Langston was founded on April 22, 1890, by Edward P. McCabe, a Black American political figure from Kansas.

[a] He named the town for John Mercer Langston, a black member of the 51st United States Congress from Virginia.

A Roman Catholic mission was established in 1893 by Bishop Theophile Meerschaert and the Benedictine Sisters.

[5] Langston is 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Guthrie, the Logan County seat, on State Highway 33.

[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), all land.

In the 2016 presidential election, the city gave over 90% of the vote to the Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton.

Despite Logan County voting over 70% for Republican Donald Trump, the heavy black majority in Langston carried the city for Clinton.