Tulsa was settled between 1828 and 1836 by the Lochapoka band ofCreek Native Americans, and was formally incorporated in 1898. Most of Tulsa is still part of the territory of theMuscogee (Creek) Nation. Northwest Tulsa lies in theOsage Nation whereas North Tulsa is within theCherokee Nation.[8][a][9]
Historically, a robust energy sector fueled Tulsa's economy; however, today the city has diversified and leading sectors include finance, aviation, telecommunications and technology.[10] Two institutions of higher education within the city have sports teams at theNCAA Division I level: theUniversity of Tulsa andOral Roberts University. As well, theUniversity of Oklahoma has a secondary campus at the Tulsa Schusterman Center, andOklahoma State University has a secondary campus located in downtown Tulsa. For most of the 20th century, the city held the nickname "Oil Capital of the World" and played a major role as one of the most important hubs for theAmerican oil industry.[11]
It is situated on theArkansas River in the western foothills of theOzark Mountains, south of theOsage Hills (which extend into Northwest Tulsa[12][13]) in northeast Oklahoma, a region of the state known as "Green Country".[14] Considered the cultural and arts center of Oklahoma,[15] Tulsa houses two accredited art museums, full-time professional opera and ballet companies, and one of the nation's largest concentrations ofart deco architecture.[16]
The area where Tulsa now exists is consideredIndian Territory, on the land of theKiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Wahzhazhe Ma zha (Osage),Muscogee (Creek), andCaddo tribes, among others.[17][18] It was initially named after a Muscogee settlement in the southeastern United States calledTvlahasse with the short formTallasi in theMuscogee language, which becameTullahassee orTallise inSpanish.Etvlwv ahassee means "old town" in the Muscogean language.[19] In 1540,Hernando de Soto became the first European to visit and document the original Tulsa in the southeast.[20][21] Tvlahasse was a member of theCreek Confederacy and had a strong relationship with the town of Locvpokv[b] and members of the two towns largely settled together afterIndian Removal and theTrail of Tears in modern-day Tulsa.[22]
Although Oklahoma was not yet a state during theCivil War,Indian Territory saw its share of fighting.[28] TheBattle of Chusto-Talasah took place onBird Creek, and several battles and skirmishes took place in nearby counties.[29] After the War, the tribes signedReconstruction treaties with the federal government that in some cases required substantial land concessions.[30] In the years after the Civil War and around the turn of the century, the area along the Arkansas River that is now Tulsa was periodically home to or visited by a series of colorful outlaws, including the legendaryWild Bunch and theDalton Gang.[31]
On August 7, 1882, the town was almost centered at a location just north of the current Whittier Square, when a construction crew laying out the line of theSt. Louis-San Francisco Railroad chose that spot for a sidetrack serving ranchers.[32][33][34] However, an area merchant persuaded them to move the site further west into the Muscogee Nation, which had friendlier laws for white business owners.[32][35] On January 18, 1898, Tulsa was officially incorporated and electedEdward E. Calkins as the city's first mayor.[36]
Tulsa was still a micro town near the banks of theArkansas River when P.L. Crossman and his crew successfully drilled oil on land nearRed Fork on the late night of June 24, 1901.[37] Much of the oil was discovered on land whose mineral rights were owned by members of theOsage Nation under a system of headrights. By 1905, the discovery of the grandGlenn Pool Oil Reserve (located approximately 15 miles or 24 kilometers south of downtown Tulsa and site of the present-day town ofGlenpool) prompted a rush of entrepreneurs to the area's growing number of oil fields, such asAndrew Mellon,John D. Rockefeller, andHarry Ford Sinclair.[38] Oil companies likeTexaco and Rockefeller's Prairie Oil and Gas Company moved their headquarters to Tulsa starting in 1909.[39] Tulsa's population swelled to over 140,000 between 1901 and 1930.[40]
A map of Tulsa in 1920
Known as the "Oil Capital of the World" for most of the 20th century, the city's success in the energy industry prompted construction booms in the popularArt Deco style of the time.[11] Profits from the oil industry continued through theGreat Depression, helping the city's economy fare better than most in the United States during the 1930s.[41] During the Depression, oil prices in Tulsa were usually between $1.00 and $1.18 per barrel from 1934 to 1940.[42]
In the early 20th century, Tulsa was home to the "Black Wall Street", one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States at the time.[43] Located in theGreenwood neighborhood, it was the site of theTulsa Race Massacre, said to be "the single worst incident ofracial violence in American history",[44] in which mobs of White Tulsans killed Black Tulsans, looted and robbed the Black community, and burned down homes and businesses.[43] Sixteen hours of massacring on May 31 and June 1, 1921, ended only when National Guardsmen were brought in by the governor. An official report later claimed that 23 Black and 16 White citizens were killed, but other estimates suggest as many as 300 people died, most of them Black.[43] Over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, and an estimated 1,000 Black people were left homeless as 35 city blocks, composed of 1,256 residences, were destroyed by fire. Property damage was estimated at$1.8 million.[43] Efforts to obtain reparations for survivors of the violence have been unsuccessful, but the events were re-examined by the city and state in the early 21st century, acknowledging the terrible actions that had taken place.[45]
Cain's Ballroom came to be known as the "Carnegie Hall of Western Swing"[46] in the early 20th century.
In 1922, Tulsa city voters approved nearly $7 million in bonds to construct theSpavinaw Dam, in response to oil drilling causing pollution in the Arkansas River.[47] Completed in 1924, the dam was then the third most expensive municipal works project in the U.S.[48]
In 1925, Tulsa businessmanCyrus Avery began his campaign to create a road linkingChicago toLos Angeles by establishing theU.S. Highway 66 Association in Tulsa, earning the city the nickname the "Birthplace of Route 66".[49][50] Avery also influenced the construction of U.S. routes64 and75 through Tulsa.[48]
Known for popularizingwestern swing music,Bob Wills and his group,The Texas Playboys, began their long performing stint in Tulsa in the 1930s. Radio stationKVOO began broadcasting Wills and the Playboys' concerts in 1934.[51] In 1935,Cain's Ballroom became the base for the group.[46][51] The venue continued to attract famous musicians through its history, and is still in operation today.[46]
DuringWorld War II, the economy in Tulsa expanded beyond oil to aircraft. In 1941, Tulsa voters overwhelmingly approved, by nearly 80 percentage points, a $750,000 bond to finance a 1,000-acreDouglas Aircraft Company plant near theTulsa Municipal Airport. The plant opened in 1942.[52]Skelly Oil presidentJ. Paul Getty also began living in a concrete bunker in 1942 to supervise hisSpartan Aircraft Company.[53] Having done millions in business during World War II, the Douglas and Spartan Aircraft plants remained active after the war thanks to continuing U.S. government contracts, which would reach the billions by the end of theCold War.[54]American Airlines took over a former Douglas facility in 1946 and moved its entire fleet to Tulsa by 1950.[55] The 1950s also saw Texaco and other oil companies move their headquarters from Tulsa toHouston, which Danney Goble described as "Tulsa's rightful heir as the oil capital".[56]
In an article in the June 1957 issue ofReader's Digest,Daniel Longwell named Tulsa "America's Most Beautiful City" for, as Goble described in 1997, "its landscaped airport" and "gaily decorated public buildings" among other architecture.[57]
For the rest of the mid-20th century, the city had a master plan to construct parks, churches, museums, rose gardens, improved infrastructure, and increased national advertising.[11][58] In 1962, Tulsa County voters approved expansions of the county's libraries and a 1.9-mill library levy.[59]Thanks to companies providing supplies ranging from paper clips to heavy machinery to aircraft manufacturers, Tulsa had the most manufacturing jobs in Oklahoma by the early 1970s.[60]
A national recession greatly affected the city's economy in 1982, as areas of Texas and Oklahoma heavily dependent on oil suffered thefreefall in gas prices due to a glut, and a mass exodus of oil industries.[61] Tulsa, heavily dependent on the oil industry, was one of the hardest-hit cities by the fall of oil prices.[61] By 1992, the state's economy had fully recovered,[61] but leaders worked to expand into sectors unrelated to oil and energy.
In 2003, the "Vision 2025" program was approved by voters, to enhance and revitalize Tulsa's infrastructure and tourism industry. The keystone project of the initiative, theBOK Center, was designed to be a home for the city's minor league hockey and arena football teams, as well as a venue for major concerts and conventions. The multi-purpose arena, designed by famed architectCesar Pelli, broke ground in 2005[62] and was opened on August 30, 2008.[63]
In July 2020 the Supreme Court ruled inMcGirt v. Oklahoma that as it pertains to criminal law much of eastern Oklahoma, including Tulsa, remains as Native American lands.[64] Specifically, prosecution of crimes by Native Americans on these lands falls into the jurisdiction of thetribal courts andfederal judiciary under theMajor Crimes Act, rather than Oklahoma's courts.[65] The Supreme Court further clarified the scope of tribal jurisdiction inOklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, finding that regarding crimes committed by non-Native Americans on native lands, federal and state courts would hold joint jurisdiction.[66]
Tulsa is located in the northeastern corner ofOklahoma between the edge of theGreat Plains and the foot of theOzarks in a generally forested region of rolling hills. The city touches the eastern extent of theCross Timbers, anecoregion offorest andprairie transitioning from the drier plains of the west to the wetter forests of the east.[67] With a wetter climate than points westward, Tulsa serves as a gateway to "Green Country", a popular and official designation for northeast Oklahoma that stems from the region's green vegetation and relatively large number of hills and lakes compared to central and western areas of Oklahoma,[68] which lie largely in the drierGreat Plains region of the Central United States. Located near the western edge of theU.S. Interior Highlands, northeastern Oklahoma is the most topographically diverse part of the state, containing seven of Oklahoma's 11 eco-regions[69] and more than half of its state parks.[70] The region encompasses 30 lakes or reservoirs[71] and borders the neighboring states ofKansas,Missouri, andArkansas.
The city developed on both sides of the prominentArkansas River, which flows in a wide, sandy-bottomed channel. Its flow through Tulsa is controlled by reservoirs atKeystone Lake, and a low-water dam was built atZink Lake in downtown Tulsa to maintain a full channel at all times. This dam deteriorated and eventually failed, and was repaired and reopened in 2014.[72][73][74]
Heavily wooded and with abundant parks and water areas, the city has several prominent hills, such as "Shadow Mountain" and "Turkey Mountain", which create varied terrain, especially in its southern portions. While its central and northern sections are generally flat to gently undulating, theOsage Hills extension into the northwestern part of the city further varies the landscape. Holmes Peak, north of the city, is the tallest point in theTulsa Metro area at 1,360 ft (415 m)[75] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 186.8 square miles (484 km2), of which 182.6 square miles (473 km2) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km2) (2.24%) is water.
ThePhiltower, built in the lateGothic Revival style, is surrounded by contemporary office buildings.
A building boom in Tulsa in the early 20th century coincided with the rise of art deco architecture in the United States.[41] Most commonly in the zigzag andstreamline styles,[41] the city's art deco is dotted throughout its older neighborhoods, primarily in downtown and midtown. A collection of large art deco structures such as theMid-Continent Tower, theBoston Avenue Methodist Church,Will Rogers High School, and thePhiltower, have attracted events promoting the preservation and architectural interest.[citation needed]
In addition, the city's early prosperity funded the construction of many elegant Craftsmen, Georgian, storybook, Tudor, Greek Revival,Italianate,Spanish revival, and colonial revival homes (many of which can be found in Tulsa's uptown and Midtown neighborhoods). Noted architects and firms working in Tulsa during this period include Charles Dilbeck,[76]John Duncan Forsyth, andNelle Peters.
Growth in the twentieth century gave the city a larger base of contemporary architectural styles, including several buildings by famed Tulsa architectsBruce Goff andAdah Robinson. ThePrairie School was very influential in Tulsa:Barry Byrne designed Tulsa's Christ the King Church and, in 1927,Frank Lloyd Wright's midtown Tulsa residential projectWesthope was completed. In particular, the middle of the 20th century brought a wealth of modern architecture to Tulsa. Tulsa's Mies-trained modernistRobert Lawton Jones designed many buildings in the region, including the Tulsa International Airport.[77] Other noted modernists working in Tulsa include the pioneering Texas architectO'Neil Ford[78] andJoseph R. Koberling Jr., who had also been active during the art deco period. South, East, and Midtown Tulsa are home to a number of the ranch and Mid-Century Modern homes that reflect Tulsa's prosperous post-war period.
TheBOK Tower, built during this period, is the second tallest building in Oklahoma and the surrounding states of Missouri,New Mexico,Arkansas, and Kansas.[79] Tulsa also has the third-, and fourth-tallest buildings in the state, including theCityplex Tower, which is located in South Tulsa across from Oral Roberts University, far from downtown.[80] One of the area's unique architectural complexes, Oral Roberts University, is built in aPost-Modern Futuristic style, incorporating bright gold structures with sharp, jetting edges and clear geometric shapes. TheBOK Center, Tulsa's new arena, incorporates many of the city's most prominent themes, including Native American, art deco, and contemporary architectural styles.[81] Intended to be an architectural icon,[82] the building was designed byCésar Pelli, the architect of thePetronas Towers inMalaysia.
