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Tulsa, Oklahoma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Nickname: "Where the South Meets the West" | ||
| Official website: www.cityoftulsa.org | ||
| Location | ||
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 Location in the state of Oklahoma |
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| Government | ||
| Country State Counties |
United States Oklahoma Tulsa County |
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| Mayor | Kathy Taylor (D) | |
| Geographical characteristics | ||
| Area | ||
| Total | 186.8 mi² - 483.8 km² | |
| Land | 182.7 mi² - 473.1 km² | |
| Water | 4.2 mi² - 10.9 km² | |
| Population | ||
| Total (2004) | 387,807 | |
| Metro area | 881,815 | |
| Density | 2,152.0 /mi²/km² | |
| Coordinates | ||
| Elevation | 194 m | |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | |
| Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | |
Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma. As of the revised 2004 census report, the city had a total population of 387,807, with 881,815 in the metropolitan area. Tulsa is the 45th largest city in the United States and the 93rd largest city in North America. It is the county seat of Tulsa County.
History of Tulsa
- Main article: History of Tulsa, Oklahoma
What was to ultimately become Tulsa was first a part of Indian Territory. The Lochapoka Creek settled the current Tulsa area between 1828 and 1836 after they had been driven from their native Alabama. Much of modern Tulsa is located in the Creek Nation, with parts located in the Cherokee Nation and Osage Nation.
In August, 1882, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, later called the Frisco, completed the extension of its line to Tulsa to serve the cattle business, the city's first industry. Tulsa, during this time, was referred to as "Tulsey Town."
Tulsa changed from a small Indian town to a boomtown with the discovery of oil in 1901 at Red Fork, a small community southwest of Tulsa. Wildcatters and investors flooded into the city and the town began to take shape. In 1905, the Glenn Pool oil field was discovered. This laid the foundation for Tulsa to become a world leader in oil and many oil and gas businesses.By the time Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, Tulsa had a population of 7,298.
By 1920 the population boomed to 72,000. The second surge of oil discoveries occurred between 1915 and 1930 firmly established Tulsa as the "Oil Capital of the World." Another community that flourished in Tulsa during the oil boom was Greenwood. Known nationally as "Black Wall Street," the neighborhood was a hotbed of jazz and blues in the 1920s. In 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot occurred, one of the nation's worst acts of racial violence.
Especially since World War II, the aviation and aerospace industries have also been an important part of the Tulsa economy.
Following the "Oil Bust" of 1982-84 the title of "Oil Capital of the World" was relinquished to Houston. City leaders worked to diversify the city away from a largely petroleum-based economy.
Many key families and people played important roles in the history of Tulsa including the Perryman Family, the Phillips family (Frank Phillips, who founded Phillips Petroleum Company, and his brother Waite Phillips), J. Paul Getty, William G. Skelly, the Warren family, the Murphy family, the LaFortune Family, the Bartlett family, Thomas Gilcrease, and Charles Page.
Tulsa's districts and neighborhoods
A diverse city with many unique districs and neighborhoods, Tulsa stretches over 181 square miles--an area roughly three times the size of Washington DC. This large city footprint allows Tulsa's unique communities to take on a personality much their own. From the art deco infused Downtown, to the jazzy Greenwood Historical District, to the affluent suburban South Tulsa, this city presents people with numerous opportunities for interesting and one-of-a-kind experiences.
Downtown
Tulsa is a unique and beautiful city with many striking structures built during the Oil Boom in the 1920s and 1930s. Downtown in particular has many landmark buildings. Tulsa is world renowned for its Art Deco landmarks, including the Midcontinent Tower, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, and the Tulsa National Bank buildings. Oilman, Waite Phillips, left a signigicant architectural impact on downtown Tulsa through the Philtower and Philcade buildings. Other notable Tulsa buildings include the Atlas Life building, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Christ the King Catholic Church,Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, and the Mayo Hotel, the former of which once served as home to J. Paul Getty. Known for a time as "Terra Cotta City", Tulsa hosted the International Sixth Congress on Art Deco in 2001.
Downtown Tulsa is in the northwest quadrant of the city and is ringed by an expressway system called the inner dispersal loop. Downtown's buildings include many large office towers. At 667 ft, the BOK Tower (formerly One Willliams Center) is the tallest building in any of the 5 "plains states" (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) and was designed in 1975 by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center in New York. This structure is very similar to a single tower from the WTC in looks and construction.
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center, occupies a half city block in Tulsa's historical downtown. The PAC is the design of Minoru Yamasaki, architect of the World Trade Center. It houses five theatres and a beautifully appointed reception hall. More than a quarter of a million people visit the Center each year to attend a performance from one of Tulsa's seven acclaimed musical and dramatic companies including the Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Ballet Theater, and a variety of symphonic groups. The PAC hosts a multitude of cultural events through the fall, winter and spring.
Continuing its rich architectural history, in 2005 the City of Tulsa broke ground on a new 18,000 seat events center designed by renowned architect César Pelli. Tulsa-based BOK Financial has purchased the naming rights to the new facility and when completed, the arena will be known as the BOK Center.
There is an external Wiki dedicated exclusively to Downtown Tulsa.
Brady Arts District
The Brady Arts District is located north across the Sante Fe Railroad tracks from the central business district and centered at Main Street & Brady Avenue. The Brady District is one of Tulsa's oldest areas, charcterized by two-story brick warehouses. It contains two of Tulsa's most historic entertainment venues, The Brady Theater and Cain's Ballroom.
