Route 66Trip Guide
Blue Whale of Catoosa, Tulsa, OK
Route 66 · State 4 of 8

Route 66 in Oklahoma: Map, Towns & Things to See

  • 100 stops
  • 11 categories
Photo: Blue Whale of Catoosa · Wikimedia Commons
Plan a trip through Oklahoma

The planner builds a day-by-day plan from the Oklahoma line (east) to the Oklahoma line (west) — about 406 mi.

Towns in Oklahoma (8)

East to west. Tap a town for its guide and stops.

Kinds of stops in Oklahoma

Where to eat: 4 classic diners and restaurants on or near Route 66 in Oklahoma. See them →

Route 66 crosses Oklahoma for about 400 miles, from the Kansas line near Miami to the Texas border west of Erick, and the state is often said to keep more drivable miles of the old road than any other. Tulsa was home to Cyrus Avery, the highway official who pushed for Route 66 in the 1920s, and the road still links Tulsa and Oklahoma City through a chain of small towns full of old filling stations. Our map has 100 stops in Oklahoma.

100 of 100 stops on the map

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

What to see on Route 66 in Oklahoma

In the northeast, the Coleman Theatre in Miami is a 1929 movie palace with tours, and the old mining towns of Picher and Cardin now stand empty. Near Foyil, Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park has a giant concrete totem pole, and the Blue Whale of Catoosa waits at the water's edge outside Tulsa. Tulsa's Route 66 Historical Village makes a quick photo stop. West of Tulsa come the Rock Café in Stroud, Seaba's Filling Station near Warwick and the Milk Bottle Grocery in Oklahoma City. Farther west, the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford is a strong rainy-day stop. Oklahoma has the most retro roadside stops of any state in our data.

By kind, our 100 Oklahoma stops include 27 retro roadside stops, 24 museums, 17 historic buildings, 10 parks and nature spots and 7 ghost towns.

Oklahoma is also where two of the road's best-known museums stand, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton and the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum in Elk City, both worth a stop on the western half of the drive. The old road here comes in layers, so follow the brown historic signs off the main highway.

Towns, overnight stops and how long to allow

Route 66 towns in Oklahoma, east to west: Miami, Vinita, Tulsa, Stroud, Oklahoma City, El Reno, Clinton and Elk City. Tulsa and Oklahoma City have the widest choice of motels for the night; Miami, Vinita, Stroud, El Reno, Clinton and Elk City suit a shorter day.

Give Oklahoma two to three days. Much of the old road runs close to I-44, which is a toll road for long stretches, and to I-40 west of Oklahoma City, so it is easy to hop between the two when time runs short.

Best time to drive Route 66 in Oklahoma

April to June and September to October are the best months. Late spring is also storm season on the Plains, so keep an eye on the forecast; July and August are hot, and the western half of the state is windy most of the year.

Retro roadside stops in Oklahoma (27)

Back to top ↑
Will Rogers Archway in Vinita, OK

Will Rogers Archway

Vinita, Oklahoma · 0.8 mi from Route 66

The Glass House, a 1950s restaurant bridging I-44 near Vinita, was billed as the world's largest McDonald's.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit
Rock Café in Stroud, OK

Rock Café

Stroud, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1930s sandstone cafe on Stroud's stretch of Route 66, rebuilt after a fire and tied to Pixar's Cars.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit
Seaba's Filling Station in Warwick, OK

Seaba's Filling Station

Warwick, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1920s brick DX filling station on the old Route 66 west of Chandler, listed on the National Register.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit
Milk Bottle Grocery in Oklahoma City, OK

Milk Bottle Grocery

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A tiny three-sided grocery crowned by a giant metal milk bottle on Oklahoma City's old Route 66 line.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit
Provine Service Station in Hydro, OK

Provine Service Station

Hydro, Oklahoma · on Route 66

Lucille's Place near Hydro, the station run for decades by the woman called the Mother of the Mother Road.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit
Meadow Gold sign in Tulsa, OK

Meadow Gold sign

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1934 Meadow Gold dairy sign, saved in 2004 and now on its own brick pavilion on 11th Street in Tulsa.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

More retro roadside stops in Oklahoma 21

Museums in Oklahoma (24)

Back to top ↑
Afton Station Packard Museum, Oklahoma

Afton Station Packard Museum

Afton, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A restored 1930s D-X station in Afton that housed Packards, old pumps and Route 66 memorabilia.

MuseumPhoto credit
Route 66 Historical Village in Tulsa, OK

Route 66 Historical Village

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

An open-air stop on Southwest Boulevard with a tall oil derrick, a steam locomotive and a big Route 66 map.