Downtown Tulsa is an area of approximately 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) surrounded by an inner-dispersal loop created by Interstate 244, Highway 64, and Highway 75.[83] The area serves as Tulsa's financial and business district, and is the focus of a large initiative to draw tourism, which includes plans to capitalize on the area's historic architecture.[84] Much of Tulsa's convention space is located in downtown, such as theTulsa Performing Arts Center, theArvest Convention Center, and theBOK Center. Prominent downtown neighborhoods include theOil Capital Historic District, theBlue Dome, the Tulsa Arts district, andGreenwood, the site ofONEOK Field, a baseball stadium for theTulsa Drillers opened in 2010.[85][86][87] Neighborhoods surrounding downtown includeOwen Park,The Pearl,The Heights, and Kendall-Whittier.
TheArkansas River marks the division between West Tulsa and other regions of the city.
The city's historical residential core lies in an area known as Midtown, containing upscale neighborhoods built in the early 20th century with architecture ranging from art deco toGreek Revival. Midtown includes the neighborhoods ofMaple Ridge,Swan Lake,Cherry Street,Brookside and Lortondale. The University of Tulsa,Philbrook Museum, theGathering Place andUtica Square are located in this region.
A large portion of the city's southern half has developed since the 1970s, containing low-density housing and retail developments. This region, marked by secluded homes and suburban neighborhoods, contains one of the state's largest shopping malls,Woodland Hills Mall, as well asSouthern Hills Country Club, and Oral Roberts University. East of Highway 169 and north of 61st street, a diverse racial makeup marks the eastern portions of the city, with largeAsian andMexican communities and much of the city's manufacturing industry.
Tulsa has atemperate climate of thehumid subtropical variety (Köppen:Cfa) with a yearly average temperature of 61.3 °F (16.3 °C) and average precipitation of just under 41 inches (1,000 mm) per year. Average monthly precipitation is lowest from December to February, and peaks dramatically in May, which averages 5.9 inches (150 mm) of rainfall. Early June can still be wet, but late June through the end of August is frequently dry. On average, Tulsa experiences a secondary rainfall peak in September and early October. As is typical of temperate zones, weather patterns vary by season with occasional extremes in temperature and rainfall.[89]
Primarily in the spring and early summer months, the city is subjected to severethunderstorms containing largehail, damaging winds, and, occasionally,tornadoes,[89] providing the area with a disproportionate share of its annual rainfall.[90] Severe weather is not limited to this season, however. For instance, on December 5, 1975, and on December 24, 1982, Tulsa experienced tornadoes.[89] Due toits potential for major flooding events, the city has developed one of the most extensive flood control systems in the nation.[91] A comprehensive flood management plan was developed in 1984 following a severe flood caused by a stalledweather front that dropped 15 in (380 mm) of rain overnight, killing 14, injuring 288, and destroying 7,000 buildings totaling$180 million in damage.[91] In the early 1990s[91] and again in 2000,[92] theFederal Emergency Management Agency honored Tulsa as leading the nation in flood plain management.Triple-digit temperatures (>100 °F (38 °C)) are observed on average 11 days per year, most of which occur from July to early September,[93] and are usually accompanied by high humidity brought in by southerly winds.[89] The highest recorded temperature was 115 °F (46 °C) on August 10, 1936.[94] Lack of air circulation due to heat and humidity during the summer months leads to higher concentrations ofozone, prompting the city to release "Ozone Alerts", encouraging all parties to do their part in complying with theClean Air Act andUnited States Environmental Protection Agency standards.[95] The autumn season is usually short, consisting of pleasant, sunny days followed by cool nights.[93] Winter temperatures, while generally mild, dip below 10 °F (−12 °C) on average three nights per year, and occasionally below 0 °F (−18 °C), the most recent such occurrence being a −2 °F (−19 °C) reading on January 16, 2024.[96] The average seasonal snowfall is 8.7 inches (22.1 cm) with the record highest seasonal snowfall of 26.1 inches (66.3 cm) occurring in the winter of 2010–2011. Only three winters on record have officially recorded trace amounts or no snowfall, the most recent being 1910–11.[96] The lowest recorded temperature was −16 °F (−27 °C) on January 22, 1930.
Climate data for Tulsa, Oklahoma (Tulsa Int'l), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present[c]
AnEF2 tornado struck Tulsa early on the morning of Sunday, August 6, 2017.[99][100] The funnel touched down just after 1 A.M. near 36th Street and Harvard Avenue, then traveled in an easterly direction for about six minutes. The heaviest property damage occurred along 41st Street between Yale Avenue and Sheridan Road. Two restaurants,TGI Friday's andWhataburger, were particularly hard hit, with several people being sent to hospitals for treatment.[101] The Whataburger was later bulldozed, and rebuilt in 2019.[102]
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2010 census, there were 391,906 people, 163,975 households, and 95,246 families residing in the city, with a population density of 2,033.4 inhabitants per square mile (785.1/km2) There were 185,127 housing units at an average density of 982.3 per square mile (379.3/km2). Of 163,975 households, 27% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. Of all households, 34.5% are made up of only one person, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 people and the average family size was 3.04.[108]
In the city proper, the age distribution was 24.8% of the population under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older, while the median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males, while for every 100 females over the age of 17 there were 90.4 males. In 2011, the median income for a household in the city was $40,268 and the median income for a family was $51,977. The per capita income for the city was $26,727. About 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line.[108] Of the city's population over the age of 25, 29.8% holds a bachelor's degree or higher, and 86.5% have a high school diploma orequivalent.[108][110]
The Tulsametropolitan area, or the region immediately surrounding Tulsa with strong social and economic ties to the city,[111] occupies a large portion of the state's northeastern quadrant. It is informally known as "Green Country", a longstanding name adopted by the state's official tourism designation for all of northeastern Oklahoma (its usage concerning the Tulsa Metropolitan Area can be traced to the early part of the 20th century).[112]
TheU.S. Census Bureau defines the sphere of the city's influence as the Tulsametropolitan statistical area (MSA), spanning seven counties: Tulsa,Rogers, Osage, Wagoner,Okmulgee,Pawnee, andCreek. The 2020 U.S. census shows the Tulsa MSA to have 1,015,331 residents[113] The 2020 U.S. census shows the Tulsa-Muscogee-Bartlesville CSA to have 1,134,125 residents.[114][115]
Tulsa has a large conservative following, with the majority of Tulsans being Christians. The second-largest religion in Tulsa is Islam, followed by Buddhism and Judaism.[116]
While the state of Oklahoma has fewer Roman Catholics than the national average,[119]Holy Family Cathedral serves as the Cathedral for the Diocese of Tulsa.
Tulsa is also home to the largest Jewish community in Oklahoma, with active Reform, Conservative and Orthodox congregations.[120] Tulsa'sSherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art offers the largest collection of Judaica in the South-Central and Southwestern United States.