The Brady Theater, built between 1912 and 1914, was originally designed to serve as the city's municipal auditorium and was simply called "Convention Hall" for the first forty years of its life. In 1952, major additions were added and the building was renamed Tulsa Municpal Theater. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Supplanted as the city auditorium in 1979 by construction of the Performing Arts Center in downtown, "the Old Lady on Brady" continues to be used today for a wide variety of concerts and theatrical productions.
North of the Brady on Main Street is the Cain's Ballroom, the home of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys and the Light Crust Doughboys. To many, Cain's is the cornerstone of western swing music in the United States; it is also one of only two still-surviving venues from the Sex Pistols' infamous 1978 USA Tour. (They played at Cain's on January 12, 1978; the spectacle of the Pistols--playing in front of a hall lined with sepia-toned blow-up photographs of Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, and other c/w legends--was one not to be forgotten by those in attendance at what was later termed the best performance of the Pistols' brief U.S. tour. Two days later at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, Johnny Rotten would walk off stage as a Sex Pistol for the last time). Today, Cain's leads a thriving existence by attracting an eclectic mix of country, rock, "jamband," jazz, and roots music. The district is also the location of many local artists' galleries, restaurants, and bars such as the popular Caz's, Gypsy Coffeehouse, and The Bowery.
Blue Dome District
Another popular downtown entertainment district is the Blue Dome, named for a distinctive, domed building in the area in the eastern section of downtown. While some of the bars that opened there have since closed, current venues include Tsunami Sushi Bar, the Route 66 Diner, Arnie's Bar, McNellie's Public House, the Blank Slate, 3 Frogs Lounge, and 1974 Bar and Grill.
Greenwood Historical District
The Greenwood Historical District is just north of downtown and east of the Brady District. In 1921, thirty-five blocks of businesses and residences were burned in this district during the infamous Tulsa Race Riot, the bloodiest racial riot in the history of the United States. The Oklahoma State Legislature passed laws in 2001 aimed at revitalizing Greenwood, setting up a scholarship fund for college-bound descendants of riot victims and appropriating $2 million for a riot memorial. As of 2004, two blocks of the old neighborhood have been restored and are part of the Greenwood Historical District. It is now home to the Greenwood Cultural Center, the Tulsa Race Riot Memorial, and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, as well as Oklahoma State University - Tulsa and Langston University-Tulsa.
Uptown
Uptown is the region just to the south of Downtown. Here you will find the Hotel Ambassador, a Tulsa landmark, which began life as a temporary housing facility for oil tycoons who were building their mansions. Functioning as a full-service hotel these days, it gives its guests a taste of the luxury of the glory days. The Sobo bar district in this area at 18th and south Boston is quite popular. Doubleshot Coffeehouse, Mercury Lounge, the Rehab Lounge, Dalessandro's Restaurant, and Vintage 1740 Wine Bar are popular destinations in SOBO.
The Arkansas River
The Tulsa area boasts nearly 40 miles of river shoreline along the Arkansas River. River Parks lines more than 20 miles of that stretch, spread along the banks of the 1/4 mile wide channel. River Parks is a popular destination for outdoor recreation. Miles of asphalt-surfaced recreation trails weave past picnic areas, playgrounds, fountains and sculptures. The park's landscape ranges from manicured lawns to the rugged terrain of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area. Recreation in River Parks includes fishing, rowing, kayaking, disc golf, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
During the spring, summer, and early fall concerts, festivals and the state's largest free fireworks display (on the Fourth of July) are popular draws to the river. The festival park on the river's west bank is the site of Tulsa's Oktoberfest, one of the oldest and largest in the U.S.
Midtown
Midtown is a unique and largely residential district in the heart of the city. This area consists mostly of homes built in the early 1900's and has a wide variety of American styles ranging from the Craftsman bungalow to the ranch-style home to Greek Revival. The neighborhood is even home to a relocated saltbox home from colonial New England. Schools in this part of the city include Bishop Kelley High School, Cascia Hall Preparatory School, Edison High School, Eliot Elementary, Francis Scott Key Elementary, Robert E. Lee Elementary, Patrick Henry Elementary and Undercroft Montessori. Woodward Park, located in Midtown, is known for its azaleas and gardens and is a popular destination for photography and picnics. Other popular Midtown Parks include LaFortune Park, Zink Park, Darlington Park and Whiteside Park.
Utica Square is both a unique shopping center and another neighborhood built with lots of Oil Wealth. It's the most popular midtown shopping area and is mixed with locally owned retailers and national chains such as Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Local retailers include many clothing boutiques and Tulsa's oldest department store, Miss Jackson's. Several of Tulsa's most acclaimed restaurants are also located in Utica Square including the Polo Grille and the Wild Fork.
Located directly behind Utica Square is Tulsa's only Reform Jewish institution, Temple Israel. Temple Israel was founded in 1914 and currently has a membership of approximately 500 families. Temple Israel is a Reform Congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the national organization of Reform Judaism. Tulsa's conservative synagogue, B'nai Emunah is also in Midtown.
Some of the other major shopping centers in this part of the city include the Promenade Mall, Highland Park Shopping Center, Southroads, Ranch Acres, The Farm Shopping Center, and The Plaza. OU-Tulsa is across the street from the Promenade Mall at 41st and Yale, on the southern edge of Midtown.
In northeast Midtown, the Tulsa State Fairgrounds, now called Expo Square, is home to several unique Tulsa landmarks. In addition to the site being home to the minor league baseball Tulsa Drillers, the Art Deco Expo Square Pavilion (home court for the Tulsa 66ers NBDL team), the Fair Meadows horse racing track, and the annual Tulsa State Fair, it boasts the Expo Center, the largest clearspan building in the world, providing 354,000 square feet (33,000 m²) of column-free space under a cable-suspended roof. In front of the Expo Center is the Golden Driller, standing 76 feet (23 m) tall. Built in 1966 as a symbol for the International Petroleum Expo, the statue serves as a reminder of Tulsa's oily past.
