Stroud (Oklahoma)

Stroud was a popular rest stop on the famous US Route 66, the once-busy truck and passenger route from Chicago to Santa Monica. In the 1950s many restaurants never closed, serving interstate travellers day and night. The section of 66 between Tulsa and Oklahoma City was one of the first to be bypassed by new four-lane Interstate highways.

As the Turner Turnpike (I-44) is a toll road, Oklahoma 66 remains as a free alternate.

Stroud's major claim to fame was a Tangier Factory Outlet Mall which was destroyed (along with many key local employers) during a series of tornadoes on May 3rd, 1999. It was never rebuilt; the town's recovery was slow and arduous. In 2001, while local rebuilding efforts were ongoing, Pixar crews were led by Route 66 historian Michael Wallis on a five-state tour through Baxter Springs (Kansas), Peach Springs (Arizona) and countless towns between as research which inspired the nominally-fictional Radiator Springs for 2006 animated film Cars. In Stroud they were inspired by Dawn Welch and her stubborn efforts to restore the 1939 fieldstone Rock Café, now listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

From 1999 to 2006, Stroud hosted the King Arthur Faire, an annual renaissance fair. Since then, Stroud has benefited from the growth of oil and gas industries; Service King, a manufacturer of oilfield workover rigs, became a major local employer. A Sac and Fox Casino opened on the former outlet mall site and several wineries have been established in Stroud.

By motorcar, Stroud is 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Tulsa on Interstate 44 or Oklahoma Route 66. From OKC, Stroud is 60 miles (100 km) east-northeast.

Most visitors arrive by car. There is one local taxi, Lucky Seven Cab Co in Stroud ☏ +1 918-968-3433.

• Tatanka Ranch, 8235 N 48 Rd, ☏ +1 918-368-2251, ssarette@thetatankaranch.com. 

• Five Star BBQ & Steakhouse, 619 N 8th Ave, ☏ +1 918-987-0227. 
• 🌍 Rock Café, 114 W Main St, ☏ +1 918-558-1878, rockcafert66@aol.com. Tu-Sa 7AM-8PM. Historic Route 66 diner built from local stone during the Great Depression, originally opened in 1939. Proprietor Dawn Welch was the inspiration for Sally in the Pixar movie Cars and the author of cookbook Dollars to Donuts. Dinners $10-20. 

• Cattle Country Lodge, 1200 N 8th Ave, ☏ +1 918-968-9515, fax: +1 918-968-9208. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 11AM. 
• Skyliner Motel, 717 W Main St, ☏ +1 918-968-9556. 
• Sooner Motel, 412 N 8th Ave, ☏ +1 918-968-2595.