Sand Springs is a city in northeastern Oklahoma, lying predominantly in Tulsa County with portions extending into Osage and Creek counties, and functioning as a western suburb of Tulsa along the Arkansas River. Its history is unusual among Oklahoma towns: the site was settled in 1833 by Creek Indians, who knew it as Adams Springs, before oilman Charles Page purchased 160 acres in 1908 and renamed it Sand Springs. Page built the Sand Springs Home, a residential institution for widows and orphans, and shaped the community as a deliberately planned, philanthropic town. That founding vision still colors the city's identity. Sand Springs remains a family-oriented community of roughly 20,000 people, with a compact downtown and older residential neighborhoods near the river, the family-oriented Prattville district across the Arkansas River, and newer subdivisions spreading west toward Keystone Lake. Keystone Lake, a large reservoir, and the Keystone Ancient Forest, a preserved cross-timbers woodland with centuries-old cedars and oaks, give the city an unusually rich natural setting on its western edge. The local economy is a mix of manufacturing, retail, and services, but Sand Springs functions largely as a residential suburb, with many residents commuting to Tulsa, about 14 miles east along U.S. Route 412. The highway, known locally as the Sand Springs Expressway and, farther west, the Keystone Expressway, makes downtown Tulsa reachable in about 20 minutes. Sand Springs is served by its own school district, Sand Springs Public Schools, anchored by Charles Page High School, named for the founder. Recreation centers on Keystone Lake's boating and fishing, the trails of the Keystone Ancient Forest, and community traditions such as the annual Herbal Affair festival. The city suits families and commuters seeking an affordable, established suburb with lake access and a strong sense of local history. Its combination of river, lake, forest, and quick freeway access to Tulsa gives Sand Springs a balance of small-town character and metropolitan convenience.