Oil money built Tulsa, and it left behind one of the best collections of Art Deco buildings in the country. Today it is a city of about 415,000 people that feels more creative and less sleepy than its reputation suggests. Housing is very affordable, well below the national average, which is a big reason young families and remote workers have been paying attention.
For visitors, the Gathering Place riverfront park is a clear favorite, and the Philbrook and Gilcrease museums, the Bob Dylan Center and the Woody Guthrie Center make a strong arts lineup. Greenwood Rising tells the story of the Greenwood District and the 1921 race massacre with care. Route 66 fans can drive out to the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Violent crime is well above the national average and concentrated in specific areas, and spring brings tornado season, hot humid summers and the odd ice storm.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Oil Capital of the World; Green Country; Buckle of the Bible Belt; T-Town; The 918; Art Deco Capital
- Founded
- 1828 settled (Lochapoka Creek Indians, Tulsa Old Town); 1898 incorporated
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Cherokee, Muscogee and other Native languages in cultural contexts
- Airports
- Tulsa International Airport (TUL), about 7 mi northeast of downtown, nonstop to many hubs; Oklahoma City Will Rogers (OKC) about 105 mi southwest; Northwest Arkansas Regional (XNA) about 105 mi northeast
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20%; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhop $1-2 per bag; casino dealers and servers standard $1-5
About this data
Population from Census Vintage 2025 (city via QuickFacts, MSA via FRED, July 1, 2025). Area, elevation and coordinates from Wikipedia. Crime and cost of living from everycityintheusa (FBI-based, approximate). Zillow Tulsa page was rate-limited, so home price uses Census median value and rent trend not verified. Hotel rates, tipping, distances and event months are approximate and not live-verified.