The Expo Center is also home to the annual Darryl Starbird Rod and Custom Show. Held in early February, it is touted as 'The World's Largest Indoor Car Show' and often draws around 1,500 custom and classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Antique car auctions are also held here and draw many visitors from across the nation.
Cherry Street
The Cherry Street District is set near downtown in the northern midtown area, defined by a portion of 15th Street dubbed "Cherry Street." Visitors to this neighborhood find great local restaurants, boutique shops, art galleries, antique shops, funky vintage stores, and even a scooter shop now filling old storefronts built in the 1920s & 1930s, as well as some fabulous old homes in the surrounding residential areas. Cherry Street is surrounded by three of Tulsa's designated Historic Districts: the Swan Lake, North Maple Ridge, and Yorktown neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods adjacent to Cherry Street are Florence Park and the Renaissance neighborhood.
Maple Ridge and Sunset Terrace
The Maple Ridge Historic District is just south of downtown in Midtown. This neighborhood contains 'Black Gold Row', where the fabulous mansions built by the oil barons in the 1920s still stand, long after their original owners have gone.
Sunset Terrace is located adjacent to Maple Ridge on it's South Side, Terwilleger Heights on its East Side and the Arkansas River to the West. It is transversed by the grand Woodward Boulevard, which links Maple Ridge to Brookside. Sunset Terrace contains many mansions built in the 1920' and 1930's.
Brookside
Brookside, like Cherry Street, is another popular shopping and entertainment district in Midtown. This area extends from the Arkansas River east to Peoria Avenue and south to 51st Street. Its defining strip is South Peoria between 31st and 41st Streets, where visitors find a variety of shopping delights, and is home to more than 35 restaurants and nightspots (many with patio seating), featuring everything from sushi to old-fashioned burger and root beer stands. Also, there is Brookside By Day, the best breakfast restaurant in Tulsa. There are also plenty of swanky boutiques, decor shops, and art galleries for window shopping. The atmosphere is chic and eclectic. Scenic Riverside Drive, which parallels the east bank of the river, and River Parks, the park that stretches along the riverbank, are also popular sections of Brookside.
Terwilleger Heights
Terwilleger Heights is located immediately south and west of Utica Square bordered by 21st Street, 31st Street, Utica Avenue and Peoria Avenue. This area has early 1930's homes both grand and small, full grown trees, winding streets and is adjacent to the Philbrook Museum of Art and Woodward Park.
Kendall-Whittier
To the east of downtown is Tulsaâ??s oldest suburban shopping area and is noted for its abundance of red brick. The artsy, historic, and recently restored Circle Cinema is located in this area. The Kendall-Whittier shopping area and surrounding neighborhoods are now popular with Tulsaâ??s rapidly growing Hispanic community. Just east of this area is the University of Tulsa.
South Tulsa
South Tulsa is popularly considered to be south of 51st Street and north of 121st Street, bounded on the west by the Arkansas River, and on the east by Memorial Drive, hilly and secluded. Much of the more luxurious new home construction in the city has taken place within this area in the previous decade, though it is slowly moving southward into Bixby as the area is getting built up. As an affluent clientele has moved into the area, businesses tailored to such residents have also opened nearby. For example, the city's largest automotive dealer strip is located at about 95th and Memorial. The schools in the area are some of the state's best, but also among the state's largest (Jenks East Elementary enrolls over 1,600 students.) The major school districts of South Tulsa are Jenks and Union; Tulsa Public School District's Memorial High School is also located here.
Southern Hills
Southern Hills is an exclusive neighborhood on the south side that is centered around the Southern Hills Country Club. Southern Hills Country Club has been the home to 13 major golf championships including four U.S. Opens. Many of the original homes in this neighborhood were sprawling suburban homes built in the ranch style.The campus of Oral Roberts University with its very distinctive futuristic architecture is in this area.
71st Street Corridor/Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills is a both a region in the southeast part of the city and the state's largest shopping mall. The area around the mall is a massive shopping district with all the usual stores and traffic that reaches for miles along 71st Street from Tulsa into Broken Arrow. Most, though not all of the businesses in this area are chains, ranging from big box stores like BestBuy and CompUSA to restaurants like Krispy Kreme and Famous Dave's.
East Tulsa
East Tulsa is a suburban-style area. Attractions in this part of the city include McClure Park, which is notable for its frisbee golf course, and the Carl Smith Athletic Complex. This region includes several growing multi-ethnic communities with booming Hispanic and Asian populations. The parts of East Tulsa that fall in Union and Broken Arrow School districts are increasingly attracting high-income professionals looking for suburban life within the city limits. Mayo Demonstration Academy, a magnet school of the Tulsa Public School system, is located in this area. Eastland Mall is also in this area. Also the area is home to Tulsa's hospitality district, where many hotels are located. Redbud Valley Nature Preserve is also located in this part of the city.
North Tulsa
North Tulsa is home to a large percentage of Tulsa's African-American community. The area's Booker T. Washington High School, Tulsaâ??s African-American high school during the segregation era and now a magnet school, was recently judged to be the 58th best high school in the nation by Newsweek. Northwest of downtown, Gilcrease Museum, considered by many to be the finest Western American and American Indian art collection in the world, finds its home. Northeast of downtown, close to the Tulsa International Airport, are Mohawk Park, which includes the Tulsa Zoo and the Oxley Nature Center, and the new Tulsa Air and Space Center and Planetarium. This area is also home to the American Airlines maintenance facility, one of Tulsa's largest employers.
