Oklahoma State Highway 51

{{Short description|State highway in Oklahoma, United States}} {{Use American English|date=April 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox road | state = OK | type = SH | route = 51 | maint = ODOT | map = Ok-51 path.png | established = June 1, 1927 | decommissioned = | history = | length_mi = 332.8 | direction_a = West | terminus_a = {{jct|state=TX|US|60}} at the Texas state line near Higgins, TX | junction = {{plain list| * {{jct|state=OK|I|35}} in Orlando * {{jct|state=OK|I|244}} in Tulsa * {{jct|state=OK|I|444}} in Tulsa * {{jct|state=OK|I|44}} in Tulsa * {{jct|state=OK|Turnpike|Muskogee}} in Broken Arrow}} | direction_b = East | terminus_b = {{jct|state=AR|AR|244}} at the Arkansas state line near Tolu, AR | counties = Ellis, Dewey, Blaine, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne, Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair | previous_type = SH | previous_route = 50 | next_type = SH | next_route = 52 }}

'''State Highway 51''', abbreviated to '''SH-51''' or '''OK-51''', is a major state highway in Oklahoma, United States. It runs for {{convert|332.8|mi|km}} east–west across the state, running from the Texas state line to Arkansas. It is the third-longest state highway in the system.

==Route description==

===Texas to I-35=== [[Image:060us seiling.jpg|thumb|left|SH-51 meets many different highways in Seiling]] SH-51 begins at the Texas line concurrent with US-60 just east of Higgins, Texas. It remains concurrent for {{convert|61|mi|km}} until it reaches US-270/US-281/SH-3 at Seiling, Oklahoma. At Seiling, SH-51 joins with those three highways for {{convert|9|mi|km|spell=in}} before splitting off on its own.

{{convert|11|mi|km|spell=In}} after splitting off, Highway 51 meets SH-58 in Canton. It then continues east, crossing the North Canadian River and meeting SH-51A before turning northeast toward Okeene, where it intersects SH-8. SH-51 will go for {{convert|24|mi|km}} before intersecting another highway.

In Hennessey SH-51 meets US-81 before continuing eastward. {{convert|17|mi|km|spell=In}} later, it meets SH-74 north of Crescent. {{convert|11|mi|km|spell=In}} to the east, it shares a brief concurrency with US-77; {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=In}} later it has an interchange at Interstate 35 at Exit 174.

===I-35 to Tulsa=== After crossing I-35, SH-51 becomes a multilane highway and a major corridor linking I-35 to Stillwater, the home of Oklahoma State University. Along this {{convert|13|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch is an intersection with SH-86. When SH-51 reaches Stillwater, it meets US-177.

Continuing east from Stillwater, the road returns to a two-lane highway at a {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on}} concurrency with SH-108, and intersects with SH-18 {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=In}} later. {{convert|4|mi|km|spell=In}} east of this, it passes through Yale, Oklahoma before crossing SH-99. It becomes a multilane highway again after SH-48. It turns into the "Mannford Freeway" before passing through the small towns of Mannford and Lotsee on its way toward the Tulsa area.

===Tulsa and beyond=== In Sand Springs, SH-51 crosses the Arkansas River with SH-97 before merging onto the Sand Springs Expressway (US-412/US-64). When this freeway ends at I-244 near downtown Tulsa, SH-51 merges onto I-244 southbound only to exit {{convert|1|mi|km}} later, where it runs concurrent with US-64/US-75. This freeway is actually Interstate 444, but the route is not signed as such. After one more mile, SH-51 leaves the interstate with US-64 and becomes the Broken Arrow Expressway, a freeway running northwest–southeast through Tulsa which is known as "The BA" by locals and local media. US-64 leaves the freeway as a concurrency with US-169 southbound. Later, SH-51 will exit the freeway and become a four-lane highway toward Coweta. The mainline freeway becomes the Muskogee Turnpike.

