# Where is Oklahoma? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735 "2007-09-27T21:27:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/1 "2007-09-27T21:27:13Z")
I can locate it on a map. But what region does the state belong to? Is OK in the south or in the midwest? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/2 "2007-09-27T21:29:35Z")
[QUOTE=ButterflyandBumblebee] …Is OK in the south or in the midwest? [/QUOTE] [South Central](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Central_United_States) ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/3 "2007-09-27T21:43:12Z")
I’ve lived in the States my whole life, and I’ve never heard the term “South Central” used to describe any geographic region except L.A. (I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just sayin’.) I consider Texas to be in the South (and Louisiana and Mississippi). I consider Oklahoma to be inthe Midwest. Maybe some Okies will chime in! I know we have several. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/4 "2007-09-27T21:48:22Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I’ve lived in the States my whole life, and I’ve never heard the term “South Central” used to describe any geographic region except L.A. (I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just sayin’.) I consider Texas to be in the South (and Louisiana and Mississippi). I consider Oklahoma to be inthe Midwest. Maybe some Okies will chime in! I know we have several. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Okie…Midwest? Phaaaa… No way. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/5 "2007-09-27T21:55:58Z")
Great Plains. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/6 "2007-09-27T21:56:40Z")
[Great Plains](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains) or [South](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Census_Regions_and_Divisions.PNG) ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/7 "2007-09-27T21:57:48Z")
Wiki says: [Oklahoma - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/8 "2007-09-27T22:00:22Z")
According to the [US Census Bureau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Census_Regions_and_Divisions.PNG), it’s either “South” or “West South Central”, depending on how finely you want to chop up the US. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/9 "2007-09-27T22:06:37Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] [South Central](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Central_United_States) [/QUOTE] Hmm, I’m picturing a fish-out-of-water story featuring a young Woody Harrelson drawling his way through a showdown with Treach. **The Cowboy Way II: South Central**. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/10 "2007-09-27T22:07:07Z")
I see as too far south to be Midwest, too far east to be West, and too far west to be South (Texas is a special case, sometimes thought of as in the South, sometimes as in the West). It does have some of the character of the West, but not really of the South. I think of it as in the Southern Plains. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/11 "2007-09-27T22:15:44Z")
As a Texan, I think we simply refer to our region as “Texas.” The South and Southwest are generally happy with that arrangement, I think. Nobody likes us! Oklahoma’s the end of civilization and Tornado Alley. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/12 "2007-09-27T22:19:31Z")
[QUOTE=BlinkingDuck] Okie…Midwest? Phaaaa… No way. [/QUOTE] I must have missed your vote. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/13 "2007-09-27T22:19:55Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] Maybe some Okies will chime in! [/QUOTE] I met a veterinarian from Oklahoma once and I called her an Okie. She was offended. She told me it was a derogatory term. Then again, she was a bitch in general. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/14 "2007-09-27T22:26:49Z")
Gaaaaaah! Everyone here knows we’re in the [Big 12](http://www.big12sports.com/) Sorry, I hadda. Seriously, most people here will say we’re in the Southwest. And, yeah, we know there may be no rational basis for it, but that’s what we say. I lived in Michigan for a few years and had this same conversation a few different times. “Where are you from?” “Oklahoma” “No. I mean, what state are you from?” ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/15 "2007-09-27T22:36:31Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] As a Texan, I think we simply refer to our region as “Texas.” The South and Southwest are generally happy with that arrangement, I think. Nobody likes us! Oklahoma’s the end of civilization and Tornado Alley. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I moved to Texas from the deep South (Georgia) and the cultural differences took some getting used to. It’s not South. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/16 "2007-09-27T22:38:53Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I’ve lived in the States my whole life, and I’ve never heard the term “South Central” used to describe any geographic region except L.A. (I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just sayin’.)… [/QUOTE] I’d never heard the term, either. I thought it was kinda funny. Before I looked that up I was going to say Great Plains. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/17 "2007-09-27T22:42:49Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I consider Oklahoma to be inthe Midwest. [/QUOTE] I have never considered OK to be Midwest, nor have I heard of OK referred to as a Midwestern state before this thread. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/18 "2007-09-27T22:45:54Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I have never considered OK to be Midwest, nor have I heard of OK referred to as a Midwestern state before this thread. [/QUOTE] So what region do you think its in? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/19 "2007-09-27T22:52:29Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] So what region do you think its in? [/QUOTE] Great Plains or South works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735/20 "2007-09-27T22:55:36Z")
Personally, I would call Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and the Dakotas the Plains States. Texas I’d put in its own category. The things east of Texas are the South, and the things west of Texas are the Southwest. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-oklahoma/420735.md?page=2)