West Tulsa
West Tulsa is another reminder of Tulsaâ??s oil-rich past. Two huge oil refineries remain in operation to this day on the west bank of the river. This large industrial area gives way to wooded and hilly neighborhoods. The classic art deco Webster High School is here, as is the popular train-themed Ollieâ??s Station Restaurant, sitting next to the Tulsa rail yard.
The Riverparks system, also here on the bank of the river, includes the Riverwest Festival Park, with its floating stage amphitheater overlooking downtown. Riverwest is home to such popular events as Tulsa's Oktoberfest, one of the largest of its kind in North America, and the Gatesway Balloon Festival.
Although not in Tulsa proper, the new Riverwalk Crossing development in Jenks features specialty shops and restaurants along the west bank of the Arkansas River. The center also features fountains and an outdoor amphitheater which hosts free concerts every weekend throughout the summer. The Oklahoma Aquarium is also located on the west bank, a short distance away from the new retail center. Discussions have occurred regarding the possibility that Bell's Amusement Park will relocate from Tulsa's Expo Square to a parcel of land near the Riverwalk Crossing complex around 2007. Tulsaâ??s general aviation airport, Jones Riverside Airport, is also located west of the river in Jenks.
Geography and climate
Geography
Tulsa is located at 36°7'53" North, 95°56'14" West (36.131294, -95.937332)GR1 in the northeastern corner of the state, some 99 miles Northeast of Oklahoma City.
Tulsa is the main city in the part of Oklahoma known as "Green Country" due to the dense green vegetation in the area. Tulsa is a heavily wooded city split by the Arkansas River, Tulsa has abundant parks and water areas including such local favorites as Woodward Park (where it is a local tradition to kiss one's sweetheart on the bridge), McClure Park, LaFortune Park, Florence Park and Chandler Park. Tulsa has an extensive trail systems much of it along the Arkansas River as part of the Riverparks system. Mohawk Park, location of the Tulsa Zoo, (in 2004 named America's favorite zoo in a national contest), contains 2,800 acres (11 km²) and is the largest park in Tulsa and one of the largest urban parks in the country. Tulsa is also near the heart of Tornado Alley, a region known to experience more tornadoes on average than any other area in the world.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 483.9 km² (186.8 mi²). 473.1 km² (182.6 mi²) of it is land and 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.24% water.
Climate
Tulsa lies along the Arkansas River at an elevation of 700 feet (213 m) above sea level. At latitude 36 degrees, Tulsa is far enough north often to escape protracted periods of heat in summer, yet far enough south usually to miss the extreme cold of winter. The influence of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is often noted, frequently creating high humidity. Generally the winter months are mild, and although temperatures occasionally fall below -20°C (0°F), they seldom stay there for a very long period of time. Temperatures of 40°C (100°F) or higher are often observed from July to early September, but are sometimes accompanied by a good southerly breeze. The fall season is long with a number of pleasant, sunny days and cool nights. Primarily during the spring and early summer months, the Tulsa area is often subjected to thunderstorms, some of which contain large hail, damaging winds and an occasional tornado. The spring and early summer thunderstorm pattern also provides the area with a disproportionate share of its annual rainfall, which averages around 1000 mm (42 inches). Due to frequent periods of very heavy rainfall Tulsa has one of the most extensive flood control systems in the nation.
Demographics
Population
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 393,049 people, 165,743 households, and 99,114 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.9/km² (2,152.0/mi²). There were 179,405 housing units at an average density of 379.2/km² (982.3/mi²).
Diversity
The racial makeup of the city was 70.09% Caucasian, 15.47% African American, 4.72% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.45% from other races, and 4.40% from two or more races. At least 7.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, with more unregistered living within the city.
Family
There were 165,743 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.9% of all households are made up of only one person, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 people and the average family size was 2.98.
Age
In the city, the population is spread-out with 24.8% of the population under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
Income
The median income for a household in the city was $35,316, and the median income for a family was $44,518. Males had a median income of $32,779 versus $25,587 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,534. 14.1% of the population and 10.9% of families were below the poverty line. 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Tulsa Metro Area
The Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of seven counties in northeastern Oklahoma and more than twenty outlying cities and towns.
Counties
Cities and towns
- North: Dewey, Bartlesville, Pawhuska, Oologah, Skiatook, Collinsville, Owasso
- West: Pawnee, Bristow, Cleveland, Kellyville, Sand Springs, Mannford, Sapulpa
- East: Claremore, Catoosa, Broken Arrow, Wagoner, Coweta, Inola
- South: Jenks, Glenpool, Bixby, Mounds, Beggs, Okmulgee, Henryetta
The Tulsa-Bartlesville consolidated metropolitan area (CMSA) is created by adding the Bartlesville, Oklahoma micropolitan area which consists of Washington County in northeastern Oklahoma.
Also nearby and part of Tulsaâ??s media market but not part of Tulsaâ??s CMSA is Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Healthcare System
Healthcare in Tulsa is primarily serviced by two hospitals, St. John's and St. Francis, and are the most sophisticated and best-equipped in the state. Both hold numerous accolades, and are excellently-ranked nationally for numerous services.
Saint Francis
Saint Francis Hospital Network
- Saint Francis Hospital
- Children's Hospital at Saint Francis
- Saint Francis Hospital at Broken Arrow
- Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital
- Warren Clinic
Accolades and Awards
- Tulsa's preferred hospital
- "Nation's Top Hospitals", US News and World Report
- First hospital in Oklahoma equipped with a large-bore diameter computed tomography (CT) scanner
- "Outstanding Provder of Excellence" for Laureate Psychiatric Clinic
- One of ten hospitals in the country chosen to participate in the first-ever government-funded genetic study of anorexia nervosa
- Developped new treatment for compression fractures
- "Nation's Top 100" for Orthopedic surgery
- Laureate Psychiatric Clinic is ranked first for eating disorders in the nation.