At Coweta, SH-51 turns back east after heading southeast through the Tulsa area. After crossing the Muskogee Turnpike again and bridging the Verdigris River the highway soon enters Wagoner, where it junctions with US-69. Returning once again to a 2-lane road, Highway 51 crosses Ft. Gibson Lake and the town of Hulbert. {{convert|11|mi|km|spell=In}} later, it passes through Tahlequah, where it has a brief concurrency with US-62/SH-10. After spitting with these highways, it heads southeast toward Stilwell, Oklahoma, running concurrent with US-59 for a mile on the way. After leaving Stilwell it provides access to Adair State Park, and then crosses the Arkansas line becoming Arkansas Highway 244, which quickly connects to Arkansas Highway 59.

==History== SH-51 was originally commissioned on June 1, 1927, as a connector from Stilwell to Eldon at SH-27 (present-day US-62).<ref name="odot-history">{{cite web|author=Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Planning & Research Division|url=http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/memorial/legal/sh51.htm|title=Memorial Dedication & Revision History - SH-51|access-date=February 19, 2007}}</ref> By 1928, it had been extended to Tulsa.<ref name="1928map">Oklahoma Department of Transportation. [http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/state-maps/pdfs/1928.pdf 1928 Highway Map].</ref> On June 15, 1933, it was extended to the east to the Arkansas state line, where it became AR-45.<ref name="odot-history"/>

ODOT extended SH-51 west to Stillwater and Perry (via a segment of roadway currently serving as US-177).<ref name="odot-history"/><ref name="1935map">Oklahoma Department of Transportation. [http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/state-maps/pdfs/1935.pdf 1935 Highway Map].</ref> On March 18, 1935, the section from Stillwater to Perry was rescinded and SH-51 was extended to SH-8 at Okeene.<ref name="odot-history"/><ref name="1937map">Oklahoma Department of Transportation [http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/state-maps/pdfs/1937.pdf 1937 Highway Map]</ref> It was then extended to Seiling on October 18, 1938. On March 23, 1943, it was extended to the Texas state line by a concurrency with US-60.<ref name="odot-history"/><ref name="ohc-action6">{{cite web|url=http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/memorial/highways/pdfs/us60/action6.pdf|title=Minutes—Dewey & Ellis Counties, Extension of SH #51|date=March 23, 1943|author=Oklahoma Highway Commission|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>

The Broken Arrow Expressway was built in the early 1960s<ref name="ba">{{cite web|url=http://www.brokenarrowok.gov/about/our_history.htm|author=The City of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma|title=Our History|access-date=April 11, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070405162311/http://www.brokenarrowok.gov/about/our_history.htm  |archive-date = April 5, 2007}}</ref> and opened in 1964.<ref name="odot-history"/> It was not, however, officially named the Broken Arrow Expressway until July 6, 1999 <ref name="odot-history-index">{{cite web|url=http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/memorial/htmls/listb.htm|title=Oklahoma's Memorial Highways and Bridges|author=Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Planning & Research Division|access-date=April 11, 2007}}</ref> by H.B. 1455.

The steel truss bridge carrying SH-51 across Stillwater Creek west of Stillwater, once considered the gateway into the city, was removed on March 25, 2008. In a first for the state of Oklahoma, the bridge, originally built in 1936, was sold to Payne County for $200,000 and transferred to a county road east of Stillwater, where it was installed over Council Creek.<ref name="oklahoman-bridgemove">{{cite news|title=One hefty recycling endeavor|last=Sutter|first=John David|date=March 26, 2008}}</ref>

