U.S. Route 81 in Oklahoma

U.S. Highway 81 marker
U.S. Highway 81
Chisholm Trail Historic Route
Map
US 81 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length229.28 mi[1] (368.99 km)
ExistedDecember 7, 1926[2]–present
Major junctions
South end US 81 south of Terral
Major intersections
North end US-81 south of Caldwell, KS
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountiesJefferson, Stephens, Grady, Canadian, Kingfisher, Garfield, Grant
Highway system
  • Oklahoma State Highway System
SH-80 SH-82

U.S. Route 81 (US-81) is a north–south U.S. highway running through the central United States' Great Plains region, from Fort Worth, Texas to the U.S.–Canadian border at Pembina, North Dakota. A 229.28-mile (368.99 km) segment of the highway lies within the state of Oklahoma. US-81 crosses the Red River from Texas south of Terral, passing through several Oklahoma cities, such as Chickasha, El Reno, Kingfisher, and Enid, before entering Kansas north of Renfrow.

The route of US-81 was originally served by the Chisholm Trail, which was used to drive cattle from Texas to Abilene, Kansas. US-81 was established as a primary route of the U.S. highway system at the time of the system's original designation. US-81 was established through Oklahoma on December 7, 1926.

  1. ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation (November 15, 2002). "State Highway System: Log of U.S. Highway 81" (PDF). Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference odot-history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).