Tulsa to Branson

[bugo]

What is the best route from Tulsa to Branson, MO? What are some good alternatives? Google Maps shows I-44 to US 65 as the quickest. I might go one way and come back another way. I have Pikepass, so toll roads are no problem.

[will_e_777]

We would always take US 412 east across northwest Arkansas to US 65 in Harrison and go north from there.

[Life in Paradise]

What is the best route from Tulsa to Branson, MO? What are some good alternatives? Google Maps shows I-44 to US 65 as the quickest. I might go one way and come back another way. I have Pikepass, so toll roads are no problem.

A fine tune of that route would be to exit for Missouri 360 which hooks up with US 60 and goes around the south side of Springfield to US 65 (but you probably already know that, but just didn't mention it).  I would think the US 412 route might be a bit more scenic.

[ozarkman417]

Google gave me both routes mentioned above, the route via Springfield as the recommended, with the additional option being the via Harrison route. Both these routes involve tolls, and are only about fifteen minutes apart time wise. So, the major distinction between the two routes is the grade of road. The via Springfield portion is all four-lane divided highway (all freeway except U.S 65 between US 160 and Route EE). The via Harrison route has less divided highway portions, as it involves going through NWA (Springdale) on a surface arterial, and along the edge of the Boston Mountains. For that reason, the via Harrison route will be more scenic. I've only driven 412 in Arkansas between Harrison and Huntsville, and there are plenty of climbing lanes should you need them.

[Scott5114]

I-44 to US-65 is the best route. US-412 is nice in Oklahoma but once you hit Arkansas it slows way down. The area between the NWA metro and Branson is very mountainous, so it's scenic, but you'll struggle to make good time due to all the curves, especially at night.

[Scott5114]

I-44 to (Rt. 360 to US-60 to) US-65 is the best route. US-412 is nice in Oklahoma but once you hit Arkansas it slows way down. The area between the NWA metro and Branson is very mountainous, so it's scenic, but you'll struggle to make good time due to all the curves, especially at night.

[MikieTimT]

I-44 to US-65 is the best route. US-412 is nice in Oklahoma but once you hit Arkansas it slows way down. The area between the NWA metro and Branson is very mountainous, so it's scenic, but you'll struggle to make good time due to all the curves, especially at night.

US-412 in Oklahoma is fairly quick and scenic on the Cherokee Turnpike, then scenic and not too bad until you get to West Siloam Springs.  It takes about 15 minutes to get through Siloam Springs, then turns to divided 4-lane with a 65MPH speed limit.  You're good there until Tontitown, which is the current end of the divided highway until you get past Tontitown, Springdale, and Sonora, where the 4 lane divided picks back up with a 65MPH speed until just before AR-23 at Huntsville.  At that point, you've got a very scenic, curvy, mountainous ~32 miles of 2 lane with short passing lanes and periodic climb lanes until Alpena, where it joins US-62 and becomes 4 lane divided again until US-65.  Depending on what you drive and your desired travel time, it's a nice drive except for the Tontitown to Sonora part through the heart of NWA, which will certainly take over half an hour unless you travel at a very light traffic time.

If I were on that trip and really looking for scenery without much regard for travel time, peeling off I-44 around Grand Lake in OK and connecting up to MO-76 would probably be my call, though.

[SoonerCowboy]

I use I-44 to US 65, I do like to stop and gamble in the Miami area . I was in the Eureka Springs area this past weekend, and yes I agree from US 65 to Rogers is mountainous via US 62. We did take US 412 from I-49 to Tulsa, and I agree that portion was a great drive.

[MikieTimT]

I use I-44 to US 65, I do like to stop and gamble in the Miami area . I was in the Eureka Springs area this past weekend, and yes I agree from US 65 to Rogers is mountainous via US 62. We did take US 412 from I-49 to Tulsa, and I agree that portion was a great drive.

US-412 through Tontitown and far west Springdale isn't bad at all with only 6 traffic signals to navigate.  It's going on Sunset Ave. and Robinson Ave. in Springdale and Sonora that's the biggest pain with the 20 traffic signals that you avoided by taking US-62 to I-49 to US-412.  They have the midsection of the 412 Bypass done, but it's only useful to locals at this point until it connects back to 412 at least on one end.  Preferably the west connection first as that'll hook up the airport access and the bulk of the through traffic as much of US-412 goes either north or south on I-49.

[bugo]

I ended driving from Branson and back. I took I-44 to MO 360 to US 60 to US 65 to the new MO 76 and some other roads to where we were going. Branson's entertainment isn't my thing, but the scenery is gorgeous. The rock formations exposed when the highways were being built on some of the newer expressways are beautiful. I understand that the highways in the area have changed numbers in the last 2 or 3 years. I exited off of US 65 and headed west and then south on the Ozark Mountain Highroad. I understand this used to be MO 465 but recently it has been renumbered as MO 76, which now follows US 65 south to meet up with the original alignment in Branson. I saw the CR 165 shields, but I don't quite understand why they signed it like they did, with a MO 165/CR 165 duplex. The area was confusing and I didn't know it very well, so I relied on the GPS to get around Branson, but I still took some wrong turns. I haven't been able to find an updated map that shows MO 76 following the Ozark Mountain Highroad. This is going to cause even more confusion because there is MO 76 and "76 Country Blvd". I imagine these roads would be a nightmare if you had motion sickness.

[MikieTimT]

I ended driving from Branson and back. I took I-44 to MO 360 to US 60 to US 65 to the new MO 76 and some other roads to where we were going. Branson's entertainment isn't my thing, but the scenery is gorgeous. The rock formations exposed when the highways were being built on some of the newer expressways are beautiful. I understand that the highways in the area have changed numbers in the last 2 or 3 years. I exited off of US 65 and headed west and then south on the Ozark Mountain Highroad. I understand this used to be MO 465 but recently it has been renumbered as MO 76, which now follows US 65 south to meet up with the original alignment in Branson. I saw the CR 165 shields, but I don't quite understand why they signed it like they did, with a MO 165/CR 165 duplex. The area was confusing and I didn't know it very well, so I relied on the GPS to get around Branson, but I still took some wrong turns. I haven't been able to find an updated map that shows MO 76 following the Ozark Mountain Highroad. This is going to cause even more confusion because there is MO 76 and "76 Country Blvd". I imagine these roads would be a nightmare if you had motion sickness.

Shows aren't my family's thing in Branson either.  We're not of the age that the entertainers there have any draw, so it's pretty much Silver Dollar City, Ride the Ducks on Table Rock, shop at Tanger Outlet, stay at Castle Rock indoor water park, and eat one meal at Landry's Seafood.  As we come up from the south from Arkansas, we usually do the US-412/US-65 or MO-86/AR-23/US-62 route, usually going a different way than we came to change scenery.  I imagine Covid has really hollowed out Branson in general right now, so it's likely pretty depressing considering what it's normally like.