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McClain County
Quality of Living
McClain County is located in central Oklahoma, just minutes south of Norman and Oklahoma City. It is the 2nd fastest growing county in the Oklahoma City MSA.
Encompassing 580 square miles, McClain County is bordered on the north by Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties. The L-shaped county's entire northern line is formed by the Canadian River.
The largest city is Newcastle (pop. 10,425) and the community of Purcell (pop. 6508) serves as the county seat. Other communities include: Byars, Cole, Dibble, Goldsby, Rosedale, Washington and Wayne. The county population is 41,662. McClain County grew by nearly 21% from 2010 to 2020.
Business Advantages
Interstate 35 traverses McClain County and offers easy access and a convenient transportation corridor to the junction of I-40 and I-44, just to the north. McClain County offers a diverse mix of industry, including agribusiness, the equine industry, manufacturing and distribution and retail trade/tourism. Educational opportunities abound at the nearby University of Oklahoma campus and over a dozen colleges and universities that are within a 45 minute drive.
Mid-America Technology Center in Wayne provides the nation’s premier business and industry training program.
The county has many towns that provide a business friendly atmosphere designed to encourage economic development.
Unique History
Established at statehood in 1907, McClain County, was originally part of Curtis County in the proposed state of Sequoyah. The county was named for Charles M. McClain, a member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and an early resident of Purcell.
In the 1870s large ranching operations north of the Washita River belonged either to those of Indian blood or those related to Indians by marriage. Black slaves formerly owned by Choctaw and Chickasaw families were also eligible to own land. Cotton gins in many small towns prepared raw cotton for the cotton press in Purcell, the county seat. Broom corn growing was also productive in the 1920s and 1930s.
