Canute is a town in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Canute had a population of 494.
History
Canute was established in the early 1900s and is located on the now-defunct Rock Island Railroad. Following the advent of the automobile, Canute became a popular stop along U.S. Route 66 and a large number of tourist businesses were established, including gasoline service stations, motels and restaurants. However, when Interstate 40 bypassed the small village to the north in May 1970 and received only one exit from the freeway, the local economy went into a decline due to the bypass and the concurrent closure of nearby Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base at Burns Flat, leading most of those businesses to shut down. Today, Canute businesses include a bank and auto repair shop on Route 66, along with a gas station/convenience store. Former Oklahoma governor David Walters was born in Canute.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Canute had a population of 494. The median age was 37.8 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.5 males age 18 and over.
There were 217 households in Canute, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.7% were married-couple households, 16.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 415 || 84.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 5 || 1.0%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 15 || 3.0%
|-
| Asian || 1 || 0.2%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 8 || 1.6%
|-
| Two or more races || 50 || 10.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 51 || 10.3%
|}
2000 census
As of the census