Chùa Tam Bào (Vietnamese: "Three Jewels Temple"), then Oklahoma's only Buddhist temple, was established in east Tulsa in 1993 by Vietnamese refugees. A 57-foot-tall (17 m) granite statue of Quan Âm (commonly known by her Chinese name,Guanyin) is located in the grounds.[124]
Tulsa experienced elevated levels of gang violence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, whencrack cocaine flooded neighborhoods in North Tulsa. Tulsa gang problems became noticeable after an outbreak of gang-related crime between 1980 and 1983, which was traced to the Crips, a local gang which had been founded by two brothers whose family had recently moved to Oklahoma fromCompton.[125] In 1986, gang graffiti started to show up on walls and drive-by shootings started occurring on late nights.[126] In 1990 the city hit a record of 60 homicides, the highest since the 1981 peak.[127] North Tulsa has the highest crime rate in the city, with public housing projects being the most heavily affected areas.,[128][129] theBroken Arrow murders took place on July 22, 2015, when five members of the Bever family were murdered inBroken Arrow, Oklahoma.[130] the attackers were identified as 18 year-old Robert Bever and 16 year-old Michael Bever.[131] On June 1, 2022, amass shooting occurred in a medical center, killing at least 4 people, including the perpetrator.[132]
TheUnited States Oil and Gas Association was founded in Tulsa on October 13, 1917.[133] Over the city's history many large oil companies have been headquartered in the city, including Warren Petroleum (which merged withGulf Oil in what was then the largest merger in the energy industry),Skelly Oil,Getty Oil andCITGO. In addition,ConocoPhillips was headquartered in nearbyBartlesville. Industry consolidation and increased offshore drilling threatened Tulsa's status as an oil capital, but new drilling techniques and the rise of natural gas have buoyed the growth of the city's energy sector.
Tulsa has diversified to capitalize on its status as a regional hub with substantial innovation assets. Products from Tulsa manufacturers account for about sixty percent of Oklahoma's exports,[134] and in 2001, the city's totalgross product was in the top one-third of metropolitan areas, states, and countries, with more than$29 billion in total goods, growing at a rate of$250 million each year.[135]
Tulsa's primary employers are small and medium-sized businesses: there are 30 companies in Tulsa that employ more than 1,000 people locally,[136] and small businesses make up more than 80% of the city's companies.[137]
During a national recession from 2001 to 2003, the city lost 28,000 jobs.[134] In response, a development initiative,Vision 2025, promised to incite economic growth and recreate lost jobs. Projects spurred by the initiative promised urban revitalization, infrastructure improvement, tourism development, riverfront retail development, and further diversification of the economy. By 2007, employment levels had surpassed pre-recession heights[134][138] and the city was in a significant economic development and investment surge.[139] This economic improvement is also seen in Tulsa's housing trends which show an average of a 6% increase in rent in 2010.[140] Since 2006, more than 28,000 jobs have been added to the city. The unemployment rate of Tulsa in August 2014 was 4.5%.[141][142]
Though the oil industry has historically dominated Tulsa's economy, efforts in economic diversification have created a base in the sectors ofaerospace, finance, technology, telecommunications,high tech, and manufacturing.[10] A number of substantial financial corporations are headquartered in Tulsa, the largest being theBOK Financial Corporation. Among these financial services firms are energy trading operations, asset management firms, investment funds, and a range of commercial banks. The national convenience store chainQuikTrip, fast-casual restaurant chainCamille's Sidewalk Cafe, and pizza chainMazzio's are all headquartered in Tulsa, as is Southern regional BBQ restaurantRib Crib. Tulsa is also home to theMarshall Brewing Company.
Tulsa's aerospace industry is substantial and growing. AnAmerican Airlines maintenance base at Tulsa International Airport is the city's largest employer and the largest maintenance facility in the world, serving as the airline's global maintenance and engineering headquarters.[143] American Airlines announced in February, 2020 that it will pour $550 million over seven years into its maintenance base, this being the largest single economic development investment in city history.[144] TheTulsa Port of Catoosa and the Tulsa International Airport house extensive transit-focused industrial parks.[145][146] Tulsa is also home to a division ofLufthansa, the headquarters ofOmni Air International, and theSpartan College of Aeronautics and Technology.
Tulsa is also part of the Oklahoma-South Kansas Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) industry cluster, a region which awarded funding by the U.S.Small Business Administration to build on its progress as a hub this emerging industry.[147]
As the second largest metropolitan area in Oklahoma and a hub for the growingNortheastern Oklahoma-Northwest Arkansas-Southwestern Missouri corridor, the city is also home to a number of the region's most sophisticated law, accounting, and medical practices. Its location in the center of the nation also makes it a hub for logistics businesses; theTulsa International Airport (TUL) and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, connect the region with international trade and transportation.
Amazon recently announced plans to build a more than 600,000-square-foot fulfillment center near Tulsa International Airport. The company will invest an estimated $130 million for this state-of-the-art facility, which will employ around 1,500 people with an annual payroll of roughly $50 million.[148]
Tulsa culture is influenced by the nearbySouthwest,Midwest, andSouthern cultural regions, as well as a historical Native American presence. These influences are expressed in the city's museums, cultural centers, performing arts venues, ethnic festivals, park systems, zoos, wildlife preserves, and large and growing collections of public sculptures, monuments, and artwork.[149]
The 170-acreTulsa Botanic Garden is a public flower garden and arboretum with art works and water features, also dedicated to preserving the native environment of theCross Timbers forest and prairie.[152]
On the west bank of the Arkansas River in the suburb ofJenks, theOklahoma Aquarium is the state's only freestanding aquarium, containing over 200 exhibits, including a shark tank.[153]
In addition, the city hosts a number of galleries, experimental art-spaces, smaller museums, and display spaces located throughout the city (clustered mostly in downtown, Brookside, and the Pearl District). Living Arts of Tulsa, in downtown Tulsa, is among the organizations dedicated to promoting and sustaining an active arts scene in the city.
