[5] Historically, the area was a hunting ground for the Wichita, Osage, and Kiowa tribes.
The Chisholm Trail, stage coach lines, mail routes, and railroads passed through stations at Buffalo Springs and Skeleton, today known as Bison and Enid.
[6][7] Railroad development in the county began four years prior to the land opening.
By 2021 census estimates, its median household income increased to $60,732, and the county had a poverty rate of 12.9%.
It has only supported a Democrat for president twice since statehood, during Franklin Roosevelt's landslide victories in 1932 and 1936.
[8] In addition, oil and gas and flour milling have proved fruitful for the county.
Vance Air Force Base is also a major employer in the area of both airmen and civilians.
The following sites in Garfield County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: