National Route 66 Museum

The City of Elk City

Elk City has always been a shining example of "Western Hospitality". It comes natural when you come from a proud, pioneering history combined with a quality of life that makes Elk City an ideal place to live and work. You'll find what you are looking for in Elk City's quiet residential neighborhoods, complete shopping facilities, recreational facilities that provide children and adults a large variety of sporting activities, competent professionals in every area, and an outstanding regional medical center. Elk City also provides its citizens with opportunities for growth and expression in the form of a top quality public library, a community civic center, a local theatre group, college and vo-tech classes 15 minutes away, and a large number of churches of various denominations.

Elk City's geographic location has been responsible for a colorful and historic past. Major highways now meet where once a number of important routes passed, the most famous of which is the "Great Western or Dodge City Cattle Trail".

Elk City became a town-site in 1901 as a shipping center at the end of Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railway Line. Originally called Crowe, the townspeople, eager for industry, renamed the town Busch, hoping to woo the favors of Adophus Busch, so that the town might get a brewery. However, when the brewery didn't materialize, the name Elk City was adopted. Elk City was named for Elk Creek, which runs through the City.

While its locations made it an ideal transportation hub, Elk City also has strong ties to agriculture with beef and dairy cattle production. Cotton, alfalfa, wheat and other grains are also produced.

In 1903, Charles Gould ended his first geological survey of the Anadarko Basin. More than any other industry, oil and gas have shaped and reshaped Elk City's history.

Because of our location along the historic "Route 66," millions of people have passed through Elk City heading from one coast to another. Later, as "Route 66" was replaced by Interstate 40 Elk City has again been included on many tourists' maps as a destination point. Modern Elk City has diversified its economy beyond oil, gas, and agriculture to include a computer assembly plant, a meat packaging distribution center, and the most sophisticated medical center in Western Oklahoma.

Elk City is bursting with things to see and do: National Route 66 Museum, Old Town Museum, Transportation Museum, Farm and Ranch Museum, Anadarko Basin Museum of Natural History and "The World's Largest Non-Operating On-Site Drilling Rig", 7 parks, sports facilities, Red Carpet Community Theater, Carnegie Library, Beutler Rodeo Arena, and a Community Civic Center.