About Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city in the state located at the crossroads of I-35, I-40 and I-44 in the heart of Oklahoma. The second largest city in the continental U.S. based on geographical size, more than 1.1 million people call the Metro Oklahoma City area home. With more than a dozen communities surrounding it, Oklahoma City offers a diverse landscape of hip, urban culture and charming, old-fashioned neighborhoods for visitors and residents alike.

 

The economy of Oklahoma City, once a regional power center of government and energy exploration, has diversified to include the sectors of information technology, services, health services and administration. The city has two Fortune 500companies: Devon Energy Corporation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation, several others that are in the Fortune 1000 and a number of large privately owned companies. Oklahoma City is home to the corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive-In, whose office building and corporate restaurant is located in Bricktown. Devon Energy revealed plans in August 2008 for a new 900-foot tall, 1,900,000-square-foot headquarters building in downtown Oklahoma City. The new skyscraper is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in 2012.

 

Other large employers in Oklahoma City include Tinker Air Force Base, the federal government, the University of Oklahoma, AT&T, The Boeing Company, Xerox, United Parcel Service, Cox, and the state of Oklahoma.

According to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the metropolitan area's economic output grew by 33 percent between 2001 and 2005 due chiefly to economic diversification. Its gross metropolitan product totaled $43.1 billion in 2005.

In 2008, Forbes magazine named Oklahoma City the most "recession proof city in America". The magazine reported that the city had falling unemployment, one of the strongest housing markets in the country and solid growth in energy, agriculture and manufacturing. In addition, the Today Show ranked OKC 28th out of the 100 Best Places to Raise a Family based on crime rates, school quality, healthcare, the arts, housing costs, average commute times and divorce rates.

And in 2010, Barron’s called Oklahoma City “ A city that’s getting it right… A city that is defying the national trends [and] experiencing job growth, a stable housing market, and increased infrastructure spending.” The Wall Street Journal also selected Oklahoma City as one of the top 10 cities in America to invest in.