- Only nationally-accredited Level 1 Trauma Center in the state
- Saint Francis' "Life Flight" service is the most sophisticated in Oklahoma, southern Kansas and Missouri, and Arkansas
St. John's
St. John's hospital is a Solucient Top Hospital
Accolades and Awards
- Number 1 ranking in Oklahoma for cardiovascular surgery
- One of the stateâ??s top three cardiovascular programs
- Five-star, highest possible rating for valve replacement and vascular surgeries
- Top 10 percent in the nation for joint surgery
- Best in eastern Oklahoma for overall orthopedic services
- Five-star, highest possible rating for total knee replacement and hip fracture repair
Business and economy
Tulsa, while no longer the Oil Capital of the World, is still an important energy center. Other important industries include aerospace, telecom, high tech, insurance, car rental companies, and river transportation.
Some of the major companies based in Tulsa include:
- AAON
- Bama Pie
- BC and BS of Oklahoma
- BOK
- Camille's Sidewalk Cafe
- Casillas Petroleum
- Dollar Thrifty Automotive
- Excel Energy
- Flintco
- Gallagher Bryce Insurance
- Helmerich and Payne
- John Zink Co
- Lowrance Electronics
- Manhattan Construction Company
- Matrix Services
- Mazzioâ??s
- McElroy Manufacturing, Inc.
- Nordam
- North American Galvanizing and Coatings
- ONEOK
- Public Service Company of Oklahoma a subsidiary of American Electric Power
- Quik Trip
- Rib Crib
- Syntroelum
- Tulsa Port of Catoosa
- Unit Corp
- Vanguard
- Vintage Petroleum (bought by Occidental Petroleum - moving to Houston)
- Webco
- Williams
- Wiltel (bought by Level 3)
Other companies that have a significant presence or are large employers in the area:
- Allied Signal
- Alorica
- American Airlines (American operates the largest aircraft maintenance base in the world in Tulsa)
- Avis
- Bizjet
- Boeing
- Cingular
- Citgo (Citgo was once headquartered in Tulsa; its headquarters moved to Houston, Texas in 2004)
- Cox Communications
- Decision One
- DirecTV
- Dish
- IBM
- JPMorganChase
- McleodUSA
- Metlife
- Metris
- Quaid & Associates
- SBC
- SCFM Compression Systems
- State Farm
- U.S. Cellular
- Verizon
- Whirlpool
Transportation
Air
Tulsa is served by Tulsa International Airport. Eleven commercial airlines and several charter airlines serve nearly 3 million travelers annually to almost 70 departures every day.
Land
Important highways passing through Tulsa are:
- Interstate 44 - Skelly Drive / Skelly Bypass (bypasses downtown to the South)
- Interstate 244 - Martin Luther King Expressway - known by locals as Red Fork Expressway west of downtown and Crosstown Expressway east of downtown (serves downtown, loops back to I-44 at either terminal)
- Interstate 444 - unsigned Interstate, but forms with I-244 the IDL (Inner Dispersal Loop) which surrounds downtown
- US 412
- US 64 - Broken Arrow Expressway to the east, Keystone Expressway to the west
- US 75 - Okmulgee Beeline to the south, Cherokee Expressway to the north
- US 169 - Mingo Valley Expressway (also called Pearl Harbor Memorial Expressway) bypassing downtown to the east
- Oklahoma State Highway 11 - Gilcrease Drive (serves Tulsa Airport)
- Oklahoma State Highway 51 - alternate designation for Broken Arrow Expressway
- Creek Turnpike
It was also served by historic Route 66, and there are numerous reminders of this by the mid-20th century era, especially motels and restaurants along 11th Street and Admiral Place. Cyrus Avery, known as "The Father of Route 66," resided in Tulsa.
Street Network
Tulsa follows a very systematic naming and numbering convention for all streets falling within its municipal jurisdiction. Using Admiral Place as the east-west-running dividing line for "streets north" and "streets south", and using Main Street as the north-south-running dividing line for "west avenues" and "east avenues", one can locate a Tulsa address without much effort.
Avenues falling west of Main Street are named for US cities west of the Mississippi River for one run of the alphabet, after which numbered "west avenues" are assigned. Avenues falling east of Main Street are named for US cities east of the Mississippi River for approximately three runs of the alphabet, after which numbered "east avenues" are assigned.
Streets falling north of Admiral Place are labeled for important names in Tulsa's history for one run of the alphabet, after which numbered "streets north" are assigned. Streets falling south of Admiral Place are numbered, beginning with "1st Street" and continuing southward. Street names and numbers are consistent throughout the Tulsa jurisdiction, regardless if a particular street is contiguous/continuous.
Addresses reflect their associated hundred block from either Admiral or Main. There are usually 16 blocks per mile as counted by avenues, and there are 10 blocks per mile as counted by streets. Other right-of-way labels (such as Place, Court, Drive, Terrace, etc.) may be used to describe an intermittent street or avenue, but the actual name will usually be the same as the adjacent street or avenue (such as Knoxville Avenue and its neighboring Knoxville Place, both assigned as the 3600 block east).
Major aterial streets can be found at every mile, as assigned by the Township and Range system, resulting in a well-defined grid of thoroughfares across the Tulsa region.
As a general rule, land developers must use City-assigned street names for their developments. Deviations from the general methodology in this "Street Network" section do indeed exist, but it is rare ... only as the exception and never as the rule.
