Rogers County sits in northeastern Oklahoma where the Tulsa-area road network meets the broad water of Oologah Lake and the rolling country farther east. Claremore is the main reference point near the center of the county, while Oologah and Chelsea mark the northern half, Catoosa and Verdigris lie toward the southwest, and Inola anchors the long southeastern section. Looking at those places together gives a much clearer picture of the county than treating it as one uniform block.
This page explains the county boundary, major communities and roads, Oologah Lake and the Verdigris River system, and the local changes in elevation shown on the supplied maps. The same maps are also available as high-resolution JPG files in the ZIP download box below, so you can use the web images for quick orientation and the larger originals for printing, classroom work, presentations, or personal reference.
Table of Contents
Claremore divides a northern lake district from the southern river corridor
Claremore is the easiest place to begin reading the county map. It lies slightly south of the geographic middle and is surrounded by several road connections, making it a natural reference for locating the rest of Rogers County. Route 66 heads northeast through Foyil toward Chelsea, while roads to the northwest lead toward Oologah. South of Claremore, Verdigris and Catoosa sit closer to the Tulsa side of the county, and Inola occupies the narrower southeastern extension.
The county outline is more irregular than a simple rectangle. The northeastern side projects outward around Chelsea, the western boundary steps inward and outward near the Collinsville and Owasso side, and the south continues through a long section around Inola before curving back. Those changes matter when comparing nearby towns because a place that looks close on a regional map may sit across a county line or require a route around an irregular boundary.
Names outside the boundary help place Rogers County within northeastern Oklahoma. Tulsa and Owasso appear to the west and southwest, while Chouteau and Mazie lie beyond the eastern side. New Alluwe is shown to the north. Together they show how the county forms a transition between the Tulsa metropolitan area and the more open interior of northeastern Oklahoma. Claremore functions as the central county hub, but the southwestern corner is visibly tied to the larger Tulsa road network.
The Oklahoma Historical Society describes Rogers County as part of the Eastern Lowlands and notes that the land is generally level with small hills scattered through it. That description fits the maps well. The road map can look relatively flat at first glance, but the elevation view later on shows repeated short ridges in the east and northeast, while broad lower ground follows the major lake and river corridors.
Route 66, U.S. 169, and U.S. 412 organize different parts of the county
Route 66 is one of the clearest roads on the map because it runs through several recognizable communities. From the southwest it approaches Catoosa, continues toward Claremore, then heads through Foyil and on toward Chelsea in the northeast. It is famous as a historic highway, but on this county map its most useful role is geographic: it provides a continuous line for understanding how the southwestern, central, and northeastern communities relate to one another.
U.S. 169 serves the northwestern side near Oologah, and State Highway 88 links the Oologah area back toward Claremore. State Highway 20 crosses the Claremore area and gives another east-west reference. Farther south, U.S. 412 runs across the county near Catoosa and toward Inola, while the I-44 corridor appears on the eastern side. These roads do not form a uniform grid; instead, they create several distinct corridors that match the locations of the main communities.
The difference in road density is also informative. Claremore, Catoosa, and Verdigris sit among several major routes and rail lines, while the lake country to the north and the hillier east have wider gaps between prominent roads. Chelsea remains easy to locate because it sits on the Route 66 corridor near the northeastern edge, and Inola is a useful southern reference along the U.S. 412 side of the county.
This map is designed for regional orientation rather than live navigation. Road construction, closures, access restrictions, and route designations can change, and smaller roads may be simplified. It should also not be used to determine parcel access, private-property rights, or legal boundaries. For driving, land records, or other decisions that require current precision, pair the map with up-to-date transportation information and official county records.
The major communities form several clusters rather than one continuous urban strip
The city distribution map highlights six major communities: Claremore, Catoosa, Verdigris, Inola, Chelsea, and Oologah. Claremore is the largest and occupies the central position. Catoosa and Verdigris form a southwestern pair close to the Tulsa side, while Inola stands apart in the southeastern extension. Chelsea and Oologah mark two different parts of the north, with a large amount of lake and open land between them.
The ranking shown on the map places Claremore first, followed by Catoosa and Verdigris. Inola, Chelsea, and Oologah are smaller, but their locations make them especially useful for reading the county. Oologah helps define the northwest beside the reservoir, Chelsea marks the northeast along Route 66, and Inola gives the long southern section a clear reference point. In other words, importance on the map is not only about population; location matters too.
The southwestern group also looks different from the northern towns because it sits closer to the dense transportation network around Tulsa. Catoosa and Verdigris are surrounded by more visible roads and rail connections, whereas Oologah and Chelsea are separated by broader stretches of water, open land, and hills. That contrast makes the city map useful for comparing settlement patterns without the extra detail found on the general reference map.
