This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "Oklahoma State Highway 3" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

State Highway 3
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length	615.0 mi[1][2][3] (989.7 km)
Existed	1939–present
Major junctions
West end	US 287 / US 385 Colorado state line (concurrent with US-287/385)
Major intersections	I-344 / Kilpatrick Turnpike near Oklahoma City I-44 in Oklahoma City I-40 in Oklahoma City I-35 in Oklahoma City I-40 in Shawnee Indian Nation Turnpike in Antlers
East end	AR 32 at the Arkansas state line
Location
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Highway system
Oklahoma State Highway System Interstate US State Turnpikes
← SH-2 → SH-4

State Highway 3, also abbreviated as SH-3 or OK-3, is a highway maintained by the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Traveling diagonally through Oklahoma, from the Panhandle to the far southeastern corner of the state, SH-3 is the longest state highway in the Oklahoma road system, at a total length of 615 miles (990 km) via SH-3E (see below).

SH 3 begins at the Colorado state line 19 mi (31 km) north of Boise City, Oklahoma. At this terminus, it is concurrent with US-287/US-385. It remains concurrent with the two U.S. Routes until reaching Boise City, where it encounters a traffic circle which contains five other highways. After the circle, US-385 splits off, and SH-3 overlaps US-287, US-56, US-64, and US-412, though US-56 and US-287 both split off within the next 8 miles (13 km).

In Guymon, US-64 splits off. At Elmwood, US-270 joins US-412, coming from a concurrency with SH-23. SH-3 remains concurrent with US-270 through Watonga. In Seiling, US-183 leaves the concurrency but is quickly replaced by U.S. Highway 281. SH-33 joins the roadbed 20 miles (32 km) later.

In Watonga, SH-33 and SH-3 split off from US-270 and US-281. SH-3 and SH-33 remain concurrent for an additional 28 miles (45 km), until Kingfisher, where SH-3 joins US-81. It will stay concurrent with US-81 for 13 miles (21 km), through the town of Okarche. 3 miles (4.8 km) after Okarche, SH-3 leaves US-81. This marks the first point that SH-3 has not been part of a concurrency.

Beginning at the split from US-81, SH-3 becomes a major artery in the Oklahoma City highway system, commonly known as the Northwest Expressway because it is a diagonal route and because it serves the northwestern part of the metro area. It skirts the northern limits of El Reno before entering the Oklahoma City limits. The often-congested Northwest Expressway passes through the suburb of Warr Acres and passes close to Lake Hefner.

At the intersection with the Lake Hefner Parkway (SH-74), SH-3 again re-enters a concurrency. The Lake Hefner Parkway ends very shortly after, and SH-3 becomes concurrent with I-44 through the western side of the city. Near Will Rogers World Airport, SH-3 transfers to I-240 along the southern side of the city. After I-240 ends, SH-3 is transferred onto I-40/US-270, which it remains concurrent with for 16 miles (26 km).

In Shawnee, SH-3 splits into two highways, SH-3E and SH-3W. SH-3W splits off I-40 onto US-177, along with US-270, at milemarker 181 on I-40. It continues along with US-270 and 177 through the west side of Shawnee and continues south of that city until Tecumseh, where US-270 splits off. South of Asher, SH-3W leaves US-177 and veers southeast toward Ada.

SH-3E, the longer of the two split routes, was the original routing of Highway 3 before the two highways were split. It remains on I-40 for 5 miles (8.0 km) after SH-3W splits off. When it does split off, it soon joins SH-18. It follows a route closer to the center of Shawnee. After leaving Shawnee, it heads southeast toward Seminole. Here, it meets US-377/SH-99. SH-3E merges onto this highway, and they will remain concurrent until after they reach Ada.

In Ada, SH-3E and SH-3W are reunited and become SH-3 once again.

SH-3 then becomes part of the Richardson Loop, a freeway around the west and south sides of Ada. Throughout the Richardson Loop, it overlaps SH-1 and US-377/SH-99 at different times. The highway then becomes two-lane once again and heads southeast to the town of Coalgate, where begins an 18-mile (29 km) concurrency with US-75, lasting through Atoka. In Atoka, US-75 splits off to join US-69.