MuseumPhoto credit
Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, OK

Stafford Air & Space Museum

Weatherford, Oklahoma · 0.5 mi from Route 66

A Smithsonian-affiliated space museum in Weatherford with an Apollo 10 suit and a Gemini capsule.

MuseumPhoto credit
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

Clinton, Oklahoma · 0.7 mi from Route 66

A museum given over to the story of Route 66 in western Oklahoma, with fuel, food and a motel steps away.

MuseumPhoto credit
National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, OK

National Route 66 Museum

Elk City, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A museum named for the whole of Route 66, in the western Oklahoma town of Elk City.

MuseumPhoto credit
Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, OK

Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum

Sapulpa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A car museum in a former armory in Sapulpa, with a 66-foot gas pump outside that sells no fuel.

MuseumPhoto credit

More museums in Oklahoma 18

Historic buildings in Oklahoma (17)

Back to top ↑
George L. Coleman Sr. House in Miami, OK

George L. Coleman Sr. House

Miami, Oklahoma · 0.9 mi from Route 66

A 1918 Georgian Revival mansion of red brick, with house, courtyard and garage joined as one.

Historic buildingPhoto credit
Bristow Tire Shop, Oklahoma

Bristow Tire Shop

Bristow, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A small 1920s filling station on Bristow's Fourth Street, the old Route 66 through town.

Historic buildingPhoto credit
Henry Lassen House in El Reno, OK

Henry Lassen House

El Reno, Oklahoma · 0.3 mi from Route 66

A Neoclassical house on a quiet El Reno street, listed on the National Register.

Historic buildingPhoto credit
William I. and Magdalen M. Goff House in El Reno, OK

William I. and Magdalen M. Goff House

El Reno, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1901 El Reno house with a round tower and wraparound porch, little changed since before statehood.

Historic buildingPhoto credit
Storm House in Elk City, OK

Storm House

Elk City, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A National Register house in Elk City, a short walk from Route 66 and the Casa Grande Hotel.

Historic buildingPhoto credit
Hedlund Motor Company Building in Elk City, OK

Hedlund Motor Company Building

Elk City, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A National Register commercial building in downtown Elk City, a block or two from the Casa Grande Hotel.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

More historic buildings in Oklahoma 11

Nature & parks in Oklahoma (10)

Back to top ↑
Claremore Mound in Sageeyah, OK

Claremore Mound

Sageeyah, Oklahoma · 4.6 mi from Route 66

A rocky hill by the Verdigris River, site of an 1817 battle and the source of Claremore's name.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, OK

Myriad Botanical Gardens

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · 1.9 mi from Route 66

A 15-acre downtown garden in Oklahoma City built around the Crystal Bridge Conservatory.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · 1.6 mi from Route 66

A big city zoo and garden with more than 2,000 animals, a good family break from long Route 66 miles.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Rock Mary near El Reno, OK

Rock Mary

El Reno, Oklahoma · 5.3 mi from Route 66

A lone rock landmark that guided 1849 wagon travelers on the California Road, named for a 17-year-old girl.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Red Rock Canyon State Park in Hinton, OK

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Hinton, Oklahoma · 6.0 mi from Route 66

A red-walled canyon near Hinton with wagon ruts, rare Caddo maples, trails and campsites on the canyon floor.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Foss State Park, Oklahoma

Foss State Park

Foss, Oklahoma · 5.0 mi from Route 66

A big lakeside state park near Foss with boating, a swimming beach, horse trails and plenty of RV sites.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

More nature & parks in Oklahoma 4

Ghost towns in Oklahoma (7)

Back to top ↑
Hockerville, Oklahoma

Hockerville

Hockerville, Oklahoma · 1.9 mi from Route 66

A lead and zinc camp on the Kansas line, once home to 500-plus people and now an emptied Superfund ghost town.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Douthat

Douthat, Oklahoma · 1.1 mi from Route 66

An abandoned 1917 lead and zinc camp south of Picher, now empty and inside the Tar Creek Superfund site.

Ghost town

Zincville

Zincville, Oklahoma · 2.5 mi from Route 66

A former mining camp between Picher and Hockerville, close to the Kansas line.

Ghost town
Picher, Oklahoma

Picher

Picher, Oklahoma · 2.7 mi from Route 66

A lead and zinc boomtown emptied by poisoned ground, cave-in danger and a 2008 tornado, now a ghost town.

Ghost townPhoto credit
Cardin, Oklahoma

Cardin

Cardin, Oklahoma · 2.2 mi from Route 66

A zinc and lead town that emptied after federal buyouts; its population reached zero in 2010.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Hext

Hext, Oklahoma · 0.3 mi from Route 66

A small rural community in Beckham County, tucked between Interstate 40 and the old Route 66 business loop.

