OKHighways.com

Highway Review:
U.S. 281 might be a "child route" of U.S. 81, but it runs longer than its parent route! U.S. 81 runs from Fort Worth, Texas to the Canadian border, while U.S. 281 connects the Mexico border to the Canadian border in North Dakota.

As it heads into the Sooner State, U.S. 281 is signed with Interstate 44 and U.S. 277. At Exit 5 for U.S. 70, U.S. 277/281 exit off I-44 and head east with U.S. 70 for three miles. Then the two highways head north until they intersect OK 5, then they head east for a few miles. Just east of Interstate 44, the highways head north once again and join Interstate 44 at its Exit 30. Sixteen miles later, after traveling through Lawton, U.S. 281 heads north, still signed with U.S. 277 and since Exit 40, signed with U.S. 62. Four miles north of the exit off the interstate U.S. 277 heads east, and U.S. 62 and 281 remain co-signed until almost 40 miles north of the U.S. 277 splitoff in Anadarko, where U.S. 281 then takes on OK 8 for over 60 miles!

U.S. 281 and OK 8 head through Binger, Lookeba, and Hinton before intersecting Interstate 40 at Exit 101. In the town of Geary, U.S. 270 joins U.S. 281/OK 8 and are joined for 54 miles before splitting apart in Seiling. The highway continues to be co-signed with another U.S. or state highway all the way to Chester, which is north of Seiling. The highway is finally just U.S. 281 for over 50 miles until Alva (pop. 5,288), the home of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, when U.S. 281 joins U.S. 60 for almost a mile. Alva is also the final major Oklahoma town along its route, and before long motorists traveling U.S. 281 can cross another state off the list of six states the route serves as it connects the United States' two bordering countries. Out of its over 250 miles in Oklahoma, only 67.2 (26%) of its miles are not co-signed with another highway!

Highway Information:
Distance: 256.6 miles
Counties traveled through: Cotton, Comanche, Caddo, Canadian, Blaine, Dewey, Major, Woods
Highway intersections: Interstate 44 (Mile 5.1), U.S. 70 (Mile 5.1), U.S. 70 (Mile 8.0), OK 5A (Mile 15.1), OK 5 (Mile 21.1), Interstate 44 (Mile 23.5), OK 5 (Mile 23.9), Interstate 44/OK 36 (Mile 34.4), Business U.S. 281 (Mile 37.9), OK 7 (Mile 41.2), Business U.S. 281 (Mile 43.6), U.S. 62 (Mile 44.7), OK 49 (Mile 49.9), Interstate 44 (Mile 50.9), U.S. 277 (Mile 55.2), OK 19 (Mile 64.1), OK 19 (Mile 64.7), OK 9 (Mile 74.9), U.S. 62/OK 8/9 (Mile 83.2), OK 152 (Mile 98.8), OK 152 (Mile 103.5), OK 37 (Mile 115.7), Interstate 40 (Mile 119.8), Spur U.S. 281 (Mile 122.9), U.S. 270 (Mile 128.6), OK 3/8/33 (Mile 145.6), OK 33/58 (Mile 155.2), OK 51 (Mile 175.0), U.S. 60/OK 51 (Mile 183.5), U.S. 270/OK 3 (Mile 184.0), U.S. 60 (Mile 188.5), U.S. 412/OK 15 (Mile 203.5), OK 14/OK 45 (Mile 215.2), OK 45 (Mile 227.3), U.S. 64 (Mile 241.6), U.S. 64 (Mile 242.5), OK 11 (Mile 249.6)
Highway duplexes: Interstate 44 (Miles 0.0-5.1, 5.1 miles), U.S. 277 (Miles 0.0-55.2, 55.2 miles), U.S. 70 (Miles 5.1-8.0, 2.9 miles), OK 5 (Miles 21.1-23.9, 2.8 miles), Interstate 44 (Miles 34.4-50.9, 16.5 miles), U.S. 62 (Miles 44.7-83.2, 38.5 miles), OK 19 (Miles 64.1-64.7, 0.6 miles), OK 9 (Miles 74.9-83.2, 8.3 miles), OK 8 (Miles 83.2-145.6, 62.4 miles), OK 152 (Miles 98.8-103.5, 4.7 miles), U.S. 270 (Miles 128.6-184.0, 55.4 miles), OK 3 (Miles 145.6-184.0, 38.4 miles), OK 33 (Miles 145.6-155.2, 9.6 miles), OK 51 (Miles 175.0-183.5, 8.5 miles), U.S. 60 (Miles 183.5-188.5, 5.0 miles), OK 45 (Miles 215.2-227.3, 12.1 miles), U.S. 64 (Miles 241.6-242.5, 0.9 miles)

