Stillwater (Oklahoma)

Stillwater, in the Frontier Country region of Oklahoma, is home to Oklahoma State University (OSU). It has a distinct small town feel combined with a uniquely welcoming mid-west atmosphere, and OSU brings a young diverse population further enriching the city's culture. The population of 46,000 varies depending on the time of year from a peak during OSU's homecoming football weekend to the less crowded summer when most students are on break. Stillwater has several districts each with their own unique atmosphere and places to enjoy. Whether you are looking to shop in Dowtown Stillwater's boutique shops, enjoy outdoor recreation on the edge of town, or wanting to live it up at a famous bar on The Strip, Stillwater has a place for everyone.

Get in

From the Oklahoma City area, Stillwater can be reached in an hour's drive by travelling north on I-35 and then travelling east on Highway 51. The Cimarron Turnpike serves as the major thoroughfare to reach Stillwater from the Tulsa area, and Stillwater can be reached within an hour-and-a-half using this route.

The Stillwater Regional Airport provides air service for daily commercial flights through Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) on American Airlines.

Get around

Stillwater, with its relatively small size and excellent pedestrian and public transportation systems, is an extremely easy city to get around. While Stillwater is a relatively small city, a car is typically the favored method of transport. The OSU operated bus system, walking, cycling, and ride sharing services are alternatives.

By bus

The Oklahoma State University Community Transit System provides excellent service for getting around town via 6 routes from 6:20 AM to 7:15 PM. Then the system operates a reduced route from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM. It is also an excellent way to get across the OSU campus. Riders should check the live route map and OSU Transit website ahead of time to plan their trips. Fare is 75¢ per ride; 35¢ for children (5-18), seniors (69+), and the disabled; and free to OSU students and employees (with ID) and children under 5. Transfers from one route to another are free

By car

Stillwater is also easily navigated by car, and the city has several car rental agencies. Highway 51 (6th Street) provides Stillwater's main crosstown East-West route, and US-177 (Perkins Rd.) serves as the main North-South route. Both offer quick travel from one end of the city to the other.

On foot

Stillwater is fairly pedestrian-friendly, especially near downtown and around campus, but lacks in handicap accessibility in the residential areas. The city is small enough to reach most places by foot, however increasing sprawl is making it less and less of a viable option.

By bicycle

Many streets are marked to be shared with bicycles, while others have dedicated lanes directly next to the road and a few dedicated routes. Visitors can rent a bicycle from OSU's OrangeRide program. Stillwater has two bicycle shops in town, District Bicycles and Cooper's Bicycle Center. View city bicycle route map

See

• 🌍 The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University (The OSU Botanic Garden), 3300 W 6th ave, ☎ [phone]. Dawn-Dusk. OSU's Botanic garden demonstrates gardening techniques and beautiful landscapes for all ages. free. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Oklahoma State University (OSU), 401 Whitehurst, ☎ [phone]. The heart of campus is located between University Ave. Knoblock Ave. and Hall of Fame Ave. Take a daily week day or self guided tour. View campus map  
• 🌍 National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-F 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. $7.00. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Oklahoma Wondertorium, 308 West Franklin Lane, ☎ [phone]. Tues - Sat 10 am - 5 pm. Sun 1 pm - 5pm. A museum where children can experience various jobs and industries through play and interactive exhibits. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Sheerar Museum, 702 S Duncan, ☎ [phone]. Tues - Fri 11 am - 5 pm. Sat,Sun 1 pm - 4pm. Stillwater's an Payne Count's History Museum Admission by donation. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Oklahoma State University Museum of Art (Postal Plaza), 720 S Husband Street, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tues - Sat 11 am - 4 pm. Thur 11 am - 7pm.. Formerly a post office, this museum opened in 2014 and shows internationally recognized exhibits. Free. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Boomer Lake Park. Largest park in town with a 3 mile (5 km) paved path around a lake. (updated Feb 2018)

Do

Catch Big 12 Conference athletic events featuring the OSU Cowboys or Cowgirls. A schedule of events can be found here

Buy

• 17B Clothing, 106 W 10th Ave. Located just off of Main Street on 10th, 17B offers some awesome made-in-house unique clothing catering to the fashion-minded and "indie" styles. 
• Chapters, OSU Student Union. Located within the OSU Student Union, Chapters is a small bookstore with a surprisingly good selection of books. 
• Eskimo Joe's Clothes. Located just to the west of the restaurant, is the place to buy a Joe's shirt and other memoribilia. 

