Oklahoma City. Oklahoma

Often shortened to OKC, Oklahoma City is the cultural and political capital of the state. It has worked hard to be more than just a cow town, though it hasn't turned its back on its cowboy heritage. The city is forever linked to the 1995 bombing; the memorials are gripping.

Oklahoma City features one of the largest livestock markets in the world, though oil and gas is the largest sector of the economy. OKC lies in the middle of an active oil field and oil derricks pepper the capitol grounds. The government employs a large number of workers at the Tinker Air Force Base and the United States Department of Transportation's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.