 State Highway 34 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byODOT | ||||
| Length | 188.3 mi[1] (303.0 km) | |||
| Existed | June 15, 1931[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  SH-6 northeast ofEldorado | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| North end |  K-1 at theKansas state line | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Oklahoma | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 34 (abbreviatedSH-34) is astate highway in theU.S. state ofOklahoma. It runs for 188.3 miles (303.0 km) south-to-north in the western part of the state. The highway begins northeast ofEldorado, in the southwest corner of the state, and extends north to the Kansas state line betweenWoodward andColdwater, Kansas.
SH-34 has always been a lengthy highway, starting with its commissioning in June 1931, when it was a border-to-border highway stretching from Texas to Kansas. Most of SH-34 has followed the same basic corridor since its inception, with the exception of the portion of highway north of Woodward. The southernmost portion of highway, connecting it to Texas, became solelySH-6 in 1987.
There are three letter-suffixed spur highways branching from SH-34. SH-34A and SH-34B serve small towns in Greer County off the mainline of SH-34, while SH-34C servesBoiling Springs State Park.
For much of its extent, State Highway 34 passes through rural areas, running through the plains of western Oklahoma. The highway begins at SH-6 six miles (10 km) northeast ofEldorado.[3] Heading north from there, it intersectsU.S. Route 62 (US-62) just east ofDuke. The highway continues north intoGreer County to its county seat ofMangum, where SH-34 joinsUS-283. Two miles (3.2 km) north of Mangum,SH-9 joins for a four-mile (6 km)concurrency with SH-34 and US-283. Thereafter, SH-9 splits off to the east.[3]
Nine miles (14 km) north of Mangum, SH-34B branches off to the west, connecting to the town ofBrinkman, and four miles (6.4 km) later, SH-34A branches off to the west to the town ofWillow.[3] US-283 splits off to the northwest two miles (3.2 km) after that, and SH-34 continues north, crossing intoBeckham County. SH-34 then bridges over theNorth Fork of the Red River. InCarter, the highway serves as the western terminus ofSH-55. Five miles (8.0 km) north of Carter, SH-34 crossesSH-152.[3]
SH-34 continues on to an interchange withInterstate 40 (I-40) west ofElk City. Here, the highway begins a concurrency with eastbound I-40. SH-34 accesses I-40 from exit 32, a partialdiamond interchange, with no access to or from I-40 eastbound; the missing movements must be completed via another partial interchange further to the east, also numbered as exit 32, which servesBusiness I-40 (I-40 BUS). SH-34 follows I-40 to the east for 6 miles (9.7 km).[3] While concurrent with I-40, SH-34 has an interchange with SH-6, its northernmost junction with the latter highway. SH-34 exits the interstate from the left at exit 41 on the east side of Elk City, turning back to the north and intersecting I-40 BUS. The highway continues north out of Elk City, exiting Beckham County.[1]
After leaving Beckham County, SH-34 entersRoger Mills County.SH-73's western terminus is at SH-34 at nine miles (14 km) north of Elk City.[3] North of this junction, SH-34 lies along the Roger Mills–Custer county line, which it continues to follow as it passes through the east side ofHammon, where it meetsState Highway 33. North of town, the route crosses over theWashita River, and shortly thereafter turns northeast to fully enter Custer County. Northwest ofMoorewood, the highway crosses intoDewey County.[4]
In Dewey County, SH-34 crossesSH-47, two miles (3.2 km) south ofLeedey, and crosses theCanadian River near the unincorporated settlement ofTrail. The highway then passes throughCamargo. Just east ofVici, SH-34 joinsUS-60 andSH-51 for a one-mile (1.6 km) concurrency, then SH-34 heads north again at Vici.[3] The highway passes throughSharon north of Vici, then joinsUS-183/US-270/SH-3 four miles (6.4 km) southeast ofWoodward. At Woodward, SH-34 again sets off to the north alone, and right after crossing theNorth Canadian River, SH-34C branches to the east about two miles (3.2 km) north of Woodward, connecting to Boiling Springs State Park.[3]
SH-34 joinsUS-64 in far easternHarper County for a four-mile (6 km) concurrency to the east, crossing theCimarron River 17 miles (27 km) east ofBuffalo. The highway then turns back to the north, where it is 10 miles (20 km) to its terminus at the Kansas state line.[3]
State Highway 34 was first designated on June 15, 1931.[2] At that time, the highway began at the free bridge over theRed River north ofQuanah, Texas, and followed what is today SH-6 to the point that is now SH-34's southern terminus. There, it turned north, following its current alignment. Its 1931 alignment did not differ significantly from that of the present day (although it followedUS-66 through Elk City prior to the establishment of I-40) until it got to Woodward. Rather than continue north out of town, the SH-34 of that day instead turned west, then north, passing throughFort Supply and crossing intoHarper County just north of that town. It then began a concurrency with US-60 in Buffalo, turning east and connecting with its final segment, bringing it to the Kansas state line. Thus, SH-34 started life as a border-to-border highway.[5]
