Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah (/ˈtæləkwɑː/ TAL-ə-kwah; Cherokee: ᏓᎵᏆ, daligwa [dàlígʷá]) is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It is part of the Green Country region of Oklahoma and was established as a capital of the 19th-century Cherokee Nation in 1839, as part of the new settlement in Indian Territory after the Cherokee Native Americans were forced west from the American Southeast on the Trail of Tears.
Tahlequah
| |
|---|---|
| City of Tahlequah | |
Downtown Tahlequah | |
| Motto: "City Of Firsts" | |
Location within Cherokee County and the state of Oklahoma | |
Tahlequah Location in the United States Tahlequah Tahlequah (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 35°54′41″N 94°58′38″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Cherokee |
| Cherokee Nation | founded 1838; second capital city |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Suzanne Myers |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.87 sq mi (33.33 km2) |
| • Land | 12.77 sq mi (33.06 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2) |
| Elevation | 814 ft (248 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 16,209 |
| • Density | 1,269.70/sq mi (490.24/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 74464-74465 |
| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-72100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412028 |
| Website | www |
The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.96 percent over the figure of 14,458 reported in 2000. The 2019 estimated population is 16,819.
Tahlequah is the capital of the two federally recognized Cherokee tribes based in Oklahoma, the modern Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Tahlequah is also the county seat of Cherokee County. The main campus of Northeastern State University is located in the city.