Eat

• 🌍 Eskimo Joe's, 501 W. Elm, ☎ [phone]. Mon, Tues 11 am - 10 pm. Wed-Sat 11 am - 2 am. Sun 11 am - 9pm.. The most famous restaurant and bar in town. It serves American style food and at night changes to a bar setting with live musical acts performing regularly.  
• 🌍 Mexico Joe's, 311 E Hall of Fame, ☎ [phone]. Sister restaurant to Eskimo Joe's. 
• 🌍 Freddie Paul's Steakhouse, 1707 E 6th Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Hideaway Pizza, 230 S Knoblock, ☎ [phone]. Sun-Thu 11am–10pm. Fri-Sat 11am–11pm. Oklahoma's oldest pizzeria founded in 1957. Popular place for locals and visitors. 
• 🌍 Bad Brad's BBQ, 3317 E 6th, ☎ [phone]. Mon-Thurs 11 AM - 8:30 PM. Fri, Sat 11 AM - 9 PM.. Great Barbecue on the west side of Stillwater 
• 🌍 El Tapatio, 825 S Perkins Rd, ☎ [phone]. 11 AM - 9 PM. 
• 🌍 El Tapatio, 1711 N Boomer, ☎ [phone]. 11 AM - 9 PM. 
• 🌍 El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant, 5020 W 6th Ave, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-W 11 AM - 9:30 PM. Th-Sat 11 AM-10PM. Sun 11 AM - 9 PM. 
• 🌍 Red Rock Bakery & Deli, 910 N Boomer Rd, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Red Rock Bakery & Deli, 702 S Main, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Tokyo Pot, 108 W 10th Ave, ☎ [phone]. 6 PM - 8:30 PM. This Japanese restaurant offers food similar is similar to fondue, except they use boiling broth. Expect dinner to take over an hour. Reservations are recommended. 
• 🌍 Sushi House, 1409 S Western, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Mon-Th 11 AM - 2:30 PM, 5 PM - 9 PM. Fri 11 PM - 2:30, 5 PM - 10 PM. Sat 12 PM - 10 PM.. Located in Fountain Square, this is a hidden gem. Can eat a totally vegetarian meal. For mid-scale sushi one of the best values anywhere in the country. 
• 🌍 Coney Island, 223 S Washington, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-W 11 AM - 9PM. Th-Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM.. Cheap hot dogs and burgers, a favorite for college students to visit between bars. 
• 🌍 Shortcakes, 219 N Main St (Main Street and Hall of fame), ☎ [phone]. Always open. Best greasy spoon in Stillwater. Great after a long night of drinking on the Strip. Cheap, too. 

Drink

Bars and Taverns

• 🌍 Eskimo Joe's, 501 W. Elm, ☎ [phone]. Mon, Tues 11 am - 10 pm. Wed-Sat 11 am - 2 am. Sun 11 am - 9pm.. Has four bars inside the restaurant to serve the crowds of thirsty college students who frequent the establishment. A popular drink to order is the Skylab Fallout, but be careful!  
• 🌍 Stonewall Tavern, 115 S Knoblock St, ☎ [phone]. 12 PM - 2 AM. Located next to campus, this bar is known for its cheap drinks, outdoor beer garden, and large electronic dance music nights. 
• 🌍 Finnegan's Pub, 716 S Main St, ☎ [phone]. An non-smoking Irish pub with a large beer selection located in the heart of downtown. 
• 🌍 George's Stables, 502 W Elm Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Strip. A length of Washington St. between University Ave. and Sixth St. that is the home to many bars including: 
  • 🌍 Copper Penny, 408 S Washington St, ☎ [phone]. 2 PM - 2 AM. 
  • 🌍 J.R. Murphy's, 306 S Washington St, ☎ [phone]. 
  • 🌍 Willie's Saloon, 323 S Washington St, ☎ [phone]. Famous for being the location of Garth Brooks' first public performance. 

Coffee

• Aspen Coffee, 111 W 7th Ave (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. A lively coffee house and roastery, offering fresh roasted coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, and light cafe fare 

Sleep

• Atherton Hotel at OSU (OSU Student Union). 
• Best Western, 600 E McElroy Rd. 
• Days Inn, 5010 W 6th Ave. 
• Fairfield Inn, 418 E Hall of Fame Ave. 
• Hampton Inn & Suites, 717 E Hall of Fame Ave. 
• Holiday Inn, 2515 W 6th Ave. 
• Relax Inn and Suites, 2313 W. 6th Ave. 

Go next

• Boomer Lake provides recreation closer to Stillwater, located within Stillwater to the North on Main Street. Picnic areas, a disc golf course, and a lake with multi-use trails provides many recreational opportunities.
• Lake Carl Blackwell is a popular outdoor recreation area about 10 minutes West of Stillwater on Highway 51. Camping, horse trails, boating, fishing, and other activities are available. https://lcb.okstate.edu/
• Lake McMurtry is Stillwater's third major lake, located about 10 minutes Northwest of Stillwater. Lake McMurtry provides many recreational opportunities, as well, and is particularly known for its extensive mountain biking trails.
• Hoyt Park a smallish park located in Stillwater. has a disc golf course, walking trails, and baseball diamond, as well as large green belts good for a variety of activities
• Oklahoma City lies a short hour's drive Southwest of Stillwater and is a popular destination among Stillwater residents on the weekends.
• Tulsa is Oklahoma's second major city and is also very close, being only an hour-and-a-half drive Northeast of Stillwater.

Routes through Stillwater

END ←	W  E	→ merges onto → Sand Springs → Tulsa
Ponca City ← Jct W E ←	N  S	→ Jct W E → Shawnee