Water
East of Tulsa, in Catoosa, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa is the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), connecting barge traffic from Tulsa to the Mississippi River. This port is the farthest inland port in the United States.
Public Transportation
Citywide bus transit is provided by Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority, with its art deco-inspired Denver Avenue Station (c. 1998) transit center located at 319 South Denver Avenue.
Education and science
Public K-12
The largest Tulsa area school districts (those over 2000 students, as of Fall 2005) are:
- Bixby Public Schools
- Broken Arrow Public Schools
- Catoosa Public Schools
- Claremore Public Schools
- Collinsville Public Schools
- Glenpool Public Schools
- Jenks Public Schools
- Owasso Public Schools
- Sand Springs Public Schools
- Sapulpa Public Schools
- Skiatook Public Schools
- Tulsa Public Schools
- Union Public Schools
Tulsa Public Schools is the largest school district in Oklahoma. Each of the public districts in the county has a single high school, except for Tulsa Public Schools, which has nine. The Tulsa district also includes several charter schools.
Private K-12
There are multiple private elementary and middle schools in the Tulsa metropolitan area. Most are affiliated with a specific religion or place of worship. The best known are:
- Bishop Kelley High School (9-12) (Catholic, Lasallian)
- Cascia Hall Preparatory School (6-12) (Catholic, Augustinian)
- Holland Hall School (Pre-12) (Episcopal)
- Monte Cassino School (Pre-8) (Catholic, Benedictine)
- Victory Christian School (K-12) (Victory Christian Center Church, interdenominational)
Other private schools in the Tulsa area include many parochial elementary schools, each affiliated with a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa. Such Diocesan schools differ from the privatetly owned, Catholic institutions of Cascia Hall and Monte Cassino. This list does not include Independent Catholic MDO/Preschools and Early Childhood Education Centers affiliated with parishes throughout the Diocese. These schools are:
- All Saints Catholic School (P-8)
- Holy Family Cathedral School (P-8)
- Marian Academy (P-5)
- Marquette Catholic School (P-8)
- Saint Catherine School (P-8)
- Saint John Catholic School (K-8)
- Saint Pius X Catholic School (P-8)
- Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School (P-8)
- Saint Joseph Catholic School (P-8)
- School of St. Mary (P-8)
Higher learning
Tulsa is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including:
- Langston University - Tulsa campus
- Northeastern State University - Broken Arrow campus (upper division undergraduate and graduate campus)
- University of Oklahoma - Schusterman Center (graduate campus)
- Oklahoma State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Oklahoma State University - Tulsa (upper division undergraduate and graduate campus)
- Oral Roberts University(private)
- Phillips Theological Seminary(private)
- RHEMA Bible Training Center (Broken Arrow)
- Rogers State University (Claremore)
- Spartan School of Aeronautics (private)
- St. Gregory's University - Tulsa (private)
- University of Tulsa(private)
- Tulsa Community College (four campuses)
- Tulsa Technology Center (three campuses)
Libraries
The Tulsa City-County Library system is the largest in the state of Oklahoma, containing 1.7 million volumes in 25 library facilities (map):
Regional branches
- Zarrow (West)
- Rudisill (North)
- Martin (East)
- Hardesty (South)
Tulsa Branches
- Brookside
- Central
- Genealogy Center
- Peggy Helmerich
- Kendall-Whittier
- Library @ 51st
- Maxwell Park
- Nathan Hale
- Schusterman-Benson
- Suburban Acres
Suburban Branches
- Bixby
- Broken Arrow
- Charles Page (in Sand Springs)
- Collinsville
- Glenpool
- Jenks
- Owasso
- Pratt (in Sand Springs)
- Skiatook
- South Broken Arrow
- Sperry
The Tulsa City-County Library is very active in the community, holding events and programs at most library locations, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, business and job assistance, and many others.
The library system provides access to dozens of online databases for reliable information on a variety of topics. Many of these are accessible from home with a valid library card number. There are many other research tools available, including an award-winning database of frequently-asked questions.
Entertainment and attractions
With the city's interesting mix of Southern settlers, Northern oilmen, and Western ranchers and thanks to Tulsa's location in an area rich with Native American history and culture, the city and surrounding areas are home to many unique museums and attractions.
Museums and cultural centers
- The Greenwood Cultural Center, which preserves the history of "The Black Wall Street" prior to the Tulsa Race Riot.
- J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum , home of the largest private gun collection in the world, in Claremore, Oklahoma.
- The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame
- Philbrook Museum of Art
- Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, formerly the Fenster Museum of Jewish Art. The Miller offers the largest collection of Judaica in the Southwest United States.
- Thomas Gilcrease Museum of Art, Western American and American Indian art collection
- Society of Exploration Geophysicists Geoscience Center, reflecting the city's strong connection to the petroleum industry.
- Tulsa Air and Space Museum
- The Tulsa Historical Center, next to the Tulsa Garden Center.
- Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma
Parks, gardens and nature preserves
- River Parks, a system of parks featuring extensive trails for walking, running, and biking, and the site of several of Tulsa's largest festivals.
- The Oklahoma Aquarium, Jenks, which boasts a walk-through shark tank.
- Oxley Nature Center
- Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden at Woodward Park
- Tulsa Parks, The City of Tulsa manages 140 parks covering roughly 6,000 acres.
- Featuring nature centers, golf courses, 21 swimming pools, 156 sports fields, 115 playgrounds, 123 tennis courts, 25 water playgrounds, The River SkatePark, 60 picnic shelters, 14 community centers, fitness facilities, gymnasiums, meeting rooms and facilities, trails and more.
- Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum, north of the city in Mohawk Park
- Named in 2005 as "America's Favorite Zoo" by Microsoft Game Studios as a promotion for their "Zoo Tycoon 2" computer game.
- Tulsa's Penguins on Parade public art display is a result of the addition of an African Penguin exhibit. The display is similar to those in Chicago, Seattle and other cities, and features whimsically decorated statues.
Performing arts
- Clark Theatre
- Discoveryland! Amphitheatre, featuring performances of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" musical throughout the summer.
- The Brady Theater, historic downtown performing arts theatre. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Cain's Ballroom, where Bob Wills helped popularize Western Swing. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- South Tulsa Children's Ballet
- The Nightingale Theater
- Theatre Tulsa
- Tulsa Ballet
- Tulsa Opera
- Tulsa Symphony Orchestra
- Tulsa Oratorio Chorus
- Tulsa Performing Arts Center
- Tulsa Spotlight Theatre
Festivals and Events
As a culturally diverse metropolis, Tulsa has a wide variety of events year-round. Two local Tulsa organizations maintain online events calendars, listing a wide variety of cultural events and entertainment in the local Tulsa area. See: YP Tulsa Event Calendar Tulsa Now Event Calendar A sampling of these festivals and events include:
General
- Tulsa State Fair in late September and early October
- The Gatesway Balloon Festival in August
Cultural
- Oklahoma Scottish Games and Gathering in September
- Tulsa Oktoberfest
- Festival Hispano in September
- Greek Holiday Festival
- ShalomFest
Musical
- Juneteenth Blues and Jazz Festival
- Jazz on Greenwood Festival
- Blue Grass and Chili Festival
- Reggaefest
Seasonal
- MayFest in May
- Blue Dome Arts Festival in May
- During the December holiday season
- PSO Christmas Parade of Lights
- Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma has a massive Christmas light display featuring over a million lights and props.
- Tulsa State Fair during the month of September.
Food
- Porter Peach Festival in Porter, Oklahoma
Amusement parks
Sports
- Baseball
- Tulsa Oilers, minor league baseball (1919-1976)
- Tulsa Drillers Texas League baseball (1977 - present) www.tulsadrillers.com
- Basketball
- Tulsa 66ers NBA Development League (2005 - present)
- Football
- Golf
- Mohawk Park Golf Course
- Page Belcher Golf Course
- Southern Hills Country Club (private), which has hosted numerous national tours including 3 PGA Championships and the 2001 U.S. Open.
- Ice Hockey
- Corporate Challenge, the nationâ??s largest community-based corporate athletic competition hosting over 25,000 participants from 250 corporate teams.
- Soccer
- Tulsa was once the home to the Tulsa Roughnecks a member of the now defunct North American Soccer League. The Roughnecks won the 1983 Soccer Bowl.
Gaming
As a result of a recent compact with various Native American tribes, tribal gaming facilities that were previously limited to bingo have begun to offer table games and slot machines.
Media and publishing
- Local Newspapers
- Tulsa Beacon www.tulsabeacon.com is a weekly paper aimed towards Christian conservative readers.
- Tulsa Business Journal www.neighbor-newspapers.com
- Tulsa Daily Commerce and Legal News www.neighbor-newspapers.com
- Tulsa Free Press www.gtrnews.com,published on a monthly basis, features community news, classifieds and local information.
- Tulsa Front Page www.tulsafrontpage.com is a local paper aiming to cover important events not covered by other papers. It's almost 1 year old (as of March 2006) and is "A Community Newspaper with Style for Discerning Readers featuring news and sports of private schools" (newspaper's website).
- Tulsa World www.tulsaworld.com is Tulsa's daily newspaper and is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in the state.
- Urban Tulsa www.urbantulsa.com is Tulsa's free alternative newsweekly, featuring such staples as local commentary, feature stories, classifieds, restaurant reviews and movie listings.
- Regional Newspapers
- Dallas Morning News www.dallasnews.com
- Oklahoma Indian Times www.okit.com.
- The Oklahoman www.newsok.com, Oklahoma City's daily newspaper, widely circulated in the Tulsa area.
- Pennysaver www.tulsa-pennysaver.com
Broadcast
All major U.S. television networks are represented in Tulsa. Cable television service in the area is provided by Cox Communications. As in most major American cities, local radio stations in the Tulsa area are controlled by a small handful of large broadcasting companies.
Faith and worship
Tulsa also has significant religious diversity, with Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and others represented.
Popular places of worship include:
- All Souls Unitarian
- Abiding Harvest United Methodist Church
- Asbury United Methodist Church
- Beams of Light Family Church
- Believers Church
- Boston Avenue Methodist Church
- Carbondale Assembly of God
- Christ the King Parish (Roman Catholic)
- Christ United Methodist Church
- Church on the Move
- Congregation B'nai Emunah
- Eastland Assembly of God
- Eastwood Baptist Church
- Faith United Methodist Church
- Fellowship Congregational Church UCC
- First Baptist Church
- First Baptist Church North Tulsa
- First Christian Church (Disciples)
- First Church of Christ, Scientist
- First Lutheran Church (ELCA)
- First Pentecostal Church of Tulsa (UCPI)
- First Presbyterian Church, Tulsa's first congregation
- First United Methodist Church
- Grace Bible Church
- Grace Fellowship Church
- Higher Dimensions Family Church
- Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church
- Holy Family Cathedral (Roman Catholic)
- Holy Highway Evangelistic Church
- Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
- Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church
- Memorial Drive Church of Christ
- Memorial Drive United Methodist Church
- Muslim Student Association at TU
- New Freedom Fellowship
- New Haven United Methodist Church
- Parish Church of St. Jerome
- Peace Academy and Islamic Society of Tulsa
- Revival Time Tabernacle
- Riverview Baptist Church
- St. Antony's Orthodox Church
- St. Matthew's United Methodist Church
- St. Paul's United Methodist Church
- St. Pius X Church (Roman Catholic)
- Southern Hills United Methodist Church
- Temple Israel
- The Prayer Center
- Trinity Episcopal Church
- Tulsa Bible Church
- Tulsa International Baptist Church
- Tulsa Spoken Word Tabernacle
- Turley United Methodist Church
- University United Methodist Church
- Victory Christian Center
- Wesley Foundation campus ministry at TU
- Will Rogers United Methodist Church
- Woodlake Assembly of God
Tulsa in entertainment
Tulsa has also been featured or mentioned in books, film, songs, and on television.
