  Cherokee Turnpike | |
|---|---|
 Cherokee highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained byOklahoma Turnpike Authority | |
| Length | 32.8 mi[1] (52.8 km) |
| Existed | 1991–present |
| Component highways |  US 412 entire length |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | US 412 west ofLocust Grove |
| East end |  US 59 /US 412 west ofWest Siloam Springs |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| Counties | Mayes,Delaware |
| Highway system | |
| |
TheCherokee Turnpike is acontrolled-accesstoll road in easternOklahoma. Opened in 1991, the route is a four-lane freeway carryingUS-412 from east ofKansas, Oklahoma, to east ofChouteau, and has a total length of 32.8 miles (52.8 km)[1] and a speed limit of 80 mph (130 km/h). As of November 2025, The Cherokee Turnpike is the easternmost road in the United States with a posted 80 mph speed limit.
An alternate route,US-412 Alternate, provides a free but not controlled-access route through the towns bypassed by the Turnpike with only a 55 mph (89 km/h) speed limit.
The turnpike begins by branching off US-412 east of theGrand River inMayes County. The turnpike carries US-412 for its entire length; the old alignment of US-412, which was also at one timeState Highway 33, is now US-412 Alternate. The Cherokee Turnpike runs within a close distance of US-412 Alternate for its entire length. The turnpike generally varies only a few degrees from true east–west throughout its entire route.
The turnpike's first exit is a diamond interchange withState Highway 82 just south ofLocust Grove. From this point, the road travels 11 miles (18 km) without another exit.[1] During this interval, the highway crosses from Mayes intoDelaware County. Just after crossing the county line, the Cherokee has its second exit, again meeting US-412 Alternate southeast ofRose. This second exit is apartial cloverleaf with loop ramps in the northwest, northeast, and southwest quadrants.
Continuing east, the turnpike passes through a barrier toll plaza. The final exit, another 11 miles (18 km) from the US-412 Alternate exit, occurs north ofKansas, Oklahoma atUS-59/SH-10, which is another diamond interchange. After this interchange, US-412 Alternate crosses over the turnpike with no interchange. The median gradually widens again as US-412 Alternate, now concurrent with US-59, crosses under the westbound lanes and begins running through the median. The eastbound lanes eventually merge with US-59/US-412 Alternate. This marks the eastern terminus of both the Cherokee Turnpike and US-412 Alternate. US-59 and mainline US-412 continue east towardWest Siloam Springs, Oklahoma, where they split, and US-412 crosses the state line intoSiloam Springs, Arkansas.
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The Cherokee Turnpike resulted from the same 1987 compromise between urban and rural legislators that resulted in theKilpatrick,Creek, andChickasaw Turnpikes. The turnpike opened to traffic in 1991.[1]
An Oklahoma Tourism Information Center is located on the turnpike near the Kansas exit, 13 miles (21 km) from the Arkansas–Oklahoma state line. Free coffee is available at the tourism center.[2]
Law enforcement along the Cherokee Turnpike is provided byOklahoma Highway Patrol Troop XD, a special troop assigned to the turnpike.[3]
A two-axle vehicle currently pays $5.70(PikePass holders pay less) to drive the full length of the Turnpike.[1] This is equivalent of a toll of 17 cents per mile. Drivers in vehicles with more than two axles, such as truckers, pay higher tolls.[1]
Tolls are collected for eastbound traffic upon exiting at Locust Grove and Leach, and entry at Kansas. Westbound traffic must pay toll upon exit at Kansas and entry at Leach and Locust Grove. All traffic passing through the barrier toll west of the Kansas exit must pay toll, regardless of direction.[2]
.svg) Future Interstate 42 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Interstate 35 toSpringdale, Arkansas |
| Length | 190 mi (310 km) |
On May 20, 2021,SenatorJim Inhofe,Republican of Oklahoma, introduced legislation to designate the portion of US-412 between I-35 in Noble County andI-49 inSpringdale, Arkansas as future Interstate 42. (I-42)[4][5] The bill, titled the "Future Interstate in Oklahoma and Arkansas Act" (S. 1766), was cosponsored by senatorsJohn Boozman andTom Cotton, both Republicans of Arkansas. The senators' stated reasons for seeking an Interstate designation along the US-412 included encouraging economic development, expanding opportunities for employment in the region, making travel safer and shipping easier, attracting new businesses, and better connecting rural and urban communities. Other supporters of the measure include themayor of Tulsa,G. T. Bynum, and the heads of both ODOT and theArkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT).[6] The language of the bill was later included in theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). Interstate 42 (I-42) was the proposed designation but was withdrawn.[7] ArDOT and ODOT later resubmitted the application to the Spring 2024 meeting; AASHTO approved the route as Interstate 42, conditional on it being upgraded toInterstate standards.[8]
| County | Location | mi[9] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayes | | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 412 continues west | ||
| | 0.0 | 0.0 |  US 412 Alt. | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| Locust Grove | 6.2 | 10.0 | 6 |  SH-82 –Locust Grove,Tahlequah | ||
| Delaware | | 17.1 | 27.5 | 17 | US 412 Alt. –Rose,Leach | |
| | 19.7 | 31.7 | Toll plaza | |||
| | 28.3 | 45.5 | 28 |  US 59 /SH-10 –Kansas,Tahlequah | ||
| | 32.6 | 52.5 | US 59 /US 412 Alt. | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| | 32.6 | 52.5 | US 59 /US 412 continue east | |||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
