Sulphur is a city in south-central Oklahoma and the seat of Murray County, set in a landscape of wooded hills, creeks, and mineral springs that have defined the community for more than a century. The area's natural springs drew visitors long before the town was formally established in the late nineteenth century, and Sulphur quickly developed as a resort community centered on its waters. In the early 1900s, the federal government protected those springs, first as the Sulphur Springs Reservation and then as Platt National Park, making the site one of the nation's early national parks. That protected land later became the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, which today surrounds the city and preserves springs, streams, and the Lake of the Arbuckles. The 2020 census counted 5,065 residents, and the town remains the governmental and commercial center of Murray County, whose population is only about 14,000. Sulphur's identity is unusually tied to tourism and public land for a community its size. The Broadway corridor holds the rebuilt Artesian Hotel, Casino and Spa, a descendant of the grand resort that once made Sulphur a premier Oklahoma destination, alongside restaurants, shops, and local institutions. The national recreation area brings steady visitation, and the city serves as the gateway to one of the state's most popular outdoor destinations. Sulphur appeals to people who want small-town Oklahoma living with a strong outdoor and recreational backbone. Families are drawn to the schools and the rural pace, while the park, lake, and springs offer year-round recreation unmatched by most towns of similar size. Its position just east of Interstate 35 places Oklahoma City and the Dallas–Fort Worth region within comfortable driving distance, giving residents rural calm with practical access to larger cities.