Life in the Tulsa Metro
- Best City Park in the U.S.
- 40+ Lakes
- 80+ Museums
- 26 Colleges & Universities
In the rolling Osage Hills of Oklahoma’s Green Country, the Tulsa metro bursts with masterpieces of the manmade and Mother Nature kind. A little outdoorsy, a little artsy, northwest Oklahoma is in a league of its own.
Best for: Adventurous types after a small-town vibe
Popular Places to Move
Pawhuska
Population
2,984
Average Home Value
$102,187
Sand Springs
Population
19,874
Average Home Value
$224,229
Claremore
Population
19,580
Average Home Value
$252,857
Jenks
Population
25,949
Average Home Value
$324,608
Bixby
Population
28,609
Average Home Value
$309,034
Muskogee
Population
36,878
Average Home Value
$122,951
Bartlesville
Population
37,290
Average Home Value
$165,284
Owasso
Population
38,240
Average Home Value
$294,324
Broken Arrow
Population
113,540
Average Home Value
$268,006
Tulsa
Population
413,066
Average Home Value
$196,555
How does life in the Tulsa metro compare?
Top Industries
Arts & Culture
Moving to the Tulsa metro means diving into an arts and culture scene that’s as eclectic as it is exciting. You’ll find a lively mix of theaters and iconic music venues like Cain’s Ballroom and the BOK Center, as well as world-renowned museums like Philbrook Museum of Art and the Woody Guthrie Center. The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame calls Muskogee home, and with the Bartlesville Civic Ballet and lush Tulsa Botanic Garden nearby, there’s no shortage of cultural experiences.
Philbrook Museum
Tulsa
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Muskogee
Photo by Tony Corbell
Cain's Ballroom
Tulsa
Tulsa Botanic Garden
Tulsa
Family Fun
The Tulsa metro area is overflowing with family-friendly fun. Spend a day exploring the largest collection of bull sharks at the Oklahoma Aquarium, get their energy out at Bartlesville’s Kiddie Park, or catch a Tulsa Drillers baseball game. From the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium to the Castle of Muskogee and the Tulsa Zoo, the area is brimming with memorable family experiences.
Oklahoma Aquarium
Jenks
Castle of Muskogee
Muskogee
Tulsa Zoo
Tulsa
Golf
Northeast Oklahoma is a golfer’s paradise, boasting some of the finest courses in the country. Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club is regularly ranked one of the best in the country, as is Shangri-La Resort with its stunning views of Grand Lake. Bartlesville’s family-friendly Hillcrest Country Club welcomes golfers of all ages, and Tulsa Country Club offers top-tier greens just one-mile from downtown. Private clubs like Broken Arrow’s pristine Cedar Ridge Country Club and The Patriot Golf Club in Owasso also add to the area’s reputation.
Gathering Place
The Gathering Place in Tulsa is an exceptional gem, twice named the Best City Park in America by USA Today. For residents in the Tulsa metro, it’s a regular pitstop. The 100-acre park’s sprawling greenspace, walking trails, and community events make it a central hub for families and young professionals alike. Some beloved attractions of the riverfront park include Charlie’s Water Mountain splash pad, the ONEOK Boathouse, Chapman Adventure Playground, and the blue heron slide of the Land of the River Giants.
ONEOK Boathouse
Fairyland Forest
Chapman Adventure Playground
Sky Pods
Festivals
From Pryor’s Rocklahoma music festival to the Route 66 Marathon, Tulsa metro events are as lively as the neighbors that host them. Don your finest medieval garb at the Castle of Muskogee’s Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, or load up on local art at Tulsa International Mayfest. Each year, Tulsa Tough fills the streets with thousands of cyclists, and for rodeo fans, Claremore’s Will Rogers Stampede is one of the rowdiest. Each year, the Blue Whale Comedy Festival brings top standup comedians to northwest Oklahoma, and you can catch up-and-coming country stars at Tahlequah’s DiamondStone Music Festival.
Will Rogers Stampede
Claremore
Rocklahoma
Pryor
Photo by Nathan Zucker
Route 66 Marathon
Tulsa
Outdoor Recreation
Calling all nature lovers and tree huggers. Smack dab in the middle of Oklahoma’s Green Country, the Tulsa metro area has a buffet of options for outside time. Hike or bike the scenic trails of Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area, explore the area’s seven state parks, or go scuba diving at Lake Tenkiller (yes, you read that right). For wildlife fans, you can spot wild elk at the serene J.T. Nickel Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve and bison at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. And take note: every Oklahoman has to float the Illinois River at least once.
Food & Drink
Whether you’re craving Caribbean, classic diner fare, or artisanal pizzas, the Tulsa metro offers a plate for every palate. Dig into Santa Fe-style Mexican at La Tertulia, indulge in chicken pot pie at Pawhuska’s Pioneer Woman Mercantile, or experience a true farm-to-table dinner at Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy in Depew. For a quintessential taste of the Tulsa metro, don’t skip Arnold’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, a chicken fried steak from Clanton’s Café, or Sam and Ella’s Chicken Palace (which is actually a pizza shop) in Tahlequah.
Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Pawhuska
Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy
Depew
Sam & Ella's Chicken Palace
Tishomingo
History & Museums
As one of the most diverse areas in Oklahoma, the Tulsa metro area’s history is rich. Tulsa’s Greenwood District remembers and carries forward the legacy of Black Wall Street. In Oologah, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch gives a glimpse of the famous vaudeville performer’s early life. The Cherokee National History Museum and the Five Civilized Tribes Museum celebrate the Native American heritage of northwest Oklahoma, while the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve whisks you away to the rugged Old West and the life of oilman Frank Phillips.
Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve
Bartlesville
Photo by Kathy Peaster
Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Oologah
Greenwood District
Tulsa
Cherokee National Museum
Tahlequah
