From Dallas to Tulsa

I have a question. I am coming to Tulsa in a few weeks and need to know what the easiest way is to get there. I had planned to take 35 up thru DFW and OK city then go on the turnpike to Tulsa. A few other maps are saying to go on 75 after Dallas. I will be driving by myself and need to have the safest and fastest way there. Am I right in assuming that on 75 I would have to deal with going and slowing down for smaller cities along the way . Thanks for anyone who has done this and can tell me whick is indeed fastest.

From Dallas to Tulsa

Mapquest indicates that the US-75 route is not only the shortest, but also the fastest. 257 miles and 4.5 hours.

Using I-35 and then I-44 makes the trip 5.25 hours and 310 miles.

Which is the safest?

Define safest? :)

I believe that whole route as defined on Mapquest is 4 lane divided highway (Check out Google Earth for satellite photos) except where it passes through some towns.

It should be as safe as any other route.

From Dallas to Tulsa

As far as the time involved, it normally takes me about the same amount of time to go via I-35 %26amp; I-44 as it does on Hwy 75. Of course, that assumes that you don%26#39;t run into road construction or other problems. The time difference is typically not enough to make any real difference. I always felt that I-35/I-44 was the safest, simply because it is a controlled-access highway (meaning on-ramps and off-ramps, rather than crossing intersections) for the entire route. Hwy 75 is 4-lane almost all the way, but unless it%26#39;s changed recently, there are still a few short stretches of 2-lane, and it is not a controlled access highway, once you get out of Texas. On one occasion, I came within inches of having a very serious accident on Hwy 75, because of a car stopped in the fast (inside) lane, waiting to make an illegal left turn. The other downside to the Hwy 75 route is that you must drive through several small towns, with traffic lights and local police looking for out-of-towners going just a bit too fast. Of course, the local police and the highway patrol cruise the interstates too, but on those I usually just set my cruise control, so I don%26#39;t inadvertently go too fast, but that%26#39;s harder to do on 75, since you are passing through towns, and small towns seem to enjoy reducing the speed limit dramatically before you actually get to town, so that if you aren%26#39;t paying attention to the speed signs, you can find yourself going 65 or 70 in a 40 MPH zone. That%26#39;s probably a good source of revenue for them. A couple of other things to consider are that I-35 takes you through the center of Oklahoma City, which can have pretty heavy traffic and slow-going, if you get there during the rush periods, and I-44 is a toll road (costs about $3.50 or $4.00).

I%26#39;ve made the trip many times, using both routes, and frankly, it%26#39;s always been a toss-up for me. I usually choose the route depending upon whether I feel like driving through the countryside (Hwy 75), or just want to set the cruise control and ';get there'; (I-35/I-44). Neither route is particularly scenic, but if pressed, I%26#39;d have to say that Hwy 75 is probably a bit (but only a bit) more interesting than I-35/I-44.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.That is exactly what I was looking for. Coming from South Texas and it looks like about a 9-10 hour drive from where I live.Considering I am working all day Friday, then trying to get as close to Tulsa as I can before stopping for night, I just want to set cruise and go. Where I live in SouthTexas I get to San Antonio in 2 hours, but the last 40 minutes is stop and start with lights, small towns etc. I will stick to 35 and 44. Thank you so much as I do not want to have to keep a close on on speed limits, although I never speed, just set cruise and go.

Are you really in Russia???????

Just to clarify - using the US-75 route, once you get to Hugo Oklahoma (not too far from the Texas border) you will be on the Indian Nation Turnpike - a 4-lane limited access divided highway. This lasts until you reach Henryetta, about 105 miles, where you will get onto US-75 once again.

From Henryetta to Tulsa it%26#39;s only 52 miles.

Speed limit on the Indian Nation Turnpike is 75 mph.

Thanks modcon.When i looked on map,maybe i saw turnpike and thought it was a smaller road, not turnpike. I thought only I 10 thru Texas had 75 mph, so that may help.

Sure thing. I%26#39;m not sure about US-75 from Dallas to the Texas/Oklahoma border (and on to Hugo), but the stretch from Henryetta to Tulsa is 4-lane divided.

I think the Indian Nation is the reason the trip using that route is not shorter time than the I-35/I-44 route.

IMO, the biggest drawback to the US-75 route is you still have to go through a few towns from Dallas to Hugo and then a couple from Henryetta to Tulsa.

Good luck deciding!

Sorry - I said ';not shorter time'; and I meant to write ';NOW shorter time';.

Fat fingers of mine.

:)

A couple of clarifications/corrections.

You%26#39;ll be on US 75 leaving Dallas, which will join with US 69 by Sherman. When 75 goes north at Atoka, you will stay on 69. At McAlester, you%26#39;ll get on the Indian Nations (not at Hugo as Modcon suggested) which will lead you back to 75 at Henryetta.

This route IS four lane all the way, Spyder, and has been for quite some time. You will have some small town slow downs, particularly at Atoka, Henryetta, Okmulgee, and near Tulsa, but only Okmulgee take too long to get through. Beware of Stringtown, which is a major speed trap.

As far as which route, it would depend for me on where in Dallas to where in Tulsa, and it would depend on what time of day I was going to pass through OKC. Cost is also a factor; you%26#39;ll save 100 miles (round trip) which could easily be $12 in gas, and the tolls will also be less on that small portion of the Nations than on the length of the Turner.

twoprof, I am actually in south texas, 4-5 hours from dallas, so when going thru dfw may take the fort worth part and go that way on 35.Would hit Ok city on saturday,after stopping for night as far as I can get before being too tired.As far as tulsa, concert is somewhere in middle of city, i believe(Cains Ballroom). May take kids to see the OKC memorial ,time permitting..Would it be easy to get to?