Map of Miami city, Oklahoma

Miami (/maɪˈæmə/ my-AM-ə) is a city in and county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining were established by 1918, causing the area’s economy to boom.

This area was part of Indian Territory. Miami is the capital of the federally recognized Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, after which it is named; the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, the Peoria Tribe of Indians, and the Shawnee Tribe. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,969.

Miami city overview:
Name:	Miami city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Oklahoma
County:	Ottawa County
Elevation:	797 ft (243 m)
Total Area:	11.18 sq mi (28.96 km²)
Land Area:	11.10 sq mi (28.74 km²)
Water Area:	0.09 sq mi (0.22 km²)
Total Population:	12,969
Population Density:	1,168.80/sq mi (451.27/km²)
ZIP code:	74354-74355
Area code:	539/918
FIPS code:	4048000
GNISfeature ID:	1095343

Online Interactive Map

Miami online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Miami location map. Where is Miami city?

Miami location on the U.S. Map. Where is Miami city. — Miami location on the U.S. Map.

Miami location on the Oklahoma map. Where is Miami city. — Location of Miami in Oklahoma.

History

The city was founded in an unusual way, compared to other towns established in Indian Territory. Per the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture “… it was settled in a business-like way by men of vision who looked into the future and saw possibilities. It didn’t just grow. It was carefully planned.”

W. C. Lykins petitioned the U.S. Congress to pass legislation on March 3, 1891, to establish the town. He met with Thomas F. Richardville, chief of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, who agreed to meet in turn with the U.S. Indian Commission and the Ottawa Tribe.

That meeting resulted in Congress authorizing the secretary of the United States Department of the Interior to approve the townsite purchase from the Ottawa. Lykins, Richardville and Manford Pooler, chief of the Ottawa, are identified in historical accounts as “fathers of Miami.” Lykins’ company, the Miami Town Company, bought 588 acres (238 ha) of land from the Ottawa for ten dollars an acre. On June 25–26, 1891 they held an auction of lots. In 1895, Miami incorporated and had more than 800 residents.

The discovery of rich deposits of lead and zinc under Quapaw land a few miles north caused Miami to boom. In 1907, at the time of statehood, its population was 1,893. As mining increased and more mills were built, the population more than tripled to 6,802 by 1920.

Miami was on the route of the Jefferson Highway established in 1915, with that international road running more than 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada across the border and to New Orleans, Louisiana. US Route 66 in Oklahoma also passed through Miami. An historic section of the Route 66 roadbed is marked in Miami.

It is the capital of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, after which it is named; the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Peoria Tribe of Indians, and Shawnee Tribe.

Miami Road Map

Miami city Satellite Map

Geography

Miami is located near 36°53′1″N 94°52′34″W / 36.88361°N 94.87611°W / 36.88361; -94.87611 (36.883539, −94.876018). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.8 square miles (25 km), of which 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) (0.82%) is covered by water.

Flooding

Miami is located on the Neosho River, and was severely affected by the Great Flood of 1951. The town has flooded more than two dozen times since the 1990s, most recently during the 2019 Arkansas River floods. Town residents and neighboring Native American groups have objected to maintaining high water levels on the river at Pensacola Dam and its popular vacation area, Grand Lake, on the grounds that when water backs up downstream, it can increase Miami’s flooding problems.