It runs east along Peak Boulevard in the southern part of Muskogee from US-64 to the northern terminus of the southern section of the Muskogee Turnpike, then runs north as a freeway connecting the two sections of the turnpike.

[1] From the interchange, SH-165 follows Peak Boulevard to the east as an expressway, crossing Coody Creek before turning to the east-northeast.

[3] SH-165 continues north of US-62 for 0.96 miles (1.54 km) to its final interchange with Hyde Park Road near the Port of Muskogee.

The freeway between the two sections of the Muskogee Turnpike that would later become SH-165 first appears on the official Oklahoma state map in 1969.

The Muskogee inset of that map shows the freeway, unnumbered, and the southern SH-165–turnpike interchange in place, but with ramp stubs, as the SH-165 portion of Peak Boulevard had yet to be built.