Covering 1,608 sq km (621 sq mi) of land, Oklahoma City, capital of Oklahoma, United States, is one of the nation's largest cities in terms of area. Besides being the seat of the state government, it is the state's principal financial, commercial, and transport centre. It is also a major centre for producing and refining crude petroleum; it also manufactures fabricated metal, aerospace and electronic equipment, and food products. Cattle and wheat produced in the area are processed and shipped here. Nearby Tinker Air Force Base, a major aircraft supply and repair depot, is the area's chief single employer. Among the points of interest in Oklahoma City are the State Capitol (built chiefly of white limestone), and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, and the National Softball Hall of Fame. The city is the seat of Midwest Christian College (1946), Oklahoma City University (1904), and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (1900). Also here is the Kirkpatrick Center, a multimuseum complex which includes the Airspace Museum, the International Photography Hall of Fame, and the Omniplex, a hands-on science museum.

From early times the Oklahoma City region was inhabited by Native American groups including Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole peoples. In 1889 the area was opened to settlement with a famous land run for staking out claims. In a single day a tent city of nearly 10,000 inhabitants was built on the site of the city. The railway stop at that site (opened in 1887) may also have encouraged settlement. By 1910, when Oklahoma City replaced Guthrie as the state capital, it was the largest city in Oklahoma with a population of about 64,000. Only in 1923 did the US postal service officially recognize the city's name, which had been in popular use since 1889. Oklahoma City enjoyed great economic growth after productive oil and gas fields in and near the city were discovered in 1928. Population (1980) 403,213; (1990) 444,719.

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