Stratford is a small town in Garvin County, Oklahoma, in the rolling, mixed farmland of south-central Oklahoma. Its population was 1,398 in the 2020 census, and it sits on Oklahoma Highway 19 roughly midway between Pauls Valley to the west and Ada to the east. The town's identity is tied to peaches. Stratford has long been known as the "Peach Capital of Oklahoma," and at its orchard peak the area produced fruit across hundreds of acres of carefully tended orchards. While the planted acreage has narrowed over time, the quality of Stratford peaches remains a point of local pride, and the annual Peach Festival — first held in 1976 — draws visitors each summer for fresh fruit, a royalty pageant, live entertainment, and a car show. A three-day rodeo, which debuted in 1936, adds to the town's celebration of its agricultural and Western heritage. Stratford's economy blends farming, small manufacturing, and local services. Notable past and present employers have included the Hart Tackle Company, a fishing-equipment manufacturer, and Hard Times Beef Jerky, alongside the region's peach growers. The town is also the hometown of B. Kevin Turner, the late Walmart and Microsoft executive, a point of local pride. Stratford Public Schools anchors community life, serving students from pre-kindergarten through high school and drawing from parts of three counties. The town offers a quiet, affordable, rural lifestyle within a short drive of Interstate 35 and the outdoor attractions of the Arbuckle Mountains, making it an appealing base for families, agricultural workers, and those seeking the simplicity of small-town Oklahoma.