3rd District Information
The Third Congressional District of Oklahoma
encompasses all the best of Oklahoma's natural and
scenic wonders, its business and commerce, and its
people.
From the isolation of the highest point in Oklahoma, Black Mesa, at the far end of the Oklahoma panhandle, to the city limits of Tulsa more than 400 miles away, the Third Congressional District has a topography as diverse as its residents.
It is the 20th largest congressional district in the country, covering more than 34,000 square miles and 32 Oklahoma counties. It covers almost half the land mass of the state.
The majority of Third District residents live in small towns, and roughly a third of residents live outside city limits. The largest cities in the district are Enid, Stillwater, Ponca City, Altus, Yukon, and Sapulpa.
Every year the plains of Oklahoma produce an abundant harvest of the food and fiber for our country, including cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and the most predominant Oklahoma crop - wheat. Agriculture is still king in Oklahoma, as the state's largest producer of jobs, but new technologies and production techniques have increased agriculture production to higher yields than ever before.
Oil and gas production is another major industry of the Third District, from exploration to refining. Oklahoma's strong ties to the energy industry date back to statehood, and the Third Congressional District produces much of the state's oil revenues - from the oil and gas production of the Anadarko Basin to the state's largest oil refinery in Ponca City.
Along with agriculture and the energy industry, small businesses are the backbone of the economy of the district. These Main Street businesses create the majority of jobs and are a fundamental part of the district's economy.
The scenic wonders of the Third District vary from the natural beauty of our scenic lakes, to our state parks at Alabaster Caverns, the Little Sahara, the Great Salt Plains, or the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve. The district's cultural and historical destinations include the Chisholm Trail Museum in Kingfisher, the Marland Mansion in Ponca City, El Reno's Fort Reno, and the Gilcrease Art and Sculpture Museum in Tulsa.
But perhaps the greatest resource of the Third Congressional District are the approximately 690,000 people who live and work here. Their dedication to hard work, family values, and the Oklahoma spirit are what make the Third Congressional District truly great.