Books
- The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton
- Rumble Fish, by S. E. Hinton
- Tex, by S. E. Hinton
- That Was Then, This is Now", by S.E. Hinton
- The Hot Kid, by Elmore Leonard
Movies
- Keys to Tulsa (1997) [1], directed by Leslie Greif
- The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story (2000) (TV)[2], directed by Michael Wilkerson
- The Outsiders (1983)[3], directed by Francis Ford Coppola
- Rumble Fish (1983)[4], directed by Francis Ford Coppola
- Take Me Back to Tulsa (1944)[5], directed by Josef Berne
- Tex (1982)[6], directed by Tim Hunter
- Tulsa, Toyko, and the Middle of Nowhere (1997)[7]
- Tulsa (1949)[8], directed by Stuart Heisler
- The Tulsa Kid (1940)[9], directed by George Sherman
- Twister (1996)[10], directed by Jan de Bont
- UHF (1989)[11], directed by Jay Levey
Television
- Friends, the character Chandler from the television series was sent to Tulsa for one season
- Rodney, the ABC show is based in Tulsa and stars Tulsa comedian Rodney Carrington.
Songs
- "24 Hours from Tulsa" by Gene Pitney
- "Take me Back to Tulsa" by Bob Wills
- "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa" by George Strait
- "Tulsa Time" by Don Williams and also performed by Eric Clapton
- "Tulsa Shuffle" by The Tractors
- "The Tulsa Trap" by Aqueduct
See also
External links
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
- Official City Website
- Tulsa Chamber of Commerce
- Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Tulsa City-County Library
- Tulsa Historical Society
- Tulsa TV Memories
- Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa
- TulsaNow and Discussion Forum
- Urban OK Forums -- Tulsa Civic & Development Discussion
- OKGenWeb: Tulsa County Genealogy @ RootsWeb
- Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council
- Living Arts of Tulsa
- Tulsa Artists' Coalition
- Greater Tulsa Reporter
- Vision 2025
- Tulsa River Parks
- Tulsa Bars & Night Clubs @ OklahomaNightLife.com
- Tulsa Skateboarding
- Tulsa Skateboarding Activism
- Tulsa's Skaer Owned Skateshop
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Windows Live Local
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|---|---|
| Capital | Oklahoma City |
| Regions | Arklatex - Cherokee Outlet - Green Country - Little Dixie - Panhandle |
| Largest cities | Broken Arrow - Edmond - Enid - Lawton - Midwest City - Moore - Norman - Oklahoma City - Stillwater - Tulsa |
 Counties |
Adair - Alfalfa - Atoka - Beaver - Beckham - Blaine - Bryan - Caddo - Canadian - Carter - Cherokee - Choctaw - Cimarron - Cleveland - Coal - Comanche - Cotton - Craig - Creek - Custer - Delaware - Dewey - Ellis - Garfield - Garvin - Grady - Grant - Greer - Harmon - Harper - Haskell - Hughes - Jackson - Jefferson - Johnston - Kay - Kingfisher - Kiowa - Latimer - Le Flore - Lincoln - Logan - Love - Major - Marshall - Mayes - McClain - McCurtain - McIntosh - Murray - Muskogee - Noble - Nowata - Okfuskee - Oklahoma - Okmulgee - Osage - Ottawa - Pawnee - Payne - Pittsburg - Pontotoc - Pottawatomie - Pushmataha - Roger Mills - Rogers - Seminole - Sequoyah - Stephens - Texas - Tillman - Tulsa - Wagoner - Washington - Washita - Woods - Woodward |
| 50 Largest cities of the United States by population |
| New York â?¢ Los Angeles â?¢ Chicago â?¢ Houston â?¢ Philadelphia â?¢ Phoenix â?¢ San Diego â?¢ San Antonio â?¢ Dallas â?¢ San Jose â?¢ Detroit â?¢ Indianapolis â?¢ Jacksonville â?¢ San Francisco â?¢ Columbus â?¢ Austin â?¢ Memphis â?¢ Baltimore â?¢ Fort Worth â?¢ Charlotte â?¢ El Paso â?¢ Milwaukee â?¢ Seattle â?¢ Boston â?¢ Denver â?¢ Louisville â?¢ Washington â?¢ Nashville â?¢ Las Vegas â?¢ Portland â?¢ Oklahoma City â?¢ Tucson â?¢ Albuquerque â?¢ Long Beach â?¢ New Orleans â?¢ Cleveland â?¢ Fresno â?¢ Sacramento â?¢ Virginia Beach â?¢ Kansas City â?¢ Mesa â?¢ Atlanta â?¢ Omaha â?¢ Oakland â?¢ Tulsa â?¢ Miami â?¢ Honolulu â?¢ Minneapolis â?¢ Colorado Springs â?¢ Arlington |