Opened in April 2013, theWoody Guthrie Center in the Tulsa Arts District is Tulsa's newest museum and archive. In addition to interactive state-of-the-art museum displays, theWoody Guthrie Center also houses the Woody Guthrie Archives, containing thousands of Guthrie's personal items, sheet music, manuscripts, books, photos, periodicals, and other items associated with the iconic Oklahoma native.[154] The archives of Guthrie-protégé, singer-songwriterBob Dylan are also displayed at theBob Dylan Center which opened May 10, 2022 and housesThe Bob Dylan Archive.[155]
Since 1969, public displays of artwork in Tulsa have been funded by one percent of its annual city budget.[149] Each year, a sculpture from a local artist is installed along the Arkansas River trail system, while other sculptures stand at local parks, such as an enlarged version ofCyrus Dallin'sAppeal to the Great Spirit sculpture atWoodward Park.[149] At the entrance to Oral Roberts University stands a large statue of praying hands, which, at 60 feet (18 m) high, is the largest bronze sculpture in the world.[157] As a testament to the city's oil heritage, the 76-foot (23 m)Golden Driller guards the front entrance to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds. Tulsa has a number of exhibits related toU.S. Route 66, including The Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, located next to the east entrance of the historic11th Street Bridge. The Plaza contains a giant sculpture weighing 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) and costing $1.178 million[158] called "East Meets West" of the Avery family riding west in aFord Model T meeting an eastbound horse-drawn carriage.[159] At the west end of the bridge, Avery Plaza Southwest, includes replicas of three prominent neon signs from Tulsa-area Route 66 motels from the era, being the Will Rogers Motor Court, Tulsa Auto Court, and the Oil Capital Motel.[160] Tulsa has also installed "Route 66 Rising", a 70 by 30 ft (21 by 9 m) sculpture on the road's eastern approach to town at East Admiral Place and Mingo Road.[161] In addition, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile (42 km) route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos, and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers.[162] The markers are mostly along the highway's post-1932 alignment down 11th Street, with some along the road's 1926 path down Admiral Place.[162]
The largestaugmented reality mural in the world, "The Majestic", a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) work which adorns two sides of the Main Park Plaza at 410 S. Main downtown, was completed in October 2021.[164] The $230,000 project was created by Los Angeles-based artists Ryan "Yanoe" Sarfati andEric "Zoueh" Skotnes.[164] The mural becomes animated when viewed through a smartphone camera.[164]
The flag of Tulsa is considered one of the most attractive city flags in the United States. In 2023, it became one of two city flags to receive an A+ rating from the North American Vexillological Association.[165]
TheTulsa City Council voted to adopt the new city flag in 2018 following a campaign from local community.[166] The design incorporates adreamcatcher to represent the Tulsa settlement under theCouncil Oak Tree. The colorred is meant to represent the people who died in the Tulsa race massacre, the color blue represents theArkansas River, the gold represents the discovery of "black gold", or oil.[166]
Several concert venues, dance halls, and bars gave rise to the Tulsa music scene, most notablyCain's Ballroom, a world-renounded concert venue considered the birthplace ofWestern Swing,[168] housed the performance headquarters ofBob Wills and theTexas Playboys during the 1930s. The centerpiece of the downtown Brady Arts District, theBrady Theater, is the largest of the city's five operating performing arts venues that are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[169] Its design features extensive contributions by American architectBruce Goff.
Large performing arts complexes include theTulsa Performing Arts Center, which was designed byWorld Trade Center architectMinoru Yamasaki, theCox Business Center, the art decoExpo Square Pavilion, theMabee Center, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center for Education, and the River Parks Amphitheater and Tulsa's largest venue, the BOK Center. Ten miles west of the city, an outdoor amphitheater called "Discoveryland!" holds the official title of the world performance headquarters for the musicalOklahoma!.[170]
The river parks trail system traverses the banks of the Arkansas River.
Tulsa Zoo encompasses a total of 84 acres (34 ha) with over 2,600 animals representing 400 species.[171] The zoo is located in 2,820-acre (1,140 ha) Mohawk Park (the third largest municipal park in the United States) which also contains the 745-acre (301 ha) Oxley Nature Center.[88][172]
TheTulsa State Fair, operating in late September and early October, attracts over one million people during its 10-day run.[173] A number of other cultural heritage festivals are held in the city throughout the year, including the Intertribal Indian Club Powwow of Champions in August; Scotfest, India Fest, Greek Festival, and Festival Viva Mexico in September; ShalomFest in October; Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival in November; and the Asian-American Festival in May. The annual Mayfest arts and crafts festival held downtown was estimated to have drawn more than 365,000 people in its four-day run in 2012.[174] On a smaller scale, the city hosts block parties during a citywide "Block Party Day" each year, with festivals varying in size throughout city neighborhoods.[175] Tulsa has one major amusement park attraction, Paradise Beach Waterpark[176] (formerly Safari Joe's H2O Water Park, formerly Big Splash Water Park), featuring multi-story water slides and large wave pools. Until 2006, the city also hostedBell's Amusement Park, which closed after Tulsa County officials declined to renew its lease agreement.[177]
The largest library system in the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, theTulsa City-County Library, contains over1.7 million volumes in 25 library facilities.[185] The library is active in the community, holding events and programs at most branches, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, business and job assistance, and scholarly databases with information on a variety of topics.[186] TheMcFarlin Library at the University of Tulsa is afederal depository library holding over three million items.[187] Founded in 1930, the library is known for its collection of Native American works and the original works of Irish authorJames Joyce.[187] The Tulsa City-County Library and the University of Tulsa's Law Library are also federal depository libraries, making Tulsa the only city in Oklahoma with more than two federal depository libraries.[188] The Tulsa City County Library's Downtown branch was massively renovated and opened to the public on Saturday, October 1, 2016.
Tulsa restaurants and food trucks offer a number of cuisines, but several cuisines are particularly prominent in its culinary landscape because of its distinctive history.
Tulsa is known nationally for its barbecue offerings; its barbecue reflects its midpoint location "between pig country and cow country", that is, in the transition zone between the South and the West.[189] The city's barbecue is also helped by its geography; the wood used in barbecuing is abundant in Northeastern Oklahoma (includingpecan,oak,hickory,mesquite andmaple). The region's ethnic diversity is felt, too: its BBQ traditions bear the influences of white, African-American and American Indian foodways.[190]Tulsa is also home to the nationally acclaimed premium smoker manufacturer Hasty-Bake Company. Some Tulsa based barbecue joints have expanded even beyond the state's borders, including Leon's Smoke Shack,Rib Crib andBilly Sims Barbecue. The prize-winningOklahoma Joe's was founded by Oklahoman Joe Davidson, who mastered his craft at Tulsa's T-Town BBQ Cook-Off.[191]
Oklahoma barbecue is also unique in its emphasis on hickory-smokedbarbecue bologna, nicknamed "Oklahoma tenderloin", and itsfried okra.[192]
Lebanese steakhouses were once numerous in the region stretching fromBristow, Oklahoma to Tulsa, but now mostly exist in the Tulsa region.[193] These restaurants were founded bySyrian andLebanese families who immigrated to Oklahoma before statehood.[194] Traditionally, many of these restaurants had live entertainment (including performers likeElla Fitzgerald and theInk Spots) and featured Mediterranean dishes liketabbouleh, ricepilaf andhummus alongside local favorites like smoked BBQbologna.
Oklahomans have been consuming chili since well before statehood, owing to the influence ofMexican-American culture on the state.[195] In 1910, iconic Tulsa restaurant Ike's Chili Parlor opened and Ivan "Ike" Johnson is purported to have acquired his recipe from a Latino-Texan named Alex Garcia.
