Nowata is a city in northeast Oklahoma and the county seat of Nowata County, in the rolling prairie and creek country of the state's northeastern corner. The 2020 census recorded a population of about 3,520, and the city anchors a county of roughly 9,300 people. The name derives from a Delaware word, no-we-ata, meaning "come here" or "welcome," reflecting the area's Native American heritage. The community's defining era was oil. In 1904, the discovery of oil and gas in the region earned Nowata a reputation as the world's largest shallow oil field, and many of those wells continued producing for decades. When Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, Nowata County was created and the city designated its seat; the county courthouse, completed in 1912, remains in use and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Education is provided by Nowata Public Schools, a PK–12 district of about 745 students across three schools, keeping families and community life closely tied to the local schools. The Verdigris River divides the county and adds a natural feature to the surrounding landscape. Housing is predominantly modest, affordable single-family homes, and the community retains a strong owner-occupied, small-town character. Nowata sits about twenty miles east of Bartlesville and roughly fifty miles from downtown Tulsa, with Tulsa International Airport about forty-five miles away. U.S. Highway 60 and the regional road network connect the city to those larger centers. Residents include long-established families, workers tied to the area's agriculture and energy economy, and commuters to Bartlesville. For homebuyers, Nowata offers an affordable, small-town setting with a historic downtown, deep oil-country roots, and convenient access to the employment and amenities of northeast Oklahoma's larger cities.