Broken Arrow, OK
A railway farm town on Creek land that grew into Oklahoma's fourth city and still marches to its own band
Broken Arrow is the largest suburb of Tulsa, spreading south-east of the city across Tulsa and Wagoner counties, with an old Main Street of its own and one of the most celebrated school bands in the country. The 2020 census counted about 113,500 people, making it the fourth-largest city in Oklahoma.
The masthead year is 1903, when the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad finished its line through the Creek Nation and the town it had laid out the year before was incorporated. The land belonged to the Muscogee (Creek), and the name came from them: a Creek community carried it west from Alabama after the forced removals of the 1830s, and the railway's townsite took it over. Broken Arrow grew as a market town for farmers in the rich bottomland between the Arkansas and Verdigris rivers, and by the 1920s and 1930s it shipped poultry and vegetables. The surplus of birds gave it its oldest tradition: Rooster Days, begun in 1931 as a sale of unwanted cockerels, is generally described as Oklahoma's longest-running festival and still fills the town each May. For most of its first seventy years Broken Arrow was a small place a long drive from Tulsa.
The Broken Arrow Expressway changed that, bringing the town within a commute of downtown Tulsa, and the population rose from around 12,000 in 1970 to more than 100,000 by the 2010s. The result is a city of broad section-line roads laid out on the mile grid, with subdivisions, schools, churches and shopping centres filling the squares between them. The old downtown, on Main Street just south of the expressway, has kept its scale. Most of the city lies in Tulsa County, with its eastern part in Wagoner County, and the Creek Turnpike curves around the south and east as a partial ring road. Much of it lies within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation, whose boundaries the Supreme Court affirmed in McGirt v. Oklahoma in 2020, which matters for some criminal and tribal jurisdiction. To the south the land drops towards the Arkansas River and the towns of Bixby and Coweta.
Broken Arrow minds being called a suburb. Its civic pride runs through the Rose District, as the city rebranded Main Street in 2012 after investing in wider pavements, public art and parking: a few blocks of restaurants, a brewery or two, boutiques, the farmers' market and the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center, which also hosts touring shows. The other point of pride is the Pride of Broken Arrow, the high school's marching band, which has won the Bands of America Grand National Championship four times, in 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2021, the last with a record score, and has marched in the Rose Parade. Broken Arrow Public Schools are among the largest districts in the state, and school sport, band and church are where people meet. The food is Oklahoman, which means barbecue, chicken-fried steak, Tex-Mex and a strong showing of chains along the arterial roads.
Broken Arrow is now a working city as well as a dormitory. Its largest private employer, FlightSafety International, builds flight simulators here, and aerospace suppliers, the Blue Bell Creameries plant, distribution centres and machine shops line the industrial parks on the north side. Northeastern State University runs a Broken Arrow campus for upper-level and graduate students, and Tulsa Tech trains thousands more. The population has kept rising, with estimates passing 120,000, and growth is pushing south and east into Wagoner County. The city's newest project is a 12,500-seat outdoor amphitheatre beside the Events Park, delayed from its original 2025 date and due to open around the end of 2026. The arguments are the usual ones for a fast-growing place: road widening, water and sewer capacity, school funding, and how much of the remaining farmland to give up.
Where People Live
Rose District
The historic Main Street downtown, with restaurants, shops, the farmers' market, the Performing Arts Center and the Rooster Days grounds at Central Park, and the city's busiest weekend evenings.
North Broken Arrow
The neighbourhoods and industrial parks either side of the Broken Arrow Expressway, with older subdivisions from the 1970s and 1980s, the NSU campus and the manufacturing employers.
South Broken Arrow
Newer, larger houses and master-planned subdivisions south of the Creek Turnpike, many around golf courses and ponds, reaching towards Bixby and the Arkansas River.
Wagoner County side
The fast-growing east of the city, across the county line, where farmland is still turning into subdivisions, schools and shopping centres along the turnpike.
Events Park & the east side
The city's large park for festivals and concerts, now home to the new amphitheatre, surrounded by playing fields and newer housing.
Haikey Creek & the west side
The neighbourhoods bordering south-east Tulsa, around Haikey Creek Park and its trails, where the line between the two cities is hard to see.