Greek immigrants to Tulsa who came by way ofBrooklyn,Pennsylvania andMichigan brought with them the tradition ofConey Island-style hot dogs with chili on a bun.[196] Today, a related group ofGreek-American families operate Coney restaurants around the city, includingConey I-Lander which opened in 1926 and was described by food writersJane and Michael Stern as perfectly delivering "the cheap-eats ecstasy that is the Coney's soul".[197] Many of these restaurants sell Greek food, either year round or at Tulsa's annual Greek Holiday, sponsored by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (which dates to 1925).[198]
By and large, Tulsa's traditional cuisine reflects the influence of Southern foodways, particularly "upland South and... Texas where many of Oklahoma's nineteenth-century population originated."[199] The prominence of certain foods reflects the agricultural heritage of the surrounding regions. For instance, at the suggestion of experts at what is nowOklahoma State University, peanuts became a major crop in now eastern Oklahoma as a means for lessening the reliance on cotton cultivation.[200]Chicken-fried steak is part of the state meal of Oklahoma and is the signature dish at a number of Tulsa restaurants.[201][202]
Tulsa is home to the Oklahoma Sugar Arts Show, a premier sugar craft competition hosted by Tulsa-basedFood Network personalityKerry Vincent.[205] Tulsa is also home to the nationally renowned Pancho Anaya Mexican bakery, recognized byFood & Wine as one of America's 100 best bakeries.[206] Tulsa is home to several national dessert companies:Daylight Donuts was founded in Tulsa and remains headquartered there, as is the Bama Pie Company. In 2025,Country Bird Bakery received theJames Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef/Baker.[207]
Brewing in Tulsa dates back to at least the late 1930s with the Ahrens Brewing Company and their Ranger Beer line. The Ahrens Brewing Company opened in May 1938.[208] Tulsa's craft beer scene has boomed since legislation passed allowing for microbreweries to serve the public directly (Tulsa's first microbrewery in the post-World War II era wasMarshall Brewing Company in 2008).[209]
The centerpiece of the Vision 2025 projects, theBOK Center, opened in August 2008.
Tulsa supports a wide array of sports at the professional and collegiate levels. The city hosts two NCAA Division I colleges and multiple professionalminor league sports teams in baseball, football, hockey, and soccer.[210] From 2010 to 2015, Tulsa had aWNBA team called theTulsa Shock.
In 2008, Tulsa funded $39.2 million to build a new ballpark in the Greenwood District near downtown for the Drillers. The ground breaking was held on December 19, 2008. ONEOK bought the naming rights for$10 million for the next 25 years. The first game at ONEOK Field was held on April 8, 2010. Country music starTim McGraw threw out the first pitch.[211]
The 19,199-seatBOK Center is the centerpiece of the Vision 2025 projects and was completed in August 2008; the BOK Center was in the top ten among indoor arenas worldwide in ticket sales for the first quarter of 2009 when it was the home for the city'sTulsa ShockWNBA,Tulsa Talons arena football, andTulsa Oilers ice hockey teams; as of 2022, the Oilers are the sole remaining tenant.[212]
The University of Tulsa also boasts one of the nation's top tennis facilities, theMichael D. Case Tennis Center, which hosted the 2004 and 2008 NCAA tennis championships. The Golden Hurricane Tennis program has a string of success, including men's Missouri Valley championships in 1995 and 1996, men's Conference USA championships in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 and women's Conference USA championships in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. In 2007, Tulsa's top-ranked playerArnau Brugués-Davi ranked as high as #1 in the nation and a four time All-American, advanced to the quarterfinals of the singles competition at theNCAA Men's Tennis Championship, improving on his 2006 round of sixteen appearances.
Tulsa also hosts two golf courses designed by famed golf course architectA.W. Tillinghast: the Oaks Country Club and Tulsa Country Club. TheTom Fazio-designed Golf Club of Oklahoma is located just outside of Tulsa.
Saint Francis Tulsa Tough Ride and Race is a three-day cycling festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It features both non-competitive riding through scenic areas around theTulsa Metropolitan Area and professional level races. It is held each year on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the second weekend in June. Just as popular as the biking itself is the weekend-long festivities at Crybaby Hill, for it is held in the Riverview District.[222][223] TheBlue Dome District hosts its race on the first night and takes riders down East 2nd Street. The race has participants riding at fast speeds through crowded streets lined with cheering spectators, live music, and several vendors. Events include the Men's Cat 3, Women's Pro 1/2, Men's 1/2 and Men's Pro 1.[224]
The University of Tulsa football team competes at the NCAA Division I level.
Inmotorsports, Tulsa annually hosts theChili Bowl indoor race at theTulsa Expo Center. The race was initially sponsored by the Chili Bowl food company of Bob Berryhill. The race has since accommodated "over two hundred race rigs, bleachers for thousands of people and an ever-growing trade show".[225]
As of 2016[update], the city of Tulsa manages 134 parks spread over 8,278 acres (3,350 ha).[226][227]Woodward Park, a 45-acre (18 ha) tract located in midtown Tulsa, doubles as abotanical garden, featuring the Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden, with more than 6,000 rose plants in 250 varieties, and theLinnaeus Teaching Gardens, which demonstrate the latest and most successful techniques for growing vegetables, annuals, perennials, woody plants and groundcovers.[228]
Some Tulsa-area parks are run by Tulsa County Parks. These include the 270-acre (110 ha) LaFortune Park in Midtown Tulsa,[229] and the 192-acre (78 ha) Chandler Park.[230]
Some parks are under the Tulsa River Parks Authority. These include a series of linear parks that run adjacent to the Arkansas River for about 10 miles (16 km) from downtown to the Jenks bridge. Since 2007 a significant portion of the River Parks area has been renovated with new trails, landscaping, and playground equipment. The River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area on the west side of the Arkansas River in south Tulsa is a 300-acre (120 ha) area that contains over 45 miles (72 km) of dirt trails available for hiking, trail running, mountain biking and horseback riding.
Gathering Place is a 66-acre (27 ha) park which features a playground, lodge, boathouse, splash playground, sports courts, skate park, wetland pond and garden, trails, classrooms, and amphitheatre.[231][232][233][234]
Tulsa has a number of cycling trails,[235] and has installed protected bike lanes in parts of the downtown area.[236] Additional efforts to expand this infrastructure have been included as part of the city's "GoPlan".[237][238]
The Tulsa City Hall serves as the base for most city government functions.
