Why Does Google Maps Hate Cyril, Oklahoma?

Before you hop off on an email war to let me know Cyril is awesome, let me explain... So I was off on a journey recently that took me to Chickasha and Anadarko. I was picking up some wood and a new shop tool I spotted on Marketplace. All-in-all, an exciting weekend in an otherwise dull household.

As I started to leave Anadarko, I decided to just pull up Google Maps to get me home. I've made that drive only once before, and in taking bad advice from one of those 'I glanced at the map' navigator co-pilots, it took hours. I was just looking for a quick way home.

Google suggests hopping onto OK Highway 8 South out of Anadarko. No problem. It's new territory for me, but I'm an adventurous guy, or so I thought. I know the map pretty well, and I may be peeking at what's coming next, but after miles of two-lane hi-beam driving, I see a turn in the highway. This is where the road goes toward Cyril, but Google told me to stay straight.

I can see the lights of Cyril, and quite frankly, I'm mildly excited to actually drive through it. I've never been there before, but for some reason, Google puts me on County Road 2670.

Trusting Google, I stay straight and hop off on this county road.

Now don't get me wrong, if the sun were up, I'm sure I could see the SWOK beauty and grace to each side of County Road 2670... but in the dead of night, it's more or less Burt Reynolds and a river short of all-out Deliverance.

I'm wondering why in the world Google is leading me so far astray.

I finally get to another road that had decent pavement, it's another state highway, OK-19. Still, Google Maps insists that I cross OK-19 and stay straight, so I do.

It's late and dark, I'm tired, and I can see two police vehicles winking cherries and berries down the road... so I cross and stay straight on County Road 2670.

Much to my surprise, South of OK-19, CR2670 is actually nice. It's paved wide and smooth-ish, well marked, and terribly easy to speed on. I was almost distracted by the fact that Google Maps led me around Cyril instead of just going through it.

Given, it would have been a few miles out of the way, but at least I wouldn't have had to drive through what I'm assuming was bat country behind me, so sensitive to the sounds of banjos.

I ended up merging onto 277 in Fletcher and onward towards Elgin, you can see the rest of the journey at this point.

While I was happy to get home after a few hours on the road, I couldn't help but wonder, what does Google Maps have against Cyril, Oklahoma? I was so close, but it would have none of it.

I don't know when, but I'm sure I'll eventually get back up to Cyril, OK. If it's like every other small town down here, it'll be worth the drive.