Tahlequah is located in Cherokee County (of which it is the county seat) southeast of Tulsa along SR 51 and U.S. Highway 62/SR 10 on the banks of the Illinois River near Fort Gibson Lake and the Cherokee Heritage Center. It is ranked among the best small towns in the U.S. and is the cultural center of the Cherokee Nation. The Tsa-La-Gi Ancient Village (17th c.) and Adams Corner Rural Village (19th c.) are detailed reconstructions of two Cherokee settlements.
Local attractions include the Cherokee National Museum/Gift Shop, housing contemporary Cherokee art, and the George Murrell Home, the Cherokee Nation's only surviving landmark of the antebellum era (c. 1845).
Nearby recreational opportunities include Sequoyah State Park, Sequoyah Bay State Park, Greenleaf State Park and Cherokee Landing State Park as well as Lake Tenkiller, the Grand (Neosho) River and the Illinois River.
The town is the home of Northeastern State University--a four-year institution of higher learning.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 12,336, an increase of 1,750 since 1990.