city, seat (1907) of Woodward county, northwestern Oklahoma, U.S. The city lies along the North Canadian River on the Western Trail, a northbound cattle route. It was originally a train stop, settled in 1893 when the Cherokee Strip was opened for homesteading, and was probably named for Brinton W. Woodward, an official of the Santa Fe Railway.

Woodward is a marketing and processing centre for a wheat and cattle region and is the base for several oil and gas companies. The U.S. Great Plains Experiment Station at Woodward is concerned primarily with crops and range pasturing. The Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum houses artifacts relating to the area's history. A tornado destroyed much of Woodward on April 9, 1947. Boiling Springs State Park is nearby. Inc. 1907. Pop. (1990) 12,340; (2000) 11,893.