Barnsdall is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, in the rolling Osage Hills about 40 miles northwest of Tulsa and 17 miles southeast of Pawhuska, the county seat. Founded in 1905 as Bigheart, for Osage Chief James Bigheart, the community grew around the Midland Valley Railroad and the oil industry that transformed the Osage Nation in the early 20th century. An early refinery and the nearby Bigheart oil field put the town at the center of the region's petroleum boom, and in 1922 it was renamed for oilman Theodore N. Barnsdall. The town's oil heritage is visible in its landmarks. The Bank of Bigheart, the community's oldest commercial building, and the Barnsdall Main Street Well Site, an oil well standing in the middle of Main Street, are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearby, the Woolaroc Ranch Historic District preserves the estate and wildlife preserve associated with oilman Frank Phillips. Barnsdall had a population of about 1,000 at the 2020 census and covers less than a square mile. Students attend Barnsdall Public Schools, a small district serving the community, and Lake Waxhoma, a few miles east, offers fishing and serves as a local water source. The town's small scale and prairie setting define its character. State Highways 11 and 123 connect Barnsdall to Pawhuska, Bartlesville, and the Tulsa metro, making it a quiet, small-town option within commuting reach of larger employment centers. Its housing consists of modest single-family homes on a compact grid, with ranchland and the Osage Hills surrounding the city. For residents, Barnsdall offers a low-key Oklahoma small-town pace tied to Osage County's ranching and oil history.