Ghost town

More ghost towns in Oklahoma 1

Art & landmarks in Oklahoma (4)

Back to top ↑
statue of Mickey Mantle in Commerce, OK

statue of Mickey Mantle

Commerce, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A nine-foot statue of Yankees great Mickey Mantle stands beyond the outfield at his old high school.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit
Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park in Chelsea, OK

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park

Chelsea, Oklahoma · 3.0 mi from Route 66

Ed Galloway's giant concrete totem pole and ten more sculptures, a few miles east of Foyil.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit
Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Catoosa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A big blue whale on the water's edge in Catoosa, one of the most recognized sights on old Route 66.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit

Center of the Universe

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A circle on a Tulsa footbridge where a clap echoes back oddly; closed for renovation, due back in fall 2026.

Art & landmarks

Historic hotels in Oklahoma (4)

Back to top ↑
St. Cloud Hotel in Chandler, OK

St. Cloud Hotel

Chandler, Oklahoma · 0.3 mi from Route 66

A two-story 1904 hotel in Chandler that boasted the town's first elevator.

Historic hotelPhoto credit
El Reno Hotel, Oklahoma

El Reno Hotel

El Reno, Oklahoma · on Route 66

El Reno's oldest surviving commercial building, an 1892 Folk Victorian hotel that once lodged travelers.

Historic hotelPhoto credit
Southern Hotel in El Reno, OK

Southern Hotel

El Reno, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A three-story 1909 railroad hotel in El Reno, once among the grandest in Oklahoma.

Historic hotelPhoto credit
Casa Grande Hotel in Elk City, OK

Casa Grande Hotel

Elk City, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A four-story 1928 Spanish-style hotel in downtown Elk City, the only high-rise hotel for miles on Route 66.

Historic hotelPhoto credit

Historic bridges in Oklahoma (3)

Back to top ↑
Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek in Sapulpa, OK

Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek

Sapulpa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1920s bridge in Sapulpa that joined Route 66 in 1926 and now anchors a Route 66 park.

Historic bridgePhoto credit
Pryor Creek Bridge near Vinita, OK

Pryor Creek Bridge

Vinita, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1926 road bridge in Rogers County, OK, built in the same year Route 66 was created.

Historic bridgePhoto credit
North Canadian River Bridge in Oklahoma City, OK

North Canadian River Bridge

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1924 road bridge over the North Canadian River, listed on the National Register and tied to Route 66.

Historic bridgePhoto credit

Historic districts in Oklahoma (2)

Back to top ↑
Darlington Agency in El Reno, OK

Darlington Agency

El Reno, Oklahoma · 2.6 mi from Route 66

The grounds of an 1870 Indian agency for the Cheyenne and Arapaho, a short drive from El Reno.

Historic districtPhoto credit
Sayre Downtown Historic District, Oklahoma

Sayre Downtown Historic District

Sayre, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

Three blocks of early 1900s brick storefronts in Sayre that Route 66 once ran right through.

Historic districtPhoto credit

Historic theaters in Oklahoma (1)

Back to top ↑
Coleman Theatre in Miami, OK

Coleman Theatre

Miami, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A lavish 1929 movie palace on Route 66 in Miami, with a Wurlitzer organ and tours of its ornate hall.

Historic theaterPhoto credit

Route 66 sites in Oklahoma (1)

Back to top ↑
West Sapulpa Route 66 Roadbed, Oklahoma

West Sapulpa Route 66 Roadbed

Sapulpa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A stretch of old Route 66 roadbed in Sapulpa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

Route 66 in Oklahoma: questions

Why is Route 66 famous in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma has a strong claim on the road's story. Tulsa's Cyrus Avery led the push for Route 66 in the 1920s, and in the 1930s Dust Bowl families from Oklahoma drove it west to California, the journey John Steinbeck told in The Grapes of Wrath.

How many miles of Route 66 are in Oklahoma?

About 400 miles, depending on which of the road's alignments you follow. The whole road, from Chicago to Santa Monica, is about 2,448 miles long.

What towns does Route 66 go through in Oklahoma?

The main stops, east to west, are Miami, Vinita, Tulsa, Stroud, Oklahoma City, El Reno, Clinton and Elk City. Smaller places on the road include Afton, Chelsea, Claremore, Catoosa, Sapulpa, Chandler, Arcadia, Weatherford and Erick.

Can you still drive Route 66 in Oklahoma?

Yes, most of it. Long sections survive as state highways and county roads beside I-44 and I-40, including two-lane stretches between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. A few early pieces, like the narrow original pavement south of Miami, are rough, so drive them slowly.