==Major intersections== {{Unreferenced section|date=October 2022}} {{jcttop|length_ref=}} {{OKint |county=Ellis |cspan=4 |location=none |type=concur |mile=0.0 |road={{jct|state=TX|US|60|dir1=west|location1=Canadian}} |notes=Continuation into Texas; western end of US 60 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=none |type=concur |mile=6.7 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|283|dir1=north|city1=Shattuck}} |notes=Western end of US 283 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=Arnett |lspan=2 |mile=12.7 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|46|dir1=north}} |notes=Southern terminus of SH-46}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=13.7 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|283|dir1=south|city1=Cheyenne}} |notes=Eastern end of US 283 concurrency}} {{OKint |county=Dewey |cspan=5 |location=Vici |lspan=2 |type=concur |mile=39.6 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|34|dir1=north|city1=Woodward}} |notes=Western end of SH-34 concurrency}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=40.5 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|34|dir1=south|city1=Hammon}} |notes=Eastern end of SH-34 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=none |mile=58.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|183|city1=Woodward|city2=Taloga}} }} {{OKint |location=Seiling |mile=60.6 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=OK|US|60|dir1=east|US|270|dir2=west|US|281|dir3=north|OK|3|dir4=west|city1=Woodward|city2=Chester}} |notes=Western end of US-270/US-281/SH-3 concurrency; eastern end of US-60 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=Hucmac |type=concur |mile=69.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|270|dir1=east|US|281|dir2=south|OK|3|dir3=east|city1=Watonga}} |notes=Eastern end of US-270/US-281/SH-3 concurrency}} {{OKint |county=Blaine |location=Canton |lspan=3 |cspan=5 |mile=81.2 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|58A|dir1=north|location1=Canton Lake}} |notes=Southern terminus of SH-58A}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=82.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|58|dir1=south|city1=Eagle City}} |notes=Western end of SH-58 concurrecy}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=83.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|58|dir1=north|city1=Fairview}} |notes=Eastern end of SH-58 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=Southard |mile=88.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|51A|city1=Fairview|city2=Watonga}} }} {{OKint |location=Okeene |mile=98.9 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|8|city1=Fairview|city2=Watonga}} }} {{OKint |county=Kingfisher |cspan=2 |location=Lacey |mile=115.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|132|dir1=north|city1=Enid}} |notes=Southern terminus of SH-132}} {{OKint |location=Hennessey |mile=122.6 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|81|city1=Enid|city2=Kingfisher}} }} {{OKint |county=Logan |cspan=4 |location=none |mile=138.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|74E|dir1=north|city1=Marshall}} |notes=Southern terminus of SH-74E}} {{OKint |location=none |mile=140.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|74|city1=Covington|city2=Crescent}} }} {{OKint |location=none |type=concur |mile=151.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|77|dir1=north|city1=Perry}} |notes=Western end of US-77 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=none |type=concur |mile=151.3 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|77|dir1=south|city1=Guthrie}} |notes=Eastern end of US-77 concurrency}} {{OKint |county=Payne |cspan=7 |location=Orlando |mile=153.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|I|35|location1=Wichita|location2=Oklahoma City}} |notes=Exit 174 on I-35}} {{OKint |location=none |mile=157.3 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|86|dir1=north|city1=Perry}} |notes=Southern terminus of SH-86}} {{OKint |location=none |mile=162.0 |road=Road to Lake Carl Blackwell |notes=Southern terminus of the former SH-51C}} {{OKint |location=Stillwater |mile=170.4 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|177|city1=Ponca City|city2=Perkins}} }} {{OKint |location=none |type=concur |mile=177.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|108|dir1=north|city1=Glencoe}} |notes=Western end of SH-108 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=none |type=concur |mile=178.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|108|dir1=south|city1=Ripley}} |notes=Eastern end of SH-108 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=none |mile=186.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|18|city1=Pawnee|city2=Cushing}} }} {{OKint |county=Creek |cspan=3 |location=none |mile=197.6 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|99|city1=Jennings|city2=Oilton}} }} {{OKint |location=none |mile=208.2 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|48|city1=Cleveland|city2=Bristow}} }} {{OKint |location=none |mile=215.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|151|dir1=north}} |notes=Interchange; southern terminus of SH-151}} {{OKint |county=Tulsa |cspan=35 |location=Sand Springs |lspan=4 |type=concur |mile=224.3 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|97|dir1=south|city1=Sapulpa}} |notes=Western end of SH-97 concurrency}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=225.5 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|64|dir1=west|US|412|dir2=west|OK|97|dir3=north}} |notes=Eastern end of SH-97 concurrecy; western end of US-64/412 cocurrency; west end of freeway}} {{OKint |mile=226.3 |type=incomplete |road=Adams Road |notes=Westbound exit only}} {{OKint |mile=227.1 |road=South 81st West Avenue }} {{OKint |location=none |mile=228.3 |road=South 65th West Avenue }} {{OKint |location=none |mile=228.