SH-34 was rerouted north of Buffalo on January 30, 1934.[2] The new alignment continued due north out of Buffalo to the Kansas state line along a new road. The old portion of SH-34 between US-64 and the Kansas state line became part ofSH-50.[6]
The next major change to SH-34 occurred in 1954. On November 1 of that year, the highway was realigned to follow a new road extending north of Woodward, intersecting US-64 east of Buffalo, and following existing highways north to the state line.[2] This would put SH-34 on its present-day route north of Woodward.[7] SH-50 would remain concurrent with SH-34 north of US-64 until November 9, 1964.[8]
The next major change to SH-34 would be brought about by the establishment of the southern part of State Highway 6. The new highway was introduced on July 7, 1975.[9] SH-34 remained in place; the two highways were concurrent from northwest of Eldorado to the Red River bridge, where they both ended. On January 5, 1987, the redundant section of SH-34 was removed, truncating it to its current southern terminus.[2][9]
The final modification to SH-34 occurred just under a month later, on February 2, 1987, when SH-34 was realigned in Elk City to follow I-40 instead of the old alignment of the now-dead US-66, which had become a business loop of I-40. No further changes have taken place since then.[2]
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | | 0.0 | 0.0 | SH-6 | Southern terminus | |||
| Duke | 10.5 | 16.9 |  US 62 | |||||
| Greer | Mangum | 26.4 | 42.5 |  US 283 | Southern end of US-283 concurrency | |||
| | 28.3 | 45.5 |  SH-9 | Southern end of SH-9 concurrency | ||||
| | 32.3 | 52.0 | SH-9 | Northern end of SH-9 concurrency | ||||
| | 35.8 | 57.6 |  SH-34B | Eastern terminus of SH-34B | ||||
| | 38.7 | 62.3 |  SH-34A | Eastern terminus of SH-34A | ||||
| | 40.5 | 65.2 | US 283 | Northern end of US-283 concurrency | ||||
| Beckham | Carter | 50.4 | 81.1 |  SH-55 | Western terminus of SH-55 | |||
| | 55.4 | 89.2 |  SH-152 | |||||
| | 62.1 | 99.9 |  I-40 | Western end of I-40 concurrency, I-40 exit 32 | ||||
| Elk City | 63.9 | 102.8 | 34 | Merritt Road | ||||
| 67.8 | 109.1 | 38 | SH-6 | |||||
| 69.5 | 111.8 | 40 | East 7th Street | |||||
| 70.2 | 113.0 | I-40 | Eastern end of I-40 concurrency, exit 41 | |||||
| 70.7 | 113.8 |  I-40 BL | ||||||
| Roger Mills–Custer county line | | 79.7 | 128.3 |  SH-73 | Western terminus of SH-73 | |||
| Hammon | 85.7 | 137.9 |  SH-33 | |||||
| Custer | No major junctions | |||||||
| Dewey | | 100.1 | 161.1 |  SH-47 | ||||
| Vici | 122.6 | 197.3 |   US 60 /SH-51 | Eastern end of US-60/SH-51 concurrency | ||||
| 123.6 | 198.9 | US 60 / SH-51 | Western end of US-60/SH-51 concurrency | |||||
| Woodward | | 141.0 | 226.9 |    US 183 /US 270 /SH-3 | Southern end of US-183/US-270/SH-3 concurrency | |||
| Woodward | 144.8 | 233.0 |  US 183 / US 270 /US 412 / SH-3 | Northern end of US-183/US-270/SH-3 concurrency | ||||
| | 146.3 | 235.4 |  SH-34C | Western terminus of SH-34C | ||||
| | 174.4 | 280.7 |  US 64 | Western end of US-64 concurrency | ||||
| Woods | | 177.9 | 286.3 | US 64 | Eastern end of US-64 concurrency | |||
| Oklahoma–Kansas state line | 188.3 | 303.0 | K-1 continues north into Kansas | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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 State Highway 34A | |
|---|---|
| Location | Willow |
| Length | 1.00 mi[10] (1.61 km) |
| Existed | c. 1943[11]–present |
SH-34A is a 1.00-mile (1.61 km) spur connecting SH-34 with Willow, north of Mangum.[10] The highway begins at the west edge of Willow and follows Main Street east as it bisects the town. East of the town limits, the highway intersects US-283/SH-34 and ends.[4][12]
SH-34A first appeared on the 1944 state highway map.[11]
 State Highway 34B | |
|---|---|
| Location | Brinkman |
| Length | 1.03 mi[10] (1.66 km) |
| Existed | c. 1943[11]–present |
SH-34B is a 1.03-mile (1.66 km) spur connecting SH-34 with Brinkman, north of Mangum.[10] The highway follows Main Street from unincorporated Brinkman to US-283/SH-34.[13]
SH-34B first appeared on the 1944 state highway map.[11]
 State Highway 34C | |
|---|---|
| Location | Boiling Springs State Park |
| Length | 4.52 mi[14] (7.27 km) |
| Existed | c. 1947[15]–present |
SH-34C is a 4.52-mile (7.27 km) spur connecting SH-34 with Boiling Springs State Park north of Woodward.[14] The highway heads east from SH-34, curving northeast near the park's golf course, before making a sharp turn toward the northeast. The highway ends on the west side of the park, with an access road continuing through it; on the east side of the park, the access road intersectsSH-50B at its western terminus.[16]
The road that is currently SH-34C first appeared on the 1948 state highway map asSH-15A. At this time, the highway began at US-183/US-270/SH-15/SH-34 in Woodward and headed north, then turned east north of the city and headed to Boiling Springs State Park.[15] When SH-34 was realigned north of Woodward on November 1, 1954, it took over the portion of SH-15A in Woodward, severing the highway's link to its parent.[2] SH-15A had been renumbered as SH-34C by 1956.[17] By 1957, the highway was extended east, passing through the park and continuing onward to SH-50. However, by 1959, the road through the park had been removed from the state highway system; the segment of highway east of the park was renumbered to SH-50B.[18]
