City (pop., 2000: 393,049), northeastern Oklahoma, U.S. On the Arkansas River , Tulsa originated in 1836 as a settlement of Creek Indian immigrants; white settlement began in 1882 after the arrival of the railway.
The discovery of oil nearby in the early 20th century launched an oil and gas boom, and phenomenal growth followed. Many major oil companies now have plants and offices in the city. It is the head of navigation for the Arkansas River Navigation System, a waterway that stretches 440 mi (708 km) to the junction of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. The commercial and financial centre of a rich agricultural area, it is the seat of the University of Tulsa (1894) and Oral Roberts University (1965).