Estimates of odonate phylogeny based on explicit, quantitative analyses have only recently appeared, and higher-level relationships within the order are greatly contested. We present the first phylogenetic hypothesis for odonates based on a combination of molecular and morphological data to produce the most comprehensive analysis of higher-level relationships in Odonata to date. We have coded 130 morphological characters at the generic level based on external morphology, wing venation, and larval characters. DNA sequence data for six genes (12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, COII, and Histone 3) were sequenced for over 100 genera representing the major odonate lineages. These data were analyzed via direct optimization and provide new insights into the evolution and diversification of odonates.