Amayor-council government has been in place in Tulsa since 1989, when the city converted from acity commission government deemed wasteful and less efficient.[239] Since the change, Tulsa mayors have been given more power in accordance with astrong mayoral system and have greater control of a more consolidated array of governmental branches.[239]Plurality voting is used to elect mayors, who serve a term in office of four years. The present mayor of Tulsa is DemocratMonroe Nichols, who won the 2024 mayoral election and took office on December 2, 2024.[240] Another Tulsa political figure,Jim Inhofe, who represented Oklahoma in theUnited States Senate for 30 years, served as the mayor of Tulsa early in his political career.[241]
A city councilor from each of the city's nine council districts is elected every two years, each serving a term of two years. Councilors are elected from their own respective districts based on a plurality voting system, and serve on the Tulsa City Council. As a whole, the council acts as the legislative body of the city government, which aims to pass laws, approve the city budget, and manage efficiency in the city government. In accordance with the mayor-council form of government, the Tulsa City Council and the office of the Mayor coordinate in city government operations. A third body of the government, the city auditor, is elected independently of the city council and mayor to ensure that the auditor can act in an objective manner. The auditor is elected for a term of two years.[239] Phil Wood, a Democrat, held the position for 21 years before being defeated by Republican Preston Doerflinger in the 2009 election.[242] The city serves as the seat of county government for Tulsa County, and lies mostly withinOklahoma's 1st congressional district, with its far northwestern areas in southern Osage County inOklahoma's 3rd congressional district. Municipal and state laws are enforced in Tulsa by theTulsa Police Department, an organization of 781 officers as of 2012[update].[243][244]
Tulsa Public Schools, with nine high schools and over 41,000 students, is the second-largest school district in Oklahoma.[245] In 2006, there were more than 90,000 students attending Tulsa County's public schools.[186]
ThePresbyterian Church (PCUSA) established the Presbyterian Mission Day School, a one-story building at what would become the intersection of 4th Street and Boston Avenue in 1884. A second story was soon added to accommodate the number of children who were to attend. This school operated until 1889.[254] When Tulsa incorporated in 1899, it took over the school, which became the first public school. James M. Hall and three other men bought the property with their own funds and held the title until the city could reimburse them.[254][255]
Tulsa built its first two public schools in 1905. The construction of more schools began accelerating in 1906. In December 1907, control of the public schools passed from the city government to the Tulsa Board of Education.[254]
Tulsa High School opened in 1906 on the same block formerly occupied by the Presbyterian mission school, which had been razed. The new school was a three-story cream colored brick building with a dome. The school was accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges in 1913. It proved too small by 1916, when Tulsa voters approved a bond issue to construct a new high school at Sixth Street and Cincinnati Avenue, which was renamedCentral High School. The north half of this facility opened in 1917, while the south half opened in 1922.[256] The building remained in this service until 1976, when it was replaced by a new building on West Edison Street. The old building was taken over by the Public Service Company of Oklahoma.[254]
The first institute of higher education was established in Tulsa when Kendall College, a Presbyterian school, moved fromMuskogee to Tulsa in 1907. In 1920, the school merged with a proposed McFarlin College to become theUniversity of Tulsa (abbreviated as TU). The McFarlin Library of TU was named for the principal donor of the proposed college, oilmanRobert M. McFarlin.[citation needed]
The Graduate Center houses Oral Roberts University's graduate college.
Tulsa has 15 institutions of higher education, including two private universities: the University of Tulsa, a school founded in 1894, andOral Roberts University, a school founded by evangelistOral Roberts in 1963.[citation needed]
TheUniversity of Tulsa has an enrollment of 3,832 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2021.[257] In addition to doctoral and masters programs, TU is home to theUniversity of Tulsa College of Law and the Collins College of Business. TU also manages the famousGilcrease Museum in northwest Tulsa and hosts the Alexandre Hogue Gallery on its main campus.[citation needed]
Oral Roberts University is acharismatic Christian institution with an enrollment of 5,109 undergraduate and graduate students.[258]
Both of the state's flagship research universities have campuses in Tulsa:[citation needed]
Oklahoma State University houses three campuses in the city, theOSU Center for Health Sciences, the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, andOSU – Tulsa, accommodating upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses. OSU-Tulsa has an advanced materials research facility and is home to the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers.[citation needed]
TheUniversity of Oklahoma operates what is known as the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center, offering bachelors, master's, and doctoral degree programs in conjunction with the main campus in Norman and the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. The OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center also houses theOU School of Community Medicine, the first medical school of its kind in the United States.[citation needed]
Rogers State University inClaremore, Oklahoma, is the Tulsa area's original public, undergraduate-focused, four-year university.Tulsa Community College (TCC), the largest community college in Oklahoma, operates four campuses spread across the area as well as a conference center in Midtown,[259] and has a partnership allowing students to complete four-year bachelor's degrees through OU-Tulsa, OSU-Tulsa, LU-Tulsa and NSU-Broken Arrow.[260] Tulsa also has a Tulsa branch ofLangston University, the onlyhistorically black college or university in the state, founded in 1897. Tulsa previously had a branch campus ofSt. Gregory's University, a Catholic university with its main campus inShawnee, Oklahoma; however, that school went into bankruptcy in 2017.New York University operates a study away center in Tulsa for its students.
Among trade schools located in Tulsa areCommunity Care College (including branches Oklahoma Technical College and Clary Sage College),[263] Holberton School Tulsa, Tulsa Welding School (Tulsa Campus) andTulsa Tech.[264]
Tulsa's leading newspaper is the dailyTulsa World, the second-most widely circulated newspaper in Oklahoma with a Sunday circulation of 189,789.[265]
The Tulsa Voice is anAlt-Weekly newspaper covering entertainment and cultural events. Covering primarily economic events and stocks, theTulsa Business Journal caters to Tulsa's business sector. Other publications include theOklahoma Indian Times, theTulsa Daily Commerce and Legal News, theTulsa Beacon,This Land Press, and theTulsa Free Press. The first black-owned newspaper was theTulsa Star, which ceased publication when its office burned during the Tulsa race massacre. It was succeeded by theOklahoma Eagle, which began publishing using the press salvaged from theStar's office.[266]
Until 1992, theTulsa Tribune served as a daily afternoon newspaper competing with theTulsa World. The paper was acquired by theTulsa World that year.Urban Tulsa Weekly served as the city's alt-weekly paper from 1991 until its closure in 2013.[267]
Tulsa is also served by television and radio broadcasting networks. All major U.S. television networks are represented in Tulsa through localaffiliates in thedesignated market area (a region covering a 22-county area serving the northeastern and east-central portions of Oklahoma, and far southeastern Kansas); these includeNBC affiliateKJRH-TV (channel 2),CBS affiliateKOTV-DT (channel 6),ABC affiliateKTUL (channel 8),PBS station KOED-TV (channel 11, asatellite of the state-runOETA member network),CW affiliateKQCW-DT (channel 19),Fox affiliateKOKI-TV (channel 23),MyNetworkTV affiliateKMYT-TV (channel 41),Ion Televisionowned-and-operated stationKTPX-TV (channel 44). The market is also home to several religious stations includingTBN owned-and-operated stationKDOR-TV (channel 17), religious/secularindependent stationKWHB (channel 47), and Oral Roberts University-ownedKGEB (channel 53, which is distributed nationwide via satellite asGEB America).
Cable television service in the area is provided byCox Communications, which acquiredTele-Communications Inc. (TCI)'s franchise rights to the area in a $2.85 billion deal (which also included the purchase ofAT&T Broadband's Louisiana cable systems, minority ownership of TCA Cable TV systems in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, and TCI's Peak Cablevision systems in four other Oklahoma cities, and select markets in Arkansas, Utah and Nevada) in July 1999; Cox assumed control of TCI's Tulsa-area systems on March 15, 2000.[268][269]
The Tulsa Transit bus network, operating from its Denver Avenue Station transit center in downtown, helps meet city infrastructure needs.
Transportation in Tulsa is aided byMetroLink's bus network of 97 vehicles[270][needs update] and two primary airports, while theTulsa Port of Catoosa provides transportation of goods and industry through international trade routes.
In 2011, theOklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) reported that Tulsa's busiest freeway was US-169 with about 121,500 vehicles daily between 51st and 61st Streets, and its second busiest freeway was OK-51 with about 104,200 vehicles between Memorial and I-44.[271] Surrounding Downtown is the Inner Dispersal Loop (sometimes called the "I-D-L"), which connects Downtown with almost all the highways in Tulsa.
MetroLink (formerly Tulsa Transit), the city'stransit bus operator, runs buses on 18 different routes across Tulsa and in surrounding suburbs such asBroken Arrow,Sand Springs andJenks. Tulsa Transit has two stations: the Memorial Midtown Station at 7952 East 33rd Street in Midtown Tulsa, and the Denver Avenue Station at 319 South Denver, across from theBOK Center inDowntown. Most routes go through one or both of the stations, facilitating the commute to work and events inDowntown or Midtown. Buses stop at specific stops such asTulsa Community College,Oklahoma State University-Tulsa,CityPlex Towers, Cox Communications, the variousmedical facilities in Tulsa, and many shopping destinations, hotels, and schools. The bus schedules are periodically changed; votes are taken by Tulsa Transit to help decide the particulars of certain routes.[272] Tulsa debuted its firstbus rapid transit line, Aero on Peoria Avenue, in November 2019.[273] The service has more frequent buses, upgraded stations, and faster travel times.[274]
An American Eagle aircraft in new livery at Tulsa International Airport
Tulsa International Airport, which has service on twelve commercial airlines (eight passenger and four cargo ones), serves more than three million travelers annually, with almost 80 departures every day.[146] In 2007, the airport completed most of an expansion project, which included larger terminal sizes and the addition of restaurants and shops. In 2011, the airport opened the newly renovated Concourse B, complete with skylights, open gate holds, an average of 76 ways to charge a device per gate, and much more. Concourse A is under renovation.[146]Richard L. Jones Jr. Airport (also known as Jones-Riverside Airport) ageneral aviation airport in West Tulsa, saw 335,826 takeoffs and landings in 2008, making it the busiest airport in Oklahoma and the fifth-busiest general aviation airport in the nation.[277] Its operations contribute over$3.2 million to the economy annually.[277] The Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust also manages theOkmulgee Regional Airport inOkmulgee, Oklahoma, further to the south of Tulsa.[278][279]
Tulsa Union Depot servedFrisco,M-K-T andSanta Fe passenger trains until the 1960s. The Santa Fe continued service through use of its own station until 1971.[282] There are no mass transit rail lines in Tulsa, but the prospect of passenger rail lines fromDowntown Tulsa to the suburb ofBroken Arrow has been studied.[283]
Long-distance passenger rail transportation today serves Tulsa only throughGreyhound bus lines, which provide bus connections to nearby cities withAmtrak stations.[284] A private proposal to re-establish passenger service between Oklahoma City and Tulsa via a train called theEastern Flyer fell through in 2019.[285] However, in early 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration released an interim report on its ongoing Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study regarding fifteen new or previously discontinued rail routes under consideration for federal funding, which included a proposed route from Oklahoma City to Tulsa, and on from Tulsa to St. Louis in one direction and Kansas City in another.[286]
In 2010 Saint Francis completed a new Children's Hospital.
The Saint Francis Health System owns several hospitals with a central location at Saint Francis Hospital in the southern part of the city. The facility contains 700 doctors and 918 beds,[291] and with more than 7,000 employees, the network is the second-largest healthcare employer in the state.[292] The health system also operates a heart hospital, which was named byGeneral Electric in 2004 one of the most advanced heart hospitals in the nation.[293] St. John Medical Center, located in an 11-story midtown center, employs nearly 700 doctors.[294] Other networks, such as Hillcrest Health System, operate a number of facilities of various sizes.[295] Beginning in 2007, the city elected to renew a five-year contract withEMSA for ambulance service after a period spent contemplating a switch to theTulsa Fire Department for the provision of such services.[296]
In accordance with the Tulsa Global Alliance, which operates in conjunction withSister Cities International, an organization that began under PresidentDwight Eisenhower in 1956, Tulsa has nine internationalsister cities in an attempt to foster cross-cultural understanding:[300]
^According to the July 2020 US Supreme Court rulingMcGirt v. Oklahoma, much of eastern Oklahoma, including most of Tulsa, are part of various Indian reservations for the purpose of federal criminal prosecutions. Tribe members may also be exempt from certain regulations issued by non-tribal governments.[8]
^abcEverly-Douze, Susan (August 27, 1989)."What's Doing in Tulsa?".The New York Times.Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. RetrievedJuly 4, 2025.
^Hughes, Michael A. (2010)."Chusto-Talasah, Battle of".The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. RetrievedJuly 4, 2025.
^abc"Oil and Gas Briefing"(PDF). Oklahoma Department of Commerce. January 23, 2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on June 14, 2007. RetrievedApril 27, 2007.
^"BOK Center". Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau. Archived fromthe original on May 9, 2007. RetrievedApril 20, 2007.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).www.census.gov. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on September 18, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Martino, Justin (May 26, 2016)."The Heartland of BBQ".Oklahoma Magazine. Archived fromthe original on August 7, 2016. RetrievedAugust 14, 2016.We're right in the heartland," says Nick Corcoran, pit master at Burn Co. Barbeque in Tulsa. "We're right between pig country and cow country, so we get the best of both worlds. We're also right between Kansas and Texas, two known barbecue meccas as well, so we get a melding of those two pots.
^Wilson, Linda D."Barbecue".Oklahoma Historical Society. RetrievedAugust 14, 2016.
^Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2009).500 Things to Eat Before it's Too Late:and the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.ISBN978-0-547-05907-5.
^"Home". Allen-Bowden School District. RetrievedSeptember 19, 2025.7049 Frankoma Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74131 - The postal address city name is "Tulsa, OK" but this does not have bearing on what municipality a place is located in or whether it is in a municipality.The City of Houston stated: "The U.S. Postal Service establishes ZIP codes and mailing addresses in order to maximize the efficiency of their system, not to recognize jurisdictional boundaries."
^Barth, Jack (1991).Roadside Hollywood: The Movie Lover's State-By-State Guide to Film Locations, Celebrity Hangouts, Celluloid Tourist Attractions, and More. Contemporary Books. Page 134.ISBN9780809243266.
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