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|SH|344|dir1=south|name1=Gilcrease Expressway}} |notes=Northern terminus of SH-344 }} {{OKint |location=Tulsa |lspan=24 |mile=229.7 |road=North 49th West Avenue }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=231.0 |road=North 33rd West Avenue |notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance}} {{OKint |mile=231.1 |road=Gilcrease Museum Road, South 25th West Avenue }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=231.8 |road=Quanah Avenue |notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=232.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|I|244|dir1=east|US|412|dir2=east|road|L.L. Tisdale Parkway north|location1=Tulsa International Airport}} |notes=Eastern end of US-412 cocurrency; western end of I-244 concurrency; I-244 Exits 5B-C}} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=232.6 |road=2nd Street – Downtown Tulsa |notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; I-244 Exit 5A}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=232.9 |road={{jct|state=OK|I|244|dir1=west|US|75|dir2=south|location1=Oklahoma City}} |notes=Eastern end of I-244 concurrency; western end of I-444/US-75 concurrency; I-244 Exit 4B}} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=233.2 |road=Houston Avenue, Southwest Boulevard, 30th Street |notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance}} {{OKint |mile=233.6 |road=13th Street / Denver Avenue / Cheyenne Avenue }} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=234.3 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|75|dir1=north|name1=I-444|city1=Bartlesville}} |notes=Eastern end of I-444/US-75 concurrency}} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=234.8 |road=Detroit Avenue |notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance}} {{OKint |mile=234.9 |road=Utica Avenue }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=235.2 |road=Lewis Avenue |notes=No westbound exit}} {{OKint |mile=236.0 |road=East 15th Street }} {{OKint |mile=236.4 |road=East 21st Street }} {{OKint |mile=237.1 |road=Harvard Avenue }} {{OKint |mile=238.1 |road=East 31st Street, Yale Avenue }} {{OKint |mile=239.2 |road=Sheridan Road }} {{OKint |mile=239.6 |road={{jct|state=OK|I|44|OK|66|location1=Joplin|location2=Oklahoma City}} |notes=I-44 Exit 231}} {{OKint |mile=240.3 |road=Memorial Drive }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=241.1 |road=East 41st Street, Mingo Road |notes=No westbound exit}} {{OKint |mile=242.0 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=OK|US|64|dir1=east|US|169|city1=Bixby|city2=Owasso}} |notes=Eastern end of US-64 concurrency}} {{OKint |mile=242.9 |road=Garnett Road }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=243.4 |road=51st Street / 129th East Avenue |notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance}} {{OKint |location=Broken Arrow |lspan=5 |mile=244.8 |road=Aspen Avenue / 145th East Avenue }} {{OKint |mile=245.9 |road=Elm Place }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=247.0 |road=Lynn Lane |notes=No eastbound entrance}} {{OKint |mile=247.5 |road=Kenosha Street }} {{OKint |type=incomplete |mile=248.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|Turnpike|Muskogee|dir1=east|to2=to|Turnpike|Creek|city1=Muskogee}} |notes=Eastern end of freeway; no eastbound entrance; Muskogee Turnpike Exit 1}} {{OKint |county=Wagoner |cspan=4 |location=Coweta |lspan=2 |mile=258.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|72|dir1=south|city1=Haskell}} |notes=Northern terminus of SH-72}} {{OKint |mile=261.5 |road={{jct|state=OK|Turnpike|Muskogee|city1=Tulsa|city2=Muskogee}} |notes=Muskogee Turnpike Exit 13}} {{OKint |location=Wagoner |lspan=2 |mile=272.6 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|69|city1=Chouteau|city2=Muskogee}} }} {{OKint |mile=275.1 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|16|dir1=south}} |notes=Northern terminus of SH-16}} {{OKint |county=Cherokee |cspan=6 |location=Hulbert |mile=288.4 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|80|dir1=west|name1=South Broadway|location1=Fort Gibson Dam}} |notes=Eastern terminus of SH-80}} {{OKint |location=Tahlequah |lspan=3 |mile=297.3 |road={{jct|state=OK|SH-Spur|51|road|Choctaw Street}} |notes=Southwestern terminus of SH-51 Spur }} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=300.7 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|62|dir1=west|OK|10|dir2=south|OK|82|dir3=south|US-Bus|62|dab4=Tahlequah|dir4=north|city1=Muskogee|city2=Vian}} |notes=Western end of US-62/SH-10/82 concurrency; southern terminus of US BUS 62}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=303.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|82|dir1=north|US-Bus|62|dab2=Tahlequah|dir2=west|city1=Locust Grove}} |notes=Eastern end of SH-82 concurrency; northern terminus of US BUS 62}} {{OKint |location=none |type=concur |mile=305.0 |road={{jct|state=OK|OK|10|dir1=north|city1=Kansas}} |notes=Eastern end of SH-10 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=Eldon |type=concur |mile=310.7 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|62|dir1=east|city1=Westville}} |notes=Eastern end of US-62 concurrency}} {{OKint |county=Adair |cspan=3 |location=Stilwell |lspan=2 |type=concur |mile=324.8 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|59|dir1=north|city1=Westville}} |notes=Western end of US-59 concurrency}} {{OKint |type=concur |mile=325.7 |road={{jct|state=OK|US|59|dir1=south|city1=Sallisaw}} |notes=Eastern end of US-59 concurrency}} {{OKint |location=none |mile=332.8 |road={{jct|state=AR|AR|244|AR|59|to2=yes}} |notes=Eastern terminus; continuation into Arkansas}} {{jctbtm|keys=concur,incomplete}}