Two miles west of Antlers, the highway has an interchange with the Indian Nation Turnpike, and in Antlers it intersects U.S. Highway 271. After reaching the town of Broken Bow, it turns southward and overlaps US-259 and US-70.

Near Idabel, the highway splits off after being with US-259 for 13 miles (21 km). 28 miles (45 km) later, it becomes AR 32 as it crosses the state line into Arkansas.

The current SH-3 was designated on 15 May 1939. The original highway included all of current SH-3 up to Antlers, where it terminated at US-271. It was extended to the Arkansas state line on 4 August 1952. SH-3 ended there concurrent with US-70 and SH-7, near DeQueen, Arkansas. On 7 January 1963, the highway was given its own alignment from near Idabel to Arkansas, taking over that of SH-21, which was eliminated at that time.

From the highway's commissioning to 1976, there was only one fork of SH-3 between Shawnee and Ada, which was the path of current SH-3E. SH-3W and SH-3E were created on 4 October 1976; the new SH-3W took over all of SH-13. Other than minor realignments, the highway remains essentially the same today.^[4]

In the early 1980s, Governor George Nigh was able to obtain $97.1 million to upgrade the highway between Oklahoma City and Colorado, despite opponents labeling the project "the highway to nowhere".^[5] House Concurrent Resolution 1067 labeled the highway as "Governor George Nigh's Northwest Passage." ODOT officially so named the highway on 2 February 1981.^[6]

• SH-3's concurrency with I-44 in Oklahoma City is an example of a wrong-way concurrency – I-44 West is SH-3 East and vice versa.
• SH-3's concurrency with US-70 is also a wrong-way concurrency, as US-70 is signed as going west and SH-3 as going east.
• The SH-3 bypass around Atoka is named the Cecil B. "Bud" Greathouse Bypass. It was designated by ODOT on 4 October 1982.^[7]

SH-3 had two lettered spurs, SH-3A and SH-3B.

SH-3A continued the alignment of the Northwest Expressway for two more miles before ending at I-44 near Penn Square Mall. It was originally known as SH-66A, a spur off US 66, which once ran through the area. The combined effect of US-66 being decommissioned and "3A" being a more logical name for an extension of SH-3 led to the name change. SH-3A was decommissioned in 2009.

SH-3B is entirely in Atoka, Oklahoma and runs between US-75/SH-3 and SH-7.