The city map is not a complete inventory of every settlement, subdivision, or address in Rogers County. It is a simplified distribution view. Two places that look close on this map may still require a longer road trip because the actual route must follow highways, bridges, or local streets. Use it to answer questions about direction and relative position, then switch to a current street map when you need exact travel planning.
Oologah Lake dominates the north while the Verdigris River defines the south
Oologah Reservoir is the most prominent water feature in the northern half of the county. Its wide surface occupies a large north-central area and continues beyond the county boundary, with many coves and branching shorelines on the southern end. On the general map this area can appear simply less developed, but the water map makes the reason obvious: a major reservoir occupies much of the space between the northern communities and the central part of the county.
Several named streams help define the land around the reservoir. Fourmile Creek runs along the western side, Caney River bends through the west-central area, and Dog Creek is labeled on the eastern side. Lake Claremore is shown as a separate water body closer to the county seat. These features make it clear that Oologah Lake is not an isolated patch of water; it sits within a broader network of tributaries, valleys, and smaller lakes.
Farther south, the Verdigris River becomes the main water reference. It passes through the low country south of the Claremore-Verdigris area and continues toward the southern boundary. Big Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and Big Flag Lake appear nearby, and Panther Creek crosses the south-central portion toward the river system. Numerous smaller tributaries extend through the southeastern section around Inola and along the eastern edge.
The county therefore has two very different water landscapes. In the north, the broad reservoir is the dominant feature and provides an obvious visual landmark. In the south, the river and its surrounding channels form a narrower, branching corridor through lower land. Comparing the water map with the city map helps explain why Oologah is strongly associated with the reservoir while Catoosa, Verdigris, and Inola are better understood in relation to the river and the southern road network.
This is a reference map of water features, not a flood map or navigation chart. It does not show flood zones, water depth, water quality, boating access, legal shoreline boundaries, or public versus private access. A blue line does not by itself establish a regulated water boundary. For floodplain questions, waterfront development, boating, or property decisions, use the current information from the responsible federal, state, and county agencies.
Higher eastern hills contrast with low ground around the lake and river
The elevation map makes the county’s subtle relief much easier to see. Its legend gives an actual elevation range of about 157 to 298 meters, with a mean near 206 meters. Browns and oranges are concentrated in the east and northeast where short ridges and small hills repeat across the landscape. Greens cover much of the lake basin and the broad river lowlands through the central and southern parts of the county.
East and southeast of Chelsea, the surface is cut into a series of ridges and valleys that look much rougher than the broad low ground around Oologah Reservoir. The contrast is especially clear near the northeastern projection of the county. Moving west toward the reservoir, the higher colors give way to a large green basin, matching the location of the major water body shown on the terrain-and-water map.
Claremore sits near a transition between those hillier areas and the lower country around the Verdigris system. South and southwest toward Verdigris and Catoosa, low green terrain becomes more continuous along the river corridor. Inola also lies within a generally lower southern setting, although small ridges still appear along the eastern side. The county is therefore better described as gently varied than completely flat.
The elevation colors are scaled specifically to Rogers County so local differences remain visible. The same shade on another county map does not necessarily represent the same absolute height. The surface is also generalized for county-scale viewing and is not survey-grade information. It should not be used for engineering design, building-site elevations, drainage calculations, or precise slope measurements; USGS 3D Elevation Program data or professional survey information is more appropriate for those tasks.
Reading Oologah Lake and the Verdigris River together explains the county’s layout
A quick way to understand Rogers County is to use Oologah Lake and the Verdigris River as two large geographic anchors. Claremore sits between them, Route 66 carries the central road network toward Chelsea, and the southwestern communities sit closer to the Tulsa side and the lower river corridor. Once those anchors are clear, smaller roads and towns become much easier to place.
Claremore and Catoosa look important for different reasons. Claremore is the inland center where Route 66, State Highway 20, and State Highway 88 connect with the surrounding county. Catoosa lies much farther southwest near U.S. 412 and the Verdigris River, making it a useful gateway from the Tulsa side. Inola extends the same southern framework eastward and helps define a part of Rogers County that could otherwise feel detached from the main body on a simplified map.
The northern towns also occupy different physical settings. Chelsea follows the Route 66 corridor but sits near the higher, more dissected terrain of the northeast. Oologah lies closer to the western side of the reservoir, where the elevation map shows much broader low ground. Although both are in the northern half of the county, comparing the water and elevation maps shows that their immediate landscapes are not the same.
