Small Oklahoma town with history and charm
Fifty-six miles northwest of Tulsa, Pawhuska is a small town known for its rich Osage Nation history, red-brick downtown and Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman Mercantile. “It’s definitely quiet and rural,” says Alexis Oakes, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Select and a lifelong Oklahoma resident. “I’ve noticed that when people go [there], they tend to stay.” Parks, shopping and dining are all in town, but neighborhoods are laidback and peaceful, so residents get the best of both worlds. “Homes are priced a bit lower, and you can definitely find historic homes,” Oakes says. “It’s a slow-paced, friendly community. It’s inviting and heritage rich.”
Single-family homes priced lower than Tulsa
Pawhuska’s single-family homes are set along narrow roads lined with mature trees and open yards with gravel driveways. “It’s going to be a bit more spread out,” Oakes says. “You won’t always have lands, but you can definitely find that.” Architectural styles are diverse, but bungalows, split-levels and ranch-style homes from the early to late 20th century are typical. Most homes are under 2,000 square feet with covered patios or porches and attached garages or carports; larger homes with multi-acre lots allow for additions like detached workshops and horse stables. Prices range from about $50,000 to $400,000, depending on a home’s size, features and renovation needs. The median price here is $135,000, compared to $260,000 in Tulsa.
Students attend Pawhuska Public Schools
Pawhuska is part of Pawhuska Public Schools, rated C-plus overall by Niche. Local kids in kindergarten through Grade 2 may start at the B-plus-rated Indian Camp Elementary before moving to the C-plus-rated Pawhuska Elementary for grades 3 through 5 and the C-rated Pawhuska Middle. At the C-plus-rated Pawhuska High, teens may take concurrent enrollment classes for college credit at Tulsa Community College.
Getting around Pawhuska
U.S. Route 60 and Oklahoma Route 99 pass through Pawhuska, providing access to Tulsa. Locals drive to get around; streets are generally without sidewalks or bike lanes, and there isn’t any public transportation here. Pawhuska Hospital is in town, and Tulsa International Airport is 56 miles away.
Downtown Pawhuska and The Mercantile
Downtown Pawhuska is a charming, walkable district filled with red-brick stores, restaurants and museums. “They have a saloon there and all these cute, little mom-and-pop shops,” Oakes says.
To start the morning, Powered by Frikn offers drive-through coffee, and across the street, there are fresh pastries at Daylight Donuts. For groceries, there's Harps Food Stores and Handy's Groceries. Dining highlights include P-Town Pizza, known for its wood-fired slices, and Trigger’s BBQ, which serves no-frills favorites like pulled pork sandwiches and brisket.
The Mercantile — locally referred to as “The Merc” — is by far Pawhuska’s most popular dining destination. Owned by Drummond, a Food Network, it features a restaurant, bakery and retail store all in one. “If you ever watch her TV show, the food she cooks on there gets transferred to the restaurant,” says Candy Yundt, a branch broker with KW Local, Keller Williams Realty, who has more than 12 years of experience. Customers can expect Southern comfort food with a gourmet twist, like chicken pot pie with biscuit crust or fried catfish with sweet corn hushpuppies. “The bottom floor is the store and restaurant, the second floor is a bakery with coffee and Ree’s offices are on the top floor,” Yundt says. “It’s a little hard to find parking because it’s all in the middle of town, but it’s really fun and great food.”
Parks, lakes and trails around Pawhuska
WahZhaZhe Heritage Park is a modest green space with playgrounds for kids of all ages, disc golf and walking trails, including the 2-mile WahZhaZhe Heritage Park Trail. Birders at the park can be on the lookout for American robins, Carolina wrens and blue jays. Nearby, the wood-planked Swinging Bridge is a local landmark that sways over Bird Creek, which leads 6 miles away to Pawhuska Lake — a fishing lake home to largemouth bass and black crappie. For swimming and boating, Bluestem Lake is nearby with sandy shores, rocky bluffs and Bluestem Falls. Twelve miles away, the 1,100-acre Osage Hill State Park is popular for camping with its dense forests of mature oaks and dirt-packed trails shared by hikers and cyclists.
Pawhuska’s community events and traditions
Community events take place year-round at the Osage County Fairgrounds. One of the most popular is the Cattlemen’s Convention in June — a tradition for more than 90 years that celebrates Oklahoma’s Western heritage with barbecue, country music and steer roping. Another summer highlight, the Cavalcade Rodeo, features a full slate of rodeo events, including bull riding, barrel racing and nightly dances. In October, the National Indian Taco Championship brings visiting chefs to downtown Pawhuska for a taco cook-off. The festivities include a celebration of Native American culture through dancing, music and traditional dress.
