Skip to main content

Trip from Bushyhead, OK to Tulsa, OK

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

51m

Distance

41 mi

66 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

human settlement in Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States of America

Bushyhead, OK

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 41-mile drive from Bushyhead, OK to Tulsa, OK takes about 51 minutes and is perfect for a day trip. You'll primarily be on the Will Rogers Turnpike and Clem McSpadden Highway, with a significant portion on the Martin Luther King, Junior Memorial Expressway as you approach Tulsa. Given the short duration and low fuel cost of around $6, this route offers a convenient connection between two points within the Great Plains region. It's a very manageable journey, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Will Rogers Turnpike 12.3 mi 12m
Clem McSpadden Highway 10.1 mi 12m
Martin Luther King, Junior Memorial Expressway 9 mi 10m
I 44 5.1 mi 6m
North Sioux Avenue 2 mi 3m
East 1st Street South 0.7 mi 2m
North Dorothy Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
East Will Rogers Boulevard 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Will Rogers Turnpike — 12.3 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bushyhead, OK and Tulsa, OK.

1

Start on OK 66; US Historic 66

10 mi · 12 min · Clem McSpadden Highway
Use the straight lane.
2

Turn left onto CR S4160

2.0 mi · 3 min · North Sioux Avenue
3

Continue on Maiden Lane

359 ft · 9 sec · Maiden Lane
4

Turn right onto East 9th Street

0.1 mi · 18 sec · East 9th Street
5

At end of road, turn left onto North Dorothy Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Dorothy Avenue
6

At end of road, turn left onto OK 20

0.3 mi · 32 sec · East Will Rogers Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
7

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 44: Tulsa, Joplin Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Continue on this road

0.2 mi · 22 sec · this road
9

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward I 44 West: Tulsa
10

Merge onto I 44

12 mi · 12 min · Will Rogers Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 44

5.1 mi · 6 min · I 44
Exit 34 Toward I 44 West, US 412 West, OK 66 West: Tulsa Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 244; US 412

9.0 mi · 10 min · Martin Luther King, Junior Memorial Expressway
Exit 236B Toward I 244 West, US 412 West: Sand Springs, Enid, Downtown Tulsa, Tulsa International Airport Use the slight right lane.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 6C Toward 1st Street, Downtown Use the slight right lane.
14

Continue on East 1st Street South

0.7 mi · 2 min · East 1st Street South
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Turn left onto South Boulder Avenue West

372 ft · 14 sec · South Boulder Avenue West
Use the straight / left lanes.
16

Arrive at destination

South Boulder Avenue West

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Oklahoma, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Catoosa, OK

21 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Turley, OK

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Verdigris, OK

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.5 miles from Bushyhead, OK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 12.7 and 39.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
12.7 mi into trip | ~17m in | OK 20 / East Will Rogers Boulevard

At end of road, turn left onto OK 20 / East Will Rogers Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
7
13 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the ramp toward I 44: Tulsa, Joplin

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 44: Tulsa, Joplin
9
25.8 mi into trip | ~31m in | I 44

Keep slight right at fork onto I 44 toward I 44 West, US 412 West, OK 66 West: Tulsa

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 34 Toward I 44 West, US 412 West, OK 66 West: Tuls...
9
30.9 mi into trip | ~37m in | I 244; US 412 / Martin Luther King, Junior Memorial Expressway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 244; US 412 / Martin Luther King, Junior Memorial Expressway toward I 244 West, US 412 West: Sand Springs, Enid, Downtown Tulsa, Tulsa International Airport

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 236B Toward I 244 West, US 412 West: Sand Springs, E...
8
39.9 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward 1st Street, Downtown

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 6C Toward 1st Street, Downtown

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.41 one way

$12.82 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.04 $14.08
premium $4.89 $7.89 $15.78
diesel $5.61 $9.05 $18.10

Estimated Tolls: $0.61

Will Rogers Turnpike (12.3 mi) $0.61

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$1

Total

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.3 0 $4.31 $1.97
Efficient EV 10.3 0 $3.59 $1.64
EV Truck/SUV 16.4 0 $5.74 $2.62

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Bushyhead, OK

Night in Bushyhead on Saturday

Local time

11:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Tulsa, OK

Night in Tulsa on Saturday

Local time

11:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

59°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

4 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

51m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-focused experience for this trip, with 64% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.3 miles on the Will Rogers Turnpike. While much of the route maintains a consistent highway feel, the transition into Tulsa will introduce more urban road characteristics. This drive is less about winding scenic byways and more about efficient travel on well-maintained roads.

64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on Will Rogers Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Will Rogers Turnpike and Clem McSpadden Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.7 miles in near OK 20 / East Will Rogers Boulevard.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 41 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 12.7 miles (OK 20 / East Will Rogers Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.8 miles (I 44): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Bushyhead, OK and Tulsa, OK, road signs point toward Joplin, Enid and Tulsa International Airport.

Joplin

13 mi in | ~17m

Enid

30.9 mi in | ~37m | via I 244; US 412

Tulsa International Airport

30.9 mi in | ~37m | via I 244; US 412

About the Cities

Arriving in Tulsa, OK

Full guide →

Tulsa calls itself the "Oil Capital of the World." Here, the age of the oil boom found its center. A small town by US standards, metropolitan luxuries such as theater, fine dining, nightlife, and shopping are found in a state known for sparsely populated farming communities. The picturesque downtown is surrounded by rolling hills covered with prairie grasses and ancient forests, a first impression that soon reveals world-class architecture and museums of art, miles of biking and walking trails, and huge parks. With a wealth of iconic sights and neighborhoods to explore, a trip to Tulsa can easily fit several weeks of touring.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 41 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on Will Rogers Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.61 in tolls one way, starting with Will Rogers Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Tulsa, OK before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 12.7 miles (OK 20 / East Will Rogers Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.8 miles (I 44): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tulsa, OK before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Bushyhead, OK or browse trips ending in Tulsa, OK.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse OK road trips.