The Verdigris River ties together much of the southern interpretation. The city of Verdigris shares the river’s name, and the river corridor is surrounded by several small lakes and tributaries. When looking between Catoosa and Inola, using only U.S. 412 gives a transportation view; adding the river and elevation layers explains why the surrounding lowlands look different from the hillier eastern and northeastern parts of the county.
The county name and its communities carry a long northeastern Oklahoma history
Rogers County’s official website explains that the county was created in 1907 under the name Cooweescoowee and was soon renamed for Clement Vann Rogers, a Cherokee rancher and the father of Will Rogers. That background gives the county name a direct connection to one of Oklahoma’s best-known historical figures. The present-day map is not a historical reconstruction, but it helps place the communities and landscapes connected with that story.
The Oklahoma Historical Society’s county entry also describes earlier Osage settlement and later Cherokee history in the region. Those layers of history are easier to follow when the basic geography is already familiar. Knowing where Claremore, Oologah, Chelsea, and Catoosa sit in relation to the lake, river, and major roads makes historical descriptions less abstract and helps connect written accounts to real places.
Oologah is widely associated with Will Rogers, while Claremore is the county seat and the main administrative and cultural center. On the reference map, both places are easy to locate but occupy different settings: Claremore is tied to the central road network, whereas Oologah sits close to the large reservoir. This is a good example of how a general map and a water map can add useful geographic context to local history without turning the page into a specialized historical atlas.
Choose the map according to the question you need to answer
For a first look at Rogers County, start with the general reference map. It provides the best combination of county boundary, communities, major roads, rail lines, and waterways. Once Claremore, Route 66, U.S. 412, and Oologah Lake are located, most other features become easier to place. This version is especially useful for regional orientation or for introducing the county in a classroom or presentation.
The city distribution map works better when the main question is where the major communities sit relative to one another. It removes much of the background detail and emphasizes Claremore, Catoosa, Verdigris, Inola, Chelsea, and Oologah. If you need stream names or terrain, however, the simplified city view is not enough; switch to the water or elevation map for those details.
The terrain-and-water map is the clearest choice for Oologah Reservoir, the Verdigris River, Lake Claremore, Caney River, Panther Creek, and the smaller lakes in the south. The elevation map answers a different question by showing where the land rises and falls. It makes the higher eastern hills and the lower lake and river corridors easy to compare without the distraction of road labels.
For printed handouts or large-screen presentations, it often works well to begin with the general county map and then add one thematic map that matches the subject. Use the water view for lakes and river valleys or the elevation view for terrain differences. The WebP images on this page are optimized for browsing, while the downloadable high-resolution JPG originals preserve more detail for enlargement and print.
These files are intended for general reference, education, presentations, and personal use. They are not substitutes for legal boundary records, property ownership maps, floodplain determinations, current road conditions, or professional elevation surveys. When the decision depends on exact measurements or regulations, check the most recent information from Rogers County, the U.S. Census Bureau, USGS, and other responsible agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map makes the relationship between Claremore and Oologah Lake easiest to understand?
Start with the general county map to locate Claremore and Oologah, then compare it with the terrain-and-water map. Claremore sits south of the reservoir, while Oologah is close to its western side. The general map gives the road and town context, and the water map shows the reservoir’s size, branching shoreline, and surrounding streams much more clearly.
How does Route 66 cross Rogers County?
On the supplied reference map, Route 66 enters from the southwest near the Catoosa side, passes through Claremore, and continues northeast through Foyil toward Chelsea. That makes it a useful line for comparing the southwestern, central, and northeastern parts of the county. For current driving directions, closures, or road conditions, use an up-to-date navigation or transportation source as well.
What is the main terrain difference visible on the elevation map?
The eastern and northeastern parts of Rogers County contain more high ridges and short valleys, while lower ground is more extensive around Oologah Lake and along the Verdigris River corridor. The legend shows an overall range of about 157 to 298 meters. The map is suitable for county-scale comparison, but it is not precise enough for engineering, surveying, construction, or parcel-level elevation work.
Map File Information
High-resolution JPG originals of the Rogers County maps shown in this article are available together in one ZIP file for printing, enlargement, classroom materials, presentations, and personal reference.
- Included Files: county reference map, city distribution map, terrain-and-water map, elevation map
- Printable Size: 2572 × 3638 px each
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and references
- Rogers County official website – county government and local information
- Rogers County history – county naming and founding background
- Oklahoma Historical Society: Rogers County – county history and geographic overview
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles – boundary and road reference data
- USGS National Hydrography – river, stream, and waterbody reference data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – elevation and terrain reference data
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
