Quality of Life

From its earliest beginnings, