Ralston, Oklahoma

Ralston, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Ralston, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°30′12″N 96°44′14″W / 36.50333°N 96.73722°W / 36.50333; -96.73722
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Pawnee
Area [1]
• Total	0.46 sq mi (1.20 km2)
• Land	0.46 sq mi (1.20 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	820 ft (250 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	266
• Density	576.5/sq mi (222.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74650
Area codes	539/918
FIPS code	40-61650[3]
GNIS feature ID	2412522[2]

Ralston (Pawnee: Iriíraatuhukaataku, reetuhruukaataku ^[4]) is a town in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States. The town is southeast of Ponca City on State Highway 18 near the west bank of the Arkansas River.^[5] The population was 266 as of the 2020 Census.^[6]

The townsite, occupied shortly after the opening of the Cherokee Strip,^[7] was originally called Riverside since it was located on the west bank of the Arkansas River, and it obtained a post office under that name on June 15, 1894.^[8] A townsite plat was filed on July 31, 1894, and the town was renamed Ralston for townsite developer J.H. Ralston.^[8] Early development was boosted by the arrival of the Eastern Oklahoma Railway (a Santa Fe Railway affiliate) in 1902, as well as a connecting line being completed into town in 1927.^[8] The town was also aided by a favorable location near the (dry) Osage Reservation which allowed it to serve as a liquor distribution point, with seven saloons operating on Main Avenue by 1903.^[8] Various agricultural enterprises grew up, and the town expanded through the 1930 census, reaching a population high of 725 persons at that time.^[8]

Besides hosting banks, churches, and other facilities,^[8] the town had its own newspaper, the Ralston Free Press, which was published every Friday.^[9] The paper first began publishing June 28, 1900,^[7] and continued until at least 1909.^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town covers 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all land.^[11]

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ralston has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Ralston was 115 °F (46.1 °C) in July 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was −29 °F (−33.9 °C) in February 2011.^[12]

As of the 2020 census, Ralston had a population of 266. The median age was 40.4 years. 30.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.9 males age 18 and over.^[15][16]

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.^[17]

There were 102 households in Ralston, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 16.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[15]

There were 125 housing units, of which 18.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.8%.^[15]

Residents are zoned to Woodland Public Schools,^[18] since 1990, due to the merger of the Ralston school district with the Fairfax district.^[19]

The Ralston Opera House is located at 501-503 Main Street. Built in 1902, the 2nd-floor Opera House is considered endangered and badly in need of restoration funding as of 2018.^[20]