County	Location	mi[1][3]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Cimarron	​	0.00	0.00		US 287 / US 385 north	Continuation into Colorado; western end of US-287/US-385 concurrency
	​	17.6	28.3		US 287 south	Eastern end of US-287 concurrency
	Boise City	18.5	29.8		US 56 / US 64 / US 412 west / US 385 south (Cimarron Avenue south) / SH-325 west (Main Street west) – Clayton NM, Kenton	Traffic circle around Cimarron County courthouse; eastern end of US-385 concurrency; western end of SH-3 concurrency; eastern terminus of SH-325
	​	20.3	32.7		US 287 – Amarillo, Denver CO, Stratford TX	Interchange
	​	26.4	42.5		US 56 east	Eastern end of US-56 concurrency; former SH-114
	​	34.1	54.9		SH-171
Texas	Four Corners	53.0	85.3		SH-95 north	Western end of SH-95 concurrency
	​	58.0	93.3		SH-95 south	Eastern end of SH-95 concurrency
	​	76.1	122.5		SH-136 north	Western end of SH-136 concurrency
	Guymon	80.4	129.4		US 64 / US 412 Truck / SH-3 Truck east / SH-136 Truck south (NE 12th Street)	Eastern end of US-64 concurrency; western terminus of US-412 Truck/SH-3 Truck; northern terminus of SH-136 Truck
		81.2	130.7		US 54 west (South 2nd Street)	Western end of US-54 concurrency
		81.6	131.3		US 412 Truck / SH-3 Truck / SH-136 Truck (US 54 east) – Liberal KS	Eastern end of US-54 concurrency; eastern terminus of US-412 Truck/SH-3 Truck; southern terminus of SH-136 Truck
		81.65	131.40		SH-136 south (East Street)	Eastern end of SH-136 concurrency
	​	96.2	154.8		SH-94 north – Hooker	Southern terminus of SH-94
Beaver	Bryan's Corner	119.2	191.8		US 83 – Liberal Ks., Beaver, Perryton Tx., Turpin
	Elmwood	136.1	219.0		US 270 west / SH-23 – Beaver, Booker Tx.	Western end of US-270 concurrency
Harper	​	171.3	275.7		US 283 – Laverne, Shattuck
	May	179.5	288.9		SH-46 – Buffalo, Gage
Ellis	No major junctions
Woodward	​	188.9	304.0	US 183 north – Buffalo	Western end of US-183 concurrency
	Woodward	202.8	326.4	SH-15 west (Oklahoma Avenue west)	Eastern terminus of SH-15
		204.9	329.8	US 412 east (Oklahoma Avenue east) / SH-34 north (9th Street north) – Enid	Eastern end of US-412 concurrency; western end of SH-34 concurrency
	​	208.7	335.9	SH-34 south – Elk City, Vici	Eastern end of SH-34 concurrency
	​	217.5	350.0	SH-50 north – Mooreland	Southern terminus of SH-50
Dewey	​	236.0	379.8	US 183 south – Taloga, Clinton	Eastern end of US-183 concurrency
	Seiling	238.1	383.2	US 60 east / US 281 north – Waynoka, Fairview	Northern end of US-60/US-281 concurrency
		238.7	384.2	US 60 / SH-51 west (Shepherd Street) to US 183 – Vici	Southern end of US-60 concurrency; western end of SH-51 concurrency
	Hucmac	247.1	397.7	SH-51 – Canton, Southard	Eastern end of SH-51 concurrency
Blaine	​	266.9	429.5	SH-33 west / SH-58 north – Canton, Thomas	Western end of SH-33 concurrency; southern terminus of SH-58
	Watonga	276.5	445.0	US 270 east / US 281 south / SH-8 (Clarence Nash Boulevard) – Okeene, Geary	Eastern end of US-270/US-281 concurrency
Kingfisher	Kingfisher	304.1	489.4	US 81 north (Main Street north) / SH-33 east (Broadway Avenue east)	Eastern end of SH-33 concurrency; western end of US-81 concurrency
Canadian	​	316.4	509.2	US 81 south – El Reno	Trumpet interchange; eastern end of US-81 concurrency
	Oklahoma City	329.9	530.9	SH-4 (Piedmont Road) – Piedmont, Yukon
		333.5	536.7	I-344 / Kilpatrick Turnpike – Exact change required	Diamond interchange
Oklahoma		340.4	547.8	SH-74 north (Lake Hefner Parkway north)	Diamond interchange; west end of freeway section; western end of SH-74 (Lake Hefner Pkwy.) concurrency
		341.1	548.9	—	NW 50th Street
		341.9	550.2	123B	SH-66 west – Warr Acres, Bethany	Stack interchange; exit numbers follow I-44
		341.9	550.2	—	I-44 east (SH-66 east) / SH-74 end	Stack interchange; I-44 exit 123B; southern terminus of SH-74; northern end of I-44 concurrency
		342.4	551.0	123A	NW 36th Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		343.2	552.3	122	NW 23rd Street
		344.2	553.9	121A-B	NW 10th Street – Fair Park	Signed as exits 121B (west) and 121A (east); Fair Park signed westbound only
		345.5	556.0	120A-B	I-40 (US 270) – Amarillo, Fort Smith	Full diamond interchange; signed as exits 120B (east) and 120A (west)
		346.3	557.3	119	SW 15th Street
		347.3	558.9	118	SW 29th Street
		348.1	560.2	117A	SW 44th Street	Signed as exit 117B northbound
		348.6	561.0	116B	SH-152 (Airport Road)	Eastern terminus of SH-152
		349.4	562.3	116A	SW 59th Street
		350.0	563.3	1A	I-44 / US 62 west / I-240 begin – Lawton	Exit number follows I-240; southern end of I-44 concurrency; western end of I-240/US-62 concurrency; western terminus of I-240
		Overlap with I-240
		366.8	590.3	—	I-40 west (US 270 west) / I-240 end – Oklahoma City	Eastern terminus of I-240; I-40 exit 165; eastern end of I-240 concurrency; western end of I-40/US-270 concurrency
		368.1	592.4	166	Choctaw Road	Exit numbers follow I-40
		371.2	597.4	169	Peebly Road
		374.0	601.9	172	Harrah Newalla Road
Pottawatomie	McLoud	378.1	608.5	176	SH-102 (McLoud Road)	Western end of SH-102 concurrency
	Dale	380.2	611.9	178	SH-102 – Dale, Bethel Acres	Eastern end of SH-102 concurrency
	Shawnee	382.9	616.2	181	I-40 / SH-3E east / US 270 / SH-3W east / US 177 – Shawnee, Tecumseh	SH-3 east splits into SH-3W and SH-3E; eastern end of I-40/US-270 concurrency; exit number is for US-177/US-270/SH-3W
See SH-3E and SH-3W
Pontotoc	​	440.4	708.8	—	SH-1 east / SH-3E (J.A. Richardson Loop) / SH-3W / SH-19 west – Seminole, McAlester, Shawnee, Pauls Valley	West end of freeway section; northern end of SH-1 concurrency; SH-3 west splits into SH-3W and SH-3E
	​				Ada	Westbound exit only
	​	440.9	709.6	—	Reeves Road	Eastbound exit only
	​	441.3	710.2	—	SH-1 west – Latta, Roff, Sulphur	Southern end of SH-1 concurrency
	​	442.3	711.8	—	Oak Avenue	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	​	443.4	713.6	—	Kerr Lab Road
	Ada	444.4	715.2	—	US 377 / SH-99 north – Ada, McAlester	Western end of US-377/SH-99 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		445.3	716.6	—	Stonecipher Boulevard
	Ahloso	446.2	718.1	—	US 377 / SH-99 south – Fittstown, Tishomingo, Madill	East end of freeway; eastern end of US-377/SH-99 concurrency
	​	454.9	732.1		Stonewall	Interchange
Coal	​	461.5	742.7		SH-48 – Lula, Allen, Tupelo
	​	471.1	758.2		US 75 north – Calvin	Western end of US-75 concurrency
	Coalgate	474.9	764.3		SH-31 east (Main Street north)	Northern end of SH-31 concurrency
		475.0	764.4		SH-31 west (Ohio Avenue)	Southern end of SH-31 concurrency
		475.4	765.1		SH-43 east (Lafayette Avenue)	Western terminus of SH-43
Atoka	Atoka				SH-3 Byp. east (Greathouse Drive) – Antlers, Wapanucka	Western terminus of SH-3 Byp.
		488.2	785.7		US 69 north (Mississippi Avenue north) – McAlester, Tulsa	Western end of US-69 concurrency
		489.6	787.9		US 69 south (Mississippi Avenue south) / US 75 / SH-7 / SH-3 Byp. west (13th Street west) – Tishomingo, Durant	Eastern end of US-69/US-75 concurrency; eastern terminus of SH-3 Byp./SH-7
Pushmataha	Antlers	519.8	836.5		Indian Nation Turnpike – Hugo, Paris, Henryetta, Tulsa	Interchange; Indian Nation Tpk. exit 16
		520.5	837.7		SH-2 north – Moyers, Clayton	Southern terminus of SH-2
		521.5	839.3		US 271 south – Hugo	Western end of US-271 concurrency
		522.4	840.7		US 271 north – Wilburton, Poteau, Clayton	Eastern end of US-271 concurrency
	Rattan	534.2	859.7		SH-93 south – Hugo	Northern terminus of SH-93
	Oleta	538.3	866.3		SH-147 south	Northern terminus of SH-147
McCurtain	​	565.9	910.7		SH-98 south	Northern terminus of SH-98
	Broken Bow	577.0	928.6		US 70 east (Martin Luther King Drive) / US 259 north (Park Drive north) – DeQueen Ark., Beavers Bend	Northern end of US-70/US-259 concurrency
	Idabel	584.8	941.1		US 70 Byp. begins / US 70 west – Southeastern Oklahoma State University McCurtain Campus, Hugo	Southern end of US-70 concurrency; northern end of US-70 Byp. concurrency
		586.7	944.2		US 259 south / US 70 Byp. west	Eastern end of US-259 concurrency; southern end of US-70 Byp. concurrency
	​	615.0	989.7		AR 32 east	Continuation into Arkansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access        Tolled       Route transition