Where to stay
Stoney Creek Hotel Broken Arrow
200 W Albany St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · stoneycreekhotels.com
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tulsa S Broken Arrow Hwy 51 by IHG
2201 N Stone Wood Cir, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · ihg.com
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tulsa South - Woodland Hills by IHG
9031 E 71st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · ihg.com
Hard Rock Hotel Tulsa
777 W Cherokee St, Catoosa, OK 74015 · hardrockcasinotulsa.com
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Tulsa Broken Arrow
451 W Albany St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · wyndhamhotels.com
Staybridge Suites Tulsa-Woodland Hills by IHG Broken Arrow
11111 E 73rd St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · ihg.com
WoodSpring Suites Broken Arrow
11000 E 45th St, Tulsa, OK 74146 · woodspring.com
Best Western Kenosha Inn Broken Arrow
1200 E Lansing St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · bestwestern.com
Hampton Inn Tulsa/Broken Arrow
2300 W Albany St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · hilton.com
Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center
6808 S 107th E Ave, Tulsa, OK 74133 · marriott.com
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Tulsa Broken Arrow
2251 N Stone Wood Cir, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · marriott.com
Hilton Garden Inn Tulsa-Broken Arrow
420 West Albany Street, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · hilton.com
Residence Inn by Marriott Tulsa South Broken Arrow
11025 E 73rd St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · marriott.com
Luxury Inn Suites Broken Arrow
1401 N Elm Pl, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Tulsa Broken Arrow
11015 E 73rd St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · marriott.com
Homewood Suites by Hilton Tulsa-South Broken Arrow
4900 W Madison Pl, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · hilton.com
SureStay Plus by Best Western Tulsa East Broken Arrow
12416 E 51st St, Tulsa, OK 74146 · bestwestern.com
Quality Inn Broken Arrow - Tulsa
2301 W Concord St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 · choicehotels.com
Broken Arrow Inn
835 N 1st St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
Restaurants & places to go
Airports
Tulsa International Airport (TUL) 11 mi to the centre
7777 E Apache St, Tulsa, OK 74115 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 10 airlines (Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines…) · direct flights to 18 destinations incl. Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 10 airlines, 18 direct destinations
- Southwest Airlines WN (737-700, 735) · 7 routes: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, St. Louis
- United Airlines UA (ERJ, CRJ-700, CRJ) · 5 routes: Chicago*, Denver*, Houston*, Newark*, Washington*
- Delta Air Lines DL (CRJ-700, MD-88, CRJ) · 4 routes: Atlanta, Detroit*, Minneapolis*, Salt Lake City*
- American Airlines AA (737-800, 757, MD-80, M83) · 3 routes: Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami
- US Airways US (737-800, 757, MD-80, M83) · 3 routes: Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami
- Air France AF (CRJ-700, CRJ-900) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- AirTran Airways FL (737-700) · 1 route: Denver*
- Allegiant Air G4 (A320) · 1 route: Sanford
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (CRJ-700, CRJ-900) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (CRJ-700, CRJ-900, MD-88) · 1 route: Atlanta*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Tulsa Riverside Airport (RVS) 11 mi to the centre
Tulsa, OK, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Okmulgee Regional Airport (OKM) 28 mi to the centre
Okmulgee, OK, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport (MKO) 36 mi to the centre
Muskogee, OK, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Claremore Regional Airport 24 mi to the centre
Claremore, OK, US
Tahlequah Municipal Airport 45 mi to the centre
Tahlequah, OK, US
Trains & rail
Amtrak
National rail
Coaches & shuttles
Greyhound
Intercity coach
Jefferson Lines
Intercity coach
MegaBus
Intercity coach
Trailways
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Magellan Jets
Jet card, charter · Partner fleet · Jet cards and on-demand charter from Boston.
Sentient Jet
Jet card · Partner fleet, light to heavy · One of the first jet-card programmes; guaranteed availability on partner aircraft.
Aero
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Airshare
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Phenom 300, Challenger 350 · Fractional and jet card programme centred on the US Midwest and East.
Blade
Helicopter, by-the-seat · Helicopters, seaplanes, jets via partners · By-the-seat helicopters Manhattan–JFK/Newark and the Hamptons; jet charter through partners.
Living Here
Getting about
- Most people drive. The Broken Arrow Expressway (State Highway 51) runs into downtown Tulsa in about twenty-five minutes outside rush hour, and the Creek Turnpike, a toll road, rings the south and east.
- Public transport is very limited and there is no passenger rail; check current bus links to Tulsa before relying on them, and expect to drive or use ride-hailing.
- Tulsa International Airport is about half an hour's drive north-west, with flights to most major US hubs.
- Trails along the creeks and in the larger parks are good for walking and cycling, but the arterial roads are wide, fast and built for cars.
Health
- Ascension St. John Broken Arrow, opened in 2010, is the city's hospital with an emergency department; the large Tulsa hospital systems, including Saint Francis, Hillcrest and St. John Medical Center, are within a short drive.
- Dial 911 for any emergency. Tornado season peaks in spring: know where to shelter and take warnings seriously. Summers are hot and humid, and ice storms are a winter hazard.
- American healthcare is expensive and visitors are billed in full. Travel insurance with good medical cover is essential, and an urgent-care clinic is cheaper than an emergency room for anything minor.
Work & study
- Northeastern State University's Broken Arrow campus offers upper-level and graduate degrees, Tulsa Tech has a large campus in the city, and the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Community College are a drive away.
- Aerospace and simulation, manufacturing, distribution, retail, the school district and the Tulsa economy at large provide most of the work; FlightSafety International is the largest private employer.
- Non-citizens need a visa or immigration status that allows work. Oklahoma has a state income tax, and sales taxes are relatively high.
Money & manners
- US dollars. Cards are accepted almost everywhere. Tipping of around 18 to 20 per cent is expected in restaurants and bars.
- Broken Arrow is family-minded, church-going and conservative, and fiercely proud of its band and its schools; Friday nights in autumn belong to football and the halftime show.
- Housing costs are moderate by national standards. Crime is low for a city of its size; ordinary suburban sense is enough.
News
Situations Vacant
Classified
Property
Sport
Display Advertising
Sources
- Geoverts Local — Broken Arrowthe local directory, the people-and-company index, and who is hiring
- Better Mapping — Broken Arrowthe intelligence map — parcels, boundaries and what is actually where