State Highway 97 (abbreviated SH-97) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
, 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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
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 connects two
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
s in the northeast part of the state:
Sapulpa
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census. The population as of 2022 is 22,205. As of 2019, the estimated popul ...
and
Sand Springs. Several communities of West Tulsa are along the road between these two towns, including Pretty Water, Allen, and
Prattville.
SH-97 has existed since 1952. The highway had a lettered spur, SH-97T, for one year, but it is no longer on the state highway system.
Route description
State Highway 97 begins in Sapulpa at an intersection that serves as the terminus of two other highways—
U.S. Route 75 Alternate and
State Highway 33 (
SH-66 also passes through the intersection). From this point, the highway heads north toward the
Turner Turnpike
The Turner Turnpike is a toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May 1953, it is the oldest of the state's eleven turnpikes.Everett, ...
(
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 Fa ...
), which it has an interchange with. At the northern outskirts of Sapulpa, it serves as the western terminus of
SH-166, a short spur route. The highway then passes through unincorporated areas of northeast
Creek County
Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 69,967. Its county seat is Sapulpa.
Creek County is part of the Tulsa, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
European explorers tr ...
.
At W. 61st Street S., the road crosses into
Tulsa County
Tulsa County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the secon ...
. About one mile (1.6 km) north of the county line, SH-97 enters
Prattville, a neighborhood of Sand Springs.
At the north end of the town, the highway intersects
SH-51 and begins a concurrency with it. The two routes cross 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 ...
into the main part of
Sand Springs together. SH-97 then has an interchange with the Sand Springs Expressway, a freeway which carries
US-64 and
US-412; SH-51 merges onto the eastbound freeway, bound for downtown
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
.
SH-97 continues straight ahead on North Wilson Avenue, then turns onto West 2nd Street and passes through downtown Sand Springs. The highway turns back to the north at McKinley Avenue. The highway continues north out of town until reaching a T intersection, where it continues by turning right.
(The left turn at this intersection is former SH-97T; see below). The highway continues north through southeast
Osage County to the Zink Ranch. The highway ends at Rock School Road in front of the ranch.
History
State Highway 97 was originally commissioned on February 3, 1952.
At this time, the highway extended from Sapulpa (at its present-day southern terminus, where it intersected what was then
US-66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
) to the southern SH-51 junction, which also carried US-64 (as the Keystone Expressway had not yet been built).
The highway was extended north into Osage County on October 15, 1956.
The only changes that have occurred since then are relatively minor changes in alignment through Sand Springs and Sapulpa.
Spurs
SH-166
State Highway 166 is a very short highway in Creek County. It runs for through
Sapulpa
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census. The population as of 2022 is 22,205. As of 2019, the estimated popul ...
, from
SH-97 to Frankoma Road, the alignment of old
Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
. The eastern terminus of SH-166 serves
Frankoma Pottery
Frankoma Pottery is an American pottery company located in Glenpool, Oklahoma. The company is known for its sculptures and dinnerware although the company made many other products including figurines, trivets, and vases. All Frankoma pottery is ...
.
SH-97T
SH-97 once had a truck bypass connecting to it, State Highway 97T. This highway was decommissioned one year after it was designated.
Junction list
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
SH-97 at OKHighwaysSH-166 at OKHighways
097
Transportation in Creek County, Oklahoma
Transportation in Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Transportation in Osage County, Oklahoma