PICTURES

	U.S. 277/U.S. 281 South at U.S. 70 in Randlett. U.S. 277 and U.S. 281 head west on U.S. 70 for three miles to Interstate 44. (Photo taken 5/12/04)
	U.S. 277/U.S. 281 South at OK 5A East in Cookietown. OK 5A connects to OK 5 south of Walters at its other end. (Photo taken 5/12/04)
	U.S. 277/U.S. 281 North as it approaches Interstate 44 south of Lawton. OK 36's northern terminus is just ahead, thus the mention of that highway junction is present as well. (Photo taken 9/6/02)
	Interstate 44/U.S. 62 East and U.S. 277/U.S. 281 North at Exit 46 - U.S. 62 East/U.S. 277/ U.S. 281 North. The H.E. Bailey Turnpike starts up once again following this interchange. (Photo taken 9/6/02)
	U.S. 62/OK 9 East/U.S. 281 North at Mission Ave. stoplight in Anadarko. The three highways head north at this point for about a mile before they head east once again. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	In Anadarko, the point where U.S. 62/U.S. 281/ OK 9 head toward the east once again. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 62/OK 9 East/U.S. 281 North at U.S. 281/ OK 8 North near downtown Anadarko. U.S. 281 and OK 8 begin their 62-mile joint venture at this light. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 281/OK 8 North at OK 152 east of Binger. These three highways are joined for 4.7 miles before U.S. 281 and OK 8 head north towards Hinton. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 281/OK 8 North/OK 152 West shields just west of the intersection pictured above. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 281/OK 8 North/OK 152 West at U.S. 281/ OK 8 North in Binger. Binger is mostly known for being the birthplace of Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 281/OK 8 North assurance shields just north of Binger. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 281/OK 8 North at OK 37 East in Hinton. This is OK 37's western terminus. Also notice the wall mural on the building to the right. (Photo taken 11/26/02)
	U.S. 270 East/U.S. 281/OK 8 South at U.S. 270 East in Geary. (Photo taken 5/7/04)
	U.S. 270/OK 3/OK 33 East/U.S. 281 South at U.S. 270 East/U.S. 281 South/OK 8 in Watonga. (Photo taken 4/9/04)
	U.S. 270/U.S. 281/OK 3/OK 33 East assurance shields just east of OK 33 West/OK 58 North. This sign assembly should have U.S. 281 South instead of East. (Photo taken 4/9/04)
	U.S. 270 East/U.S. 281 South/OK 3 East at OK 33 West/OK 58 North. (Photo taken 5/7/04)
	U.S. 270 East/U.S. 281 South/OK 3 East/ OK 51 East at OK 51 East. (Photo taken 5/7/04)
	U.S. 270/OK 3 East/U.S. 60 West/U.S. 281 South at U.S. 60/OK 51 West in Seiling. (Photo taken 5/7/04)
	U.S. 281 North at OK 14 North in Waynoka. OK 45 also begins here and duplexes with U.S. 281 for 12 miles. (Photo taken 4/9/04)
	U.S. 281 South/OK 45 West at OK 14 North in Waynoka. This marks the western terminus of OK 45. (Photo taken 4/9/04)
	U.S. 64 West/U.S. 281 South at U.S. 281 South in Alva. (Photo taken 4/9/04)
	U.S. 64 East/U.S. 281 North at U.S. 281 North. (Photo taken 4/9/04)
	U.S. 281 North at OK 11. Kansas lies just seven miles ahead. This intersection marks the western terminus of OK 11, which finds its eastern end at Interstate 244 in Tulsa. (Photo taken 4/9/04)