Bartlesville

Bartlesville is a city in northeastern Oklahoma and the county seat of Washington County. It is part of the Bartlesville Micropolitan Statistical Area and lies along the Caney River in the Green Country region, about 50 miles north of Tulsa. The city serves as a regional center for education, health care, and commerce, and hosts a mix of residential neighborhoods and small-business districts.

The area around Bartlesville rose to prominence after oil was discovered nearby in the Nellie Johnstone No. 1 well in 1897, marking Oklahoma’s first major oil boom. The city grew through the early 20th century as oil companies established operations there. In the modern era Bartlesville is closely associated with the oil industry; Phillips Petroleum, founded in the city, became a major producer and was later part of the ConocoPhillips corporate lineage.

Notable landmarks in Bartlesville include the Price Tower, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 19-story office building completed in 1956, which remains a distinctive symbol of the city. The Woolaroc Museum, featuring Western art and a natural-history collection on a ranch site nearby, is another major attraction. The city also houses Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a range of public and private schools.

As of the 2020 census, Bartlesville had approximately 37,000 residents. The local economy is diversified beyond energy to include education, health care, manufacturing, and tourism, with several museums, cultural institutions, and outdoor recreation opportunities along the Caney River.