McAlester sits on US-69, the main north–south road through eastern Oklahoma, and is the southern terminus of the Indian Nation Turnpike, which connects to Interstate 40 about 90 miles north. It is roughly two hours from Tulsa, two and a half from Oklahoma City, and three from Dallas–Fort Worth.
There is no commercial passenger air service. The nearest large airports are Tulsa International (TUL) and Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City. Greyhound stops in McAlester on its Tulsa–Dallas route; Amtrak does not.