Fast-growing city home to the Choctaw Nation Tribal Headquarters
When the Trail of Tears drove the Choctaw Nation from their homeland in the 1800s, they settled near the present-day Texas border, about 95 miles north of Dallas. It was then that Dixon Durant, a Choctaw, founded the city, which today is home to the Choctaw Nation Tribal Headquarters. It’s also one of the fastest-growing rural cities in Oklahoma, with a population of 18,000. “Our area is growing a lot right now,” says Debra Portman, a sales associate with American Dream Realty. “When my boys were in school, every parent was wondering where their child would move, because there weren’t jobs here. Now people aren’t leaving, because we’ve had so many new companies coming to town.”
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is Durant’s largest employer, with more than 5,000 working at the headquarters and the Choctaw Casino Resort. Manufacturing and distribution are major industries, and the downtown area and nearby retail district have drawn many new businesses in recent years. AllianceHealth Durant, less than a mile north of Main Street, employs those in the healthcare field.
Other draws besides employment opportunities include a top-rated school district and proximity to Lake Texoma.
Durant is officially known as the Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma employs over 5,000 people at its Durant headquarters.
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Homes below the national median price
Durant is made up almost entirely of single-family homes, and the city’s median home price of $252,000 is below the national median. There are older, smaller homes dating from the 1940s and ’50s concentrated downtown with lower prices, some under $100,000. Others are ranch-style homes built in the decades following. Newer builds are typically found on the city outskirts. “Most new construction isn’t right in Durant because it was already full, so the town has expanded to the country areas,” Portman says.
Downtown Durant features smaller single-family homes, mainly bungalows and ranches.
On the outskirts of Durant, you'll find many newer builds.
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Highly rated Durant ISD
The city is served by the Durant Independent School District, which gets an A-minus from Niche. It has multiple elementary schools, and one intermediate, one middle and one high school, as well as an alternative high school. Originally a teacher’s college, Southeastern Oklahoma State University now offers a range of programs from accounting to aviation and enrolls around 5,000 students.
Durant’s public schools, part of the Durant Independent School District, have an A-minus rating.
In Durant, Southeastern Oklahoma State University offers programs like accounting and aviation.
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Lake Texoma is a major draw
Lake Texoma is about 35 miles away and a popular spot for fishing, boating, windsurfing and waterskiing. Campgrounds, hiking trails and golf courses surround the 89,000-acre lake, which extends across the Texas border. “The lake is probably the biggest thing people move here for,” Portman says. “That draws people, especially retirement-aged people.”
In town are the Durant Multi-Sports Complex, with 17 sports fields, and about a dozen smaller parks and playgrounds. Lake Durant offers fishing and kayaking on a 650-acre lake, as well as nature trails.
Lake Texoma State Park provides a scenic camping area for Durant residents.
Durant residents can engage in multiple sports at the Multi-Sports Complex.
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Choctaw Event Center hosts music stars
The Choctaw Event Center at the Choctaw Casino Resort welcomes some of the biggest names in music, from Clint Black to The Black Keys. It also hosts local events like the Magnolia Festival, held the weekend after Memorial Day. Celebrating the city’s designation as the “Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma,” it includes a carnival, live entertainment and pageants.
Other attractions include immersive exhibits at the Choctaw Cultural Center, which highlights the history and traditions of the region’s Native people. Bryan County artifacts are on display at the Three Valley Museum, named for a book referencing Durant’s location in the heart of three river valleys.
The Choctaw Cultural Center in Durant showcases the history and traditions of Native people.
Durant's Choctaw Event Center features music legends, including Clint Black and The Black Keys.
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Durant’s Downtown Historic District
Antique shops, boutiques, bookstores and salons fill the buildings in the Durant Downtown Historic District. Main Street is the primary thoroughfare, but restaurants specializing in barbecue and pub grub are tucked along the side streets. Tourists snap photos of the World’s Largest Peanut statue, a monument dedicated to the city’s bygone days of peanut farming. Big-box stores like Walmart as well as chain restaurants are located off U.S. Route 75.
Main Street Barbecue in Durant is a local favorite, specializing in mouthwatering barbecue.
The World’s Largest Peanut statue in Durant honors the city’s peanut farming history.
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Getting around the area
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is Durant’s largest employer, with more than 5,000 jobs between Nation Headquarters and the Choctaw Casino Resort. Manufacturing and distribution are major industries, and the downtown area and nearby retail district have drawn many new businesses in recent years. Healthcare-related jobs are available at AllianceHealth Durant, conveniently located less than a mile north of Main Street.
U.S. Routes 70 and 75 connect on the southwestern edge of town, allowing for easy commutes in all directions. Route 70 leads to Lake Texoma, while Route 75 is convenient for the 95-mile drive to Dallas and the nearest major airport. Although passenger trains no longer run through Durant, the city is still a major railroad center, with freight lines Union Pacific and Kiamichi intersecting in the heart of downtown.
In 2015, community and business leaders created Imagine Durant, a partnership devoted to civic engagement and growth. The comprehensive plan, which extends until 2040, focuses on economic development, land use, transportation and natural resource management, among other initiatives.
Tornado Alley and crime data
Durant is in Tornado Alley, so storm warnings are common. Homeowners should ensure that their policies protect against wind damage. Summers are hot in this part of the country, with temperatures soaring into the triple digits from May through October.
According to FBI data, Durant’s violent crime rates are slightly higher than state and national figures. Incidents of property-related crime are much higher, mainly due to a recent spate of theft.
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