==Spurs== thumb|left|The SH-51 and SH-51A intersection in Southard, Oklahoma in 2023. Like many in the Oklahoma state highway system, SH-51 has short spurs branching from it that bear the "51" number with a lettered suffix:

* '''SH-51A''' ({{convert|23|mi|km|disp=sqbr}}) runs from SH-58 northeast of Canton to SH-8 near Roman Nose State Park. It is the longest suffixed highway in the system. * '''SH-51B''' ({{convert|18|mi|km|disp=sqbr}}) connects Coweta to US-69 north of Muskogee. It goes through the towns of Porter and Tullahassee. * '''SH-51C (decommissioned)''' ({{convert|1.7|mi|km|disp=sqbr}}) connected SH-51 west of Stillwater to Carl Blackwell Lake until it was decommissioned in 2005. * '''SH-51D (decommissioned)''' connected SH-51 south of Sand Springs with I-244 in Tulsa, running along Avery Drive and West 21st Street. It appeared on some ODOT maps as late as the 1970s, but is no longer shown.<ref name="traffic">Oklahoma Department of Transportation map, ''Average Daily Traffic Volume'', Tulsa inset, 1977.</ref> * In 2004, ODOT completed '''SH-51 Spur''', running for {{convert|3|mi|km}} as part of a loop through northwest Tahlequah, serving Tahlequah Municipal Airport, and ending at State Highway 82. It is currently the newest Oklahoma state highway. {{clear}}

==See also== *{{portal-inline|Oklahoma}} *{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Oklahoma State Highway 51}} * [http://roads.tulok.net/t-51.html SH-51 at Roadklahoma] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816164440/http://roads.tulok.net/t-51.html |date=August 16, 2007 }}

051 Category:Transportation in Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Ellis County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Dewey County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Blaine County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Logan County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Payne County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Creek County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Tulsa County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Wagoner County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Cherokee County, Oklahoma Category:Transportation in Adair County, Oklahoma