Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Cherokee, OK: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in most of Cherokee comes from the Cherokee water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. The ER is a drive from Cherokee: the closest is Share Medical Center, 17.5 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Cherokee, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Cherokee.
Power comes from OG&E
OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Cherokee. Its homes paid an average of 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $131 a month (its average across Oklahoma).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Cherokee water system
The Cherokee water system supplies Cherokee: about 67% of residents live in its service area. Alfalfa Co RWS & Swmd #1 North serves another 33%. It draws ground water influenced by surface water and serves 1,630 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 7.4 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. OK2000208.
6 home internet providers serve Cherokee
100% of 889 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KanOkla Communications | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 100% | 2,000/2,000 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless | 17% | 10/1 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 92% | 300/20 |
| Nextlink | Fixed wireless | 66% | 100/20 |
| Chisholm Broadband | Fixed wireless | 20% | 100/40 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 19% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Cherokee’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Cherokee.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Cherokee is in Cherokee Public Schools.
ASchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Feb 2018; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Cherokee is in ZIP code 73728
ZIP codes where Cherokee residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Cherokee | ZIP’s residents in Cherokee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73728 | Cherokee, OK | 100% | 80% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Cherokee
Who supplies Cherokee’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Cherokee water system (EPA ID OK2000208). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Cherokee?
OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Cherokee?
KanOkla Communications, AT&T, Verizon, Nextlink, Chisholm Broadband, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Cherokee?
73728. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Cherokee in?
Cherokee Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Cherokee?
In Oklahoma you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person until 25 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 25 days before). Elections here are run by the Secretary, Alfalfa County Election Board. Check your registration at okvoterportal.okelections.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.