County	Location	mi[2]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Pottawatomie	​	387.0	622.8	181	I-40 / SH-3 west / SH-3W east / US 177 / US 270 – Stillwater, Tecumseh	Exit numbers follow I-40; eastern end of I-40 concurrency; SH-3E west and SH-3W merge into SH-3
	Shawnee			185	Kickapoo Street – Shawnee
		389.7	627.2		I-40 east / SH-18 north – Meeker	Western end of SH-18 concurrency; I-40 exit 186
		391.7	630.4		SH-18 south (Harrison Street south)	Eastern end of SH-18 concurrency
	Earlsboro	397.6	639.9		SH-9A to I-40 – Earlsboro
	​	398.9	642.0		SH-99A east	Western terminus of SH-99A
Seminole	Seminole	406.5	654.2		US 270 west / SH-9 – Eufaula, Norman	Western end of US-270 concurrency
		408.9	658.1		US 270 east (Broadway Avenue east) / US 377 / SH-99 north (Milt Phillips Avenue north)	eastern end of US-270 concurrency, western end of US-377/SH-99 concurrency
		411.4	662.1		SH-59 west – Maud	Western end of SH-59 concurrency
	Bowlegs	414.1	666.4		SH-59 east – Bowlegs, Wewoka	Eastern end of SH-59 concurrency
	​	428.5	689.6		SH-39 west (Broadway Street) / SH-56 east – Wewoka, Konawa	Eastern terminus of SH-39; western terminus of SH-56
Canadian River					Haney-Abbott Bridge
Pontotoc	Ada	439.4	707.1	—	US 377 / SH-99 south / SH-1 east – Agri-Plex, Ada, McAlester	West end of freeway; eastern end of US-377/SH-99 concurrency, western end of SH-1 concurrency
	​	440.4	708.8	—	SH-3W / SH-19 west – Shawnee	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastern terminus of SH-19
	​				Ada	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	​				SH-3 east / SH-1 (J.A. Richardson Loop)	SH-3E east and SH-3W merge into SH-3
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Route transition

