Map of Yale city, Oklahoma

Yale is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,059 at the 2020 census, a decline of 13.6 percent from the figure of 1,227 in 2010.

Yale city overview:
Name:	Yale city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Oklahoma
County:	Payne County
Elevation:	810 ft (250 m)
Total Area:	0.92 sq mi (2.37 km²)
Land Area:	0.92 sq mi (2.37 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	1,059
Population Density:	1,156.11/sq mi (446.40/km²)
ZIP code:	74085
Area code:	539/918
FIPS code:	4082500
GNISfeature ID:	1100033

Online Interactive Map

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

Yale location map. Where is Yale city?

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

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

History

Yale’s founding in 1895 is attributed to a local farmer, Sterling F. Underwood, who established a post office by that name in his general store, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of the present town. When the Eastern Oklahoma Railway built its line across Payne County, a group led by George W. Canfield began a different townsite also within Eagle Township that would be closer to the railroad, at its planned junction with the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad. Underwood moved his store to the new site in 1902, making the new site the permanent location for the town of Yale. A 1907 map shows the town contained 230 acres surrounding the railroad junction, and to its east southeast the Underwood farm of 158 acres. By 1910, Yale had a population of 685, supported mostly by agricultural services and cotton processing.

On September 23, 1913, an oil well on the Randle farm produced a gusher. An even larger gusher began producing a month later. More discoveries followed. By the end of 1914, the combined Yale and Cushing fields were producing 220,000 barrels a day. The town boomed, attaining a population of 2,601 by the census of 1920.

The oil boom quickly deflated. Production began to decline sharply in 1915, and more dry holes were reported. Major producers began to shut down or reduce operations in the early 1920s. By 1930, the population had dropped to 1,734. In 1940, the census reported a population of 1,407. The decline continued until reaching a low of 1,239 in 1970. There was a spike by 1980, when the census recorded 1,652, but the downward trend resumed through 2010. Town officials have tried to stem the decline by promoting Yale as a retirement location.

Yale Road Map

Yale city Satellite Map

Geography

Yale is located at 36°6′53″N 96°41′54″W / 36.11472°N 96.69833°W / 36.11472; -96.69833 (36.114708, -96.698469). It is 20 miles (32 km) east of Stillwater on State Highway 51. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km), all land.

The primary source of Yale’s water supply is Lone Chimney Lake. The lake’s level has been declining for several years because of prolonged drought conditions and high water consumption of water by Yale and other Oklahoma towns that rely on this lake as their primary source.