Catoosa, OK Road Trips
Plan drives from Catoosa, OK with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
3
Longest Drive
120.4 mi
Oklahoma City, OK
Quickest Drive
34m
Hisle, OK
Plan Around Catoosa, OK
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Trips from Catoosa, OK
Catoosa, OK by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
7,631
Median Income
$70,875
Median Home Value
$169,000
Median Age
37.5
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Catoosa, OK
Catoosa is a city in Green Country, Oklahoma, on historic Route 66. It had a population of about 7,000 in 2018. It is home to a large statue of a blue whale, Oklahoma's largest casino, and a huge Native American art market.
It is home to the Port of Catoosa, part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas Navigation System (MCKARNS) which connects Northeast Oklahoma to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The Cherokee Nation controlled the region during the 19th century. After the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad laid tracks in the early 1880s, the community became a cow town, with the establishment of William Halsell's Bird Creek Ranch. The name of the city is derived from the Cherokee language, phonetically pronounced "Ga-du-si" or "Ga-tu-si". Various interpretations of this word exist, including: "between two hills", "on the hill", "into the hills", and possibly signifying a prominent hill or place thereon. Catoosa was home to Bluford "Blue" Duck, the infamous outlaw depicted in Lonesome Dove. He is buried in Dick Duck Cemetery at the intersection of 193rd and Pine street.
1 Blue Whale, Rt. 66 (6 miles south of Claremore). Large blue whale in a swimming hole as novelty architecture. Picnic area. 2 Tulsa Port of Catoosa, 5350 Cimarron Road, ☏ +1 918 266-2291. 8AM-4:30PM weekdays. Maritime Education Center with videos and a small artefact collection describing the Port’s history and economic impact on Oklahoma. The furthest inland, ice-free international seaport in America serves as head of navigation for the 445-mile McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which leads to the Mississippi River. A self-guided driving tour of the port is permitted (M-F 8AM-4:30PM) but you must remain in your vehicle. free. D W Correll Museum, 19934 E Pine St, ☏ +1 918 266-3612. Collection of minerals and bottles and automobiles. (updated Oct 2021) Catoosa Historical Museum, 217 S Cherokee St #201, ☏ +1 918 266-3296. Caboose and vintage recreated buildings holding displays on past. (updated Oct 2021)
Hard Rock Casino and Resort (Formerly the Cherokee Casino) (Off Highway 51 and I-44, You'll know it when you see it), toll-free: +1-800-760-6700. 24 hours. Billed as Oklahoma's largest casino, this Neo-Art-Deco-styled monolith is always under construction. 1 Redbud Valley Nature Preserve, 16150 Redbud Dr, ☏ +1 918 596-9054. Nature Conservancy center, with hiking and natural habitat. Rock cliffs and caves make for interesting views. (updated Oct 2021) Cherokee Art Market (inside the Sequoyah Grand Ballroom in the Hard Rock Casino and Resort). 10AM-5PM. The largest annual Native American art market in the Great Plains. (1st-2nd weeks October) Free. Catoosa LibertyFest (turn off Route 66 into a park along the Verdigris River). Patriotic sort of carnival/festival with fireworks.
Hampton Inn & Suites Tulsa/Catoosa, 100 McNabb Field Rd, Catoosa, ☏ +1 918-739-3939. Indoor pool. Tent $21-25, RV $25-35, cabin $38-40. Hard Rock Casino
Travel tips adapted from Catoosa on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
Trips to Catoosa, OK
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