U.S. Route 412 (US 412) is a U.S. highway in the south-central portion of the United States, connecting Springer, New Mexico to Columbia, Tennessee. A section of the highway crosses the state of Oklahoma, traversing the state from west to east. Entering the state southwest of Boise City, US 412 runs the length of the Oklahoma Panhandle and serves the northern portion of the state's main body, before leaving the state at West Siloam Springs. Along the way, the route serves many notable cities and towns including Boise City, Guymon, Woodward, Enid and the state's second-largest city, Tulsa.
US 412 has two tolled sections, both of them in Oklahoma—the Cimarron Turnpike and the Cherokee Turnpike. The tolled portions of the highway are operated by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), with the remainder of the route maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). In addition to the freeway-grade turnpikes, a large amount of the highway has been upgraded to four-lane expressway facilities, although some portions remain two-lane, especially in the Panhandle. Much of US 412's route through Oklahoma either overlaps or is in close proximity to that of US 64.
US 412 was extended into Oklahoma in 1988 to encourage recreational travel and the resulting economic benefit to the state. This extension, in which the new designation replaced or overlapped several already existing highways, brought US 412's western terminus to Woodward. In 1993, it was extended west of Oklahoma, bringing it through the Panhandle and into New Mexico.
Route description The Panhandle
U.S. Route 412 crosses the New Mexico–Oklahoma state line northeast of Clayton, New Mexico, concurrent with US 56 and US 64. The three highways enter the state just north of the extreme southwest corner of Cimarron County, the westernmost tip of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The highways head northeast, passing through disconnected parcels of the Rita Blanca National Grassland. The first town US 56, US 64 and US 412 encounter in Oklahoma is unincorporated Felt, which they skirt the northern edge of. The highways then cross the Beaver River before intersecting US 385, which joins the other three highways in a concurrency as they approach Boise City, the county seat. In Boise City, the highways reach a traffic circle which surrounds the Cimarron County Courthouse. At this traffic circle, US 56, US 64 and US 412 all turn east, while US 385 splits away to the north. State Highway 3 (SH-3) enters the circle from the north and leaves from the east, following US 412, while SH-325 begins at the circle and heads west toward Kenton. East of town, US 56/US 64/US 412/SH-3 have an interchange with US 287, which bypasses Boise City to the east. northeast of here, US 56 splits away from the other highways; it continues northeast, while US 64/US 412/SH-3 turn onto a due east course. The routes intersect SH-171 east of the split.
Approximately east of the SH-171 junction, US 64/US 412/SH-3 cross into Texas County. east of the county line, at unincorporated Four Corners, SH-95 joins the concurrency; it splits away after following the other three routes for . The next major highway junction lies to the east, where SH-136 joins with US 64/US 412/SH-3 as the highways turn south toward Guymon. The four highways cross the Beaver River once again before entering that city, Texas County's seat and the largest city in the Panhandle. In Guymon, US 64 splits away to the east, while US 412 and State Highways 3 and 136 continue south, turning back east along US 54 to form a short concurrency. A US 412 truck route follows US 64 and US 54 around the east side of the city, reuniting with mainline US 412 where it splits away from SH-136. Just east of the US 54 junction, SH-136 splits away to the south, leaving US 412 and SH-3 to continue east. Southwest of Optima Lake, the two highways serve as the southern terminus of SH-94. East of the highway junction, US 412/SH-3 enter Optima National Wildlife Refuge, where they cross Coldwater Creek, one of the lake's tributaries. After leaving the refuge, the routes pass through the town of Hardesty. From Hardesty, the road continues due east, crossing Palo Duro Creek and Chiquita Creek, two tributaries of the Beaver River. The highways then leave Texas County.
The third county US 412 and SH-3 enter is Beaver County, the panhandle's easternmost county. The highways' route across Beaver County is arrow-straight, proceeding due east with only a single curve at the extreme east edge of the county. At the unincorporated location of Bryan's Corner, approximately east of the county line, the highway intersects US 83. Near the county's east–west midpoint, at Elmwood, US 412 and SH-3 intersect US 270 and SH-23. While SH-23 passes through the intersection north to south, eastbound US 270, following southbound SH-23 from Beaver, joins US 412/SH-3 heading east. The three highways continue on, passing through Slapout, before curving slightly to the north as they exit both Beaver County and the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Northwest Oklahoma
Upon entering the main body of Oklahoma, the first county US 270/US 412/SH-3 pass through is Harper County. Here, they intersect US 283 south of Laverne; east of US 283, in May, they intersect SH-46. US 270/US 412/SH-3 only cross the southwest part of Harper County before curving southeast into Ellis County. The routes, however, only clip the northeast corner of the county, traversing only of it before passing into Woodward County.
