Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma. As of 2005 the estimate for the city population was 382,457.[1] Tulsa is the 45th largest city in the United States and the 93rd largest city in North America. It is the county seat of Tulsa County. Tulsa’s Metropolitan Statistical Area, was estimated to have a 2005 population of 887,715 and Tulsa’s Combined Statistical Area, which includes the Bartlesville Micropolitan Area was estimated to have a 2005 population of 936,864.

Tulsa, once one of the world's most important oil centers, retains its long-used nickname, "Oil Capital of the World," as a reference to its history in the oil industry. However, the city still contains one of the most accounts of oil-based headquarters in the country. Also, described as "America's Most Beautiful City" in magazines during the mid-20th century, the nickname is still used to typify Tulsa's public art (the city spends millions of dollars each year in public art), its art deco architecture, its unusually large park system, and its location in a lush area of the Ozarks foothills.

The city is located in a part of the state often referred to as "Green Country," and is the cultural and arts center of Oklahoma, boasting several world-renowned art museums and the third largest instance of art deco architecture in the country, behind New York City and Miami, Florida. Many of Tulsa's downtown skyscrapers and also entire neighborhoods were constructed in the art deco style of architecture.

In 2005, Tulsa was selected as one of "America's Most Livable Large Cities."