State Highway 18, abbreviated as SH-18 or OK-18, is a highway maintained by the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
state of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. It was once one of the longest state highways in the Oklahoma road system, but now has a total length of .
Route description
State Highway 18 was commissioned in August 1924 and, at one time, traveled from
Dickson, Oklahoma
Dickson is a town in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,207 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Life
Dickson has no post office, so residents are served by the USPS i ...
to
Shidler, Oklahoma
Shidler is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 328 in the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 441 recorded in 2010.
History
Shidler was founded in December 1921 and named for Eugene S. Shidler, a Pawhuska b ...
at the
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
border. Much of SH-18 has been replaced by US-177. The current Highway 18 begins in
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee ( sac, Shânîheki) is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklahoma Cit ...
at an interchange with US-177/270 and SH-3W. The highway is known as Harrison Street through Shawnee. After Shawnee, SH-18 intersects with US-62 in
Meeker, Oklahoma
Meeker is a town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,145 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Meeker is located at (35.497295, -96.897114).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , ...
and then into
Chandler, Oklahoma
Chandler ( sac, Chêninêheki) is a city in, and the county seat of, Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 3,100 at the 2010 census, an increase over the figure of 2,842 in ...
concurrent with SH-66. The highways split after leaving Chandler's business district. SH-18 intersects with
I-44
Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...
and then travels on to
Agra, Oklahoma
Agra is a town in northern Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 339 at the 2010 census. An early real estate developer coined the town's name from the word "agriculture".
History
Agra began to form around the turn of 20t ...
Cushing, Oklahoma
Cushing ( sac, Koshineki, iow, Amína P^óp^oye Chína, ''meaning: "Soft-seat town"'') is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 7,826 at the time of the 2010 census, a decline of 6.5% since 8,371 in 2000. Cushing w ...
where SH-18 separates and heads to
Pawnee, Oklahoma
Pawnee ( Pawnee: Paári, iow, Páñi Chína) is a city and county seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States. The town is northeast of Stillwater at the junction of U.S. Route 64 and State Highway 18.
It was named for the Pawnee tribe, ...
. South of there, the highway overlaps US-64 for two miles (3 km). SH-18 crosses the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
Osage Indian Reservation
The Osage Nation ( ) ( Osage: 𐓁𐒻 𐓂𐒼𐒰𐓇𐒼𐒰͘ ('), "People of the Middle Waters") is a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Great Plains. The tribe developed in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys around 700 BC alon ...
, SH-18 joins with SH-11 at US-60 and remains joined until Shidler, where SH-11 separates. later SH-18 becomes K-15 as it crosses the state line into Kansas.
Old 18
US-177 replaced SH-18 between Dickson and Shawnee in 1967.
Dickson to Asher
US-177 runs roughly on top of the previous SH-18 between Dickson and
Asher, Oklahoma
Asher is a town in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. The population was 393 at the 2010 census, a decline of 6.2 percent from the figure of 419 in 2000.
Geography
Asher is located at (34.988580, -96.926550), at the intersection of U.S. Highway 1 ...
, therefore only a few small segments of the original highway remain through that stretch.
Asher to Shawnee
Much of the old highway from south of Asher to
Tecumseh, Oklahoma
Tecumseh ( sac, Takamithîheki) is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,457 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, a 5.9 percent increase from the figure of 6,098 in 20 ...
still remains. Remnants of the old highway begin north of the curve just before US-177 junctions with SH-3W, south of the
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .SH-39 has been lost due to another bridge being removed.
The existing highway picks up again after a second removed bridge and before intersecting with SH-39 south of Asher. The highway continues north through Asher (here named Division Street) for before again veering east and then once more travels roughly north. The road is mostly intact except for a small area near Pearson, Oklahoma where it is rerouted to cross SH-59. North of Pearson is the Salt Creek Bridge, a 120' long OSHC standard design, built in 1930. Near
Macomb, Oklahoma
Macomb is a town in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 32 at the 2010 census, which represented a decline of 47.5 percent from the figure of 61 in 2000.
History
The present town of Macomb began as a community name ...
the old highway again travels parallel and very near to US-177. The highway is interrupted once because of the removed Little River Bridge before reaching the Brooksville, Oklahoma area. Here, the highway is slightly rerouted to cross US-177 (veering west) and then heads north toward Tecumseh. The designation "Old 18" ends here as the highway has been absorbed into city streets, although it appears the highway traveled east down what is now Highland, then north on Broadway and continued to Shawnee on what is now Gordon Cooper Drive/Beard Street. Beard Street intersects with Farrall Street in Shawnee, which is the current SH-18. East of this intersection, SH-18 ends and loops into US-177. West of the intersection, Farrall veers north and merges into Harrison Avenue. At this point, 18 continues as a current state highway.
Notes
* There is roughly of drivable road designated "Old 18" between US-177 / SH-3W Junction south of Asher and Tecumseh, although it can not be driven continuously.
* The longest uninterrupted stretch of Old 18 is about , between Asher and the Little River near Brooksville.
* Except for a 1½ mile repaved stretch through Asher, Old 18 shows its original concrete construction (although heavily patched with pavement).
* At its furthest, Old 18 rests 1½ miles east of its replacement, US-177.
* The curved edges and poor drainage of the highway can make it dangerous during heavy rain as it greatly retains water.
* The original Canadian River Bridge south of Asher was in use from 1921 to 1967. It has since been removed.
Spurs
SH-18 has two lettered spurs.
*SH-18A no longer connects to current SH-18. It serves the
Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Chickasaw National Recreation Area is a national recreation area in the foothills of the Arbuckle Mountains in south-central Oklahoma near Sulphur in Murray County. It includes the former Platt National Park and Arbuckle Recreation Area.
Part of ...
.
*SH-18B serves the town of
Sparks, Oklahoma
Sparks is a town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 169 at the 2010 census, a 23.4 percent gain from the figure of 137 in 2000. The center of population of Oklahoma is located in Spark
Geography
Sparks is located at ...