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Highway 10: Illinois River, Cherokee Hills, Oklahoma
Photo: Justin Cozart from Dallas, TX, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

Drives Oklahoma Oklahoma

Highway 10: Illinois River

OK 10 · Tahlequah → Kansas, Oklahoma

Leisurely24 mi30 min1,300 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,200 ftOne way
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The drive

Oklahoma Highway 10 runs north out of Tahlequah and follows the Illinois River, which the state highway is the main way to reach. This drive covers 24.2 miles from the US 62 junction to Kansas, Oklahoma, where Highway 10 meets US 412 and the Cherokee Turnpike.

It is a leisurely drive with mostly gentle curves, about 30 minutes without stops, and it climbs about 1,300 feet along the way. Tahlequah is the natural place to start, and the road ends at an interchange, so you can carry on toward the turnpike or turn around and come back along the river.

Along the way

  1. Tahlequah (US 62 junction)
  2. Kansas, Oklahoma (Highway 10)
Elevation
1,300 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,200 ft
TahlequahKansas, Oklahoma
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
TahlequahKansas, Oklahoma
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Highway 10 is the main access road to the Illinois River, so expect extra traffic where people reach the water.
  • Check Oklahoma's road conditions site before you go if the river has been high.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check OK Traffic (Oklahoma road conditions).

Questions about this drive

How long is the Highway 10 Illinois River drive?

Highway 10 from Tahlequah to Kansas, Oklahoma, is 24.2 miles and takes about 30 minutes.

How twisty is Oklahoma Highway 10 along the Illinois River?

It is a leisurely drive with mostly gentle curves and no tight twisty stretches.

Where does the Highway 10 Illinois River drive start?

It starts in Tahlequah at the US 62 junction and heads north to Kansas, Oklahoma.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 10: Illinois River, from Tahlequah to Kansas, Oklahoma