State Highway 53 is an 86.6-mile (139.4 km) highway in southern Oklahoma. It connects Walters in Cotton County to Gene Autry in Carter County. It has one lettered spur route, SH-53A, a spur route to Gene Autry.

Quick Facts State Highway 53, Route information ...

State Highway 53
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length	86.6 mi[1] (139.4 km)
Major junctions
West end	SH-5 in Walters
Major intersections	US 81 in Comanche I-35 near Springer US 77 in Springer
East end	US 177 east of Gene Autry
Location
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Highway system
Oklahoma State Highway System Interstate US State Turnpikes
← SH-52 → US 54

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SH-53 begins at a T intersection in Walters, where State Highway 5 makes up the western and southern legs of the T. SH-53 runs eastward from here, crossing East Cache Creek.^[2] At Fivemile Corner,^[2] the road intersects SH-65, five miles (8 km) east of Walters.^[3] SH-53 continues due east into the Waurika Wildlife Management Area, where it crosses Beaver Creek and Little Beaver Creek (which at their confluence downstream of SH-53 are dammed to create Waurika Lake). After leaving the wildlife management area, SH-53 crosses into Stephens County.^[2]

About 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the Cottn–Stephens county line, SH-53 passes through Corum. The highway continues due east to the western outskirts of Comanche, where it curves northeast to pass through the city's downtown. There, it intersects US-81. SH-53 continues due east out of town as it approaches Comanche Lake, where it cuts away to the southeast before resuming its due east course. The highway then goes through a series of curves gradually sending it more southeast, passing through Loco. The route serves as the northern terminus for SH-89 just before crossing into Carter County.^[2]

The first highway junction that SH-53 encounters in Carter County begins a three-mile (5 km) concurrency with State Highway 76 north of Healdton.^[3] South of Fox, SH-53 splits off to the east. The highway passes through Clemscott, Graham, Milo, and Woodford before coming to an interchange with I-35. SH-53 joins southbound I-35, splitting off after two miles (3 km).^[3] It meets US-77 in Springer before passing through Gene Autry and ending at US-177.

State Highway 53A is a one-mile (1.6 km) spur to Gene Autry.^[4] It begins at SH-53 near the entrance to the Ardmore Air Park, in northeastern Carter County. It is a narrow, two-lane state highway with no shoulders throughout its length in and around the town of Gene Autry. The road has an at-grade crossing with the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe railroad at the north end of Gene Autry, and the road continues through the town until it reaches its terminus at the southern grade crossing of the same railway.