Lawton

About Lawton

Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in western Oklahoma, about 87 mi (140 km) southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma, metropolitan statistical area. According to the 2020 census, Lawton's population was 90,381, making it the sixth-largest city in the state, and the largest in Western Oklahoma. The Comanche Nation is headquartered within the city.

Developed on former reservation lands of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache peoples, Lawton was incorporated in 1901. It was named after Major General Henry Ware Lawton, who served in the Civil War, where he earned the Medal of Honor, and was killed in action in the Philippine–American War. Lawton's landscape is typical of the Great Plains, with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by the Wichita Mountains.

The city's proximity to the Fort Sill Military Reservation, formerly the base of the Apache territory before statehood, gave Lawton economic and population stability throughout the 20th century.

Although Lawton's economy is still largely dependent on Fort Sill, it has grown to encompass manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. The city has a council-manager government; the city council members are elected from single-member districts and the mayor is elected at-large. They hire a professional city manager to direct daily operations.

Interstate 44 and three major United States highways serve the city, Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport connects Lawton by air, while Greyhound Lines and the Lawton Area Transit System provide intercity and local bus service, respectively. Lawton is also home to Cameron University, which enrolled nearly 3,700 students in 2024.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lawton weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Nearest webcams to Lawton

There are no webcams in Lawton itself. These are the closest, 47 miles away or more.

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Lawton

Median household income

$54,433

Median home value

$142,100

Median rent

$967/mo

Median age

32.3

Map of Lawton

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Lawton Street View

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Lawton, OK population

Lawton had 90,381 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Lawton at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Lawton

• Medicine Park8.6 mi NW
• Geronimo9.6 mi S
• Cache11.3 mi W
• Lakeside Village12.6 mi N
• Lawtonka Acres12.7 mi NW
• Elgin13.5 mi NE
• Faxon14.2 mi SW
• Edgewater Park14.4 mi N
• Lake Ellsworth Addition16.1 mi N
• Sterling16.7 mi NE
• Fletcher17.8 mi NE
• Walters18.4 mi S

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Lawton