.  Idabel is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 22.6% of the county population.