County	Location	mi[8]	km	Destinations	Notes
Pottawatomie	​			I-40 / SH-3 west (US 270 west) – Oklahoma City	Interchange; SH-3W west and SH-3E merge into SH-3; western end of US-270 concurrency; I-40 exit 181
	​			I-40 east (SH-3E east) – Okemah	Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; I-40 exit 181
	​			US 177 north to SH-270	Interchange; left entrance eastbound, left exits; western end of US-177 concurrency
	Shawnee	387.3	623.3	US 270 Bus. east (Kickapoo Spur)	Interchange; western terminus of US-270 Bus.
		388.8	625.7	US 270 Bus. west / SH-18 north (Farrall Avenue)	Interchange; southern terminus of SH-18, eastern terminus of US-270 Bus.
	Tecumseh	392.4	631.5	Tecumseh	Interchange
		394.6	635.0	US 270 east / SH-9 – Tecumseh, Seminole	Eastbound exit split into "US-270 / SH-9 east – Seminole" and "SH-9 west – Tecumseh"; eastern end of US-270 concurrency
	Chisney	401.4	646.0	SH-59B west – Macomb	Eastern terminus of SH-59B
	Pearson	406.4	654.0	SH-59 east – Pearson, St. Louis	Northern end of SH-59 concurrency
	Asher	412.4	663.7	SH-39 – Konawa, Lexington, Purcell
Canadian River				Pottawatomie–Pontotoc county line
Pontotoc–McClain county line	​	415.1	668.0	US 177 south / SH-59 west – Stratford, Sulphur	Southern end of US-177/SH-59 concurrency
Pontotoc	​	421.0	677.5	SH-59A west	Eastern terminus of SH-59A
	​	431.9	695.1	SH-19 west – Stratford, Pauls Valley	Interchange
	​	433.4	697.5	SH-3E west / SH-1 (J.A. Richardson Loop) / Main Street – McAlester, Seminole, Ada	Interchange; eastbound left exit and westbound entrance (left entrance from Main St.)
	​			SH-3 east / SH-1 (J.A. Richardson Loop) / SH-19 end – Roff, Coalgate	Interchange; SH-3W east and SH-3E merge into SH-3; eastern terminus of SH-19
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Route transition

• SH-3 at OKHighways.com
• SH-3E at OKHighways.com
• SH-3W at OKHighways.com