Shortly after entering Woodward County, US 270/US 412/SH-3 enter the town of Fort Supply. There, the routes junction with US 183, which joins the other routes as they make their way southeast. southeast of Fort Supply, the four highways enter the city of Woodward, the largest city within a nine-county area and the commercial hub of northwest Oklahoma. On the west edge of town, the four highways serve as the eastern terminus of the western segment of SH-15, a route made discontinuous by the establishment of US 412 (see history). US 270/US 183/US 412/SH-3 proceed east through Woodward. In downtown, they meet with SH-34; here, US 412 leaves the four-way concurrency, as it continues east by itself while the other three highways it has followed since Fort Supply turn south to overlap SH-34 instead. For the first time since its western terminus in New Mexico, where it began concurrent with US 56, US 412 is the sole highway designation on the road it follows.
As US 412 leaves town, it passes south of Boiling Springs State Park, running parallel to SH-34C and SH-50B, both of which serve the park. Along this stretch, it crosses the Beaver River for the third and final time, though this time it has since become the North Canadian River. SH-50 forms a concurrency with US 412 for before splitting off again in Mooreland. The highway passes just south of Curtis as it continues east out of Woodward County.
The next northwestern Oklahoma county that US 412 serves is Major County. The first intersection with another highway that US 412 comes to is with US 281 at Bouse Junction. East of here, US 412 skirts the northern edge of the Glass Mountains (also known as the Gloss Mountains), turning southeast before returning to a due east course. At Orienta, the highway begins a concurrency with US 60 and SH-8; the three highways turn north and together cross the Cimarron River. South of Cleo Springs, US 60 and US 412 turn east, while SH-8 splits away to the north. From here, it is a straight shot into Enid along US 60/US 412; there are no curves along the highway for over . US 60 and US 412 continue to the east, meeting up with SH-58 on the north edge of Ringwood. The two US highways pass through Meno before coming to the Major–Garfield County line.
Soon after entering Garfield County, US 60/US 412 run through Lahoma. east of there, they share a brief concurrency with SH-132. The two highways enter the county seat of Garfield County, the city of Enid, along Owen K. Garriott Road, named in honor of the astronaut. In downtown Enid, the routes intersect US 81; US 60 breaks away from US 412 to turn north along US 81, while US 412 continues east along Garriott Road. On the east side of Enid, US 412 reunites with US 64; the two form a concurrency as Garriott Road becomes an expressway heading east out of town. The next highway junction is an interchange with SH-74; this interchange also serves as the western terminus of the eastern segment of SH-15. From here, US 64/US 412 proceed due east into Noble County to a cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 35 (I-35). US 64 follows I-35 south toward Perry, while US 412 continues straight ahead, where it will form the Cimarron Turnpike.
Northeast Oklahoma
The Cimarron Turnpike, carrying US 412, passes through Noble, Payne and Pawnee Counties. The highway heads east from I-35 to its first interchange, Exit 3, which provides access to US 77. The first mainline toll plaza is just west of Exit 15, a cloverleaf interchange with no straight-line ramps (forcing all traffic getting on or off to pass through the toll plaza) connecting the turnpike to US 177. East of the US 177 interchange, the highway curves to the south, crossing Black Bear Creek. US 412 then meets US 64 once again, interchanging with it at Exit 23 east of Morrison. The turnpike then turns back east, with a spur route (accessible only from the westbound turnpike) branching off to the southwest toward Stillwater. The Lone Chimney service plaza, a twenty-four-hour concession area, is located in the median of the turnpike east of the interchange with the spur. South of Pawnee lies an interchange (Exit 37) with SH-18. Just south of Hallett, a second mainline toll plaza sits just west of the SH-99 interchange; again, this interchange is a cloverleaf interchange with only loop ramps. The turnpike's final exit is Exit 60, a partial interchange with SH-48 southeast of Cleveland. The missing movements are provided by US 64, the northern terminus of SH-48, which merges with US 412 as the Cimarron Turnpike ends. The two routes continue east as a freeway.
The US 64/US 412 freeway, known locally as the Keystone Expressway, serves the western outlying areas of the Tulsa metropolitan area. Passing south of Westport, the freeway is routed along a peninsula in extreme southeastern Pawnee County, before crossing Keystone Lake, formed by the impounded Arkansas River, into far southern Osage County. US 64 and US 412 only traverse a short distance in the county, however; after the two routes pass into Tulsa County. Just south of the county line, the freeway has an interchange with SH-151, a short connector route that runs across Lake Keystone's dam. At this interchange the Keystone Expressway ends. The Sand Springs Expressway continues from here, through Sand Springs, where it includes an interchange with SH-97 and SH-51, the latter of which joins US 64/US 412 on the freeway. The three routes then continue east into Tulsa proper.
The Sand Springs Expressway comes to an end at the northwest corner of the Inner Disperal Loop (IDL), a ring of freeways surrounding Downtown Tulsa. At a stack interchange there, US 64 and SH-51 split away to the south along I-244; this will be the final intersection US 412 and US 64 will have in Oklahoma. US 412 continues east along I-244. This interchange is also the southern terminus of L.L. Tisdale Parkway. I-244 and US 412 form the north side of the IDL; at its northeast corner, they interchange with US 75, the east side of the loop; south of the interchange, US 75 also carries the I-444 designation. I-244/US 412 continue east, with exit ramps to local streets, as well as SH-11 and US 169. I-244 ends at I-44/SH-66; US 412 forms a concurrency with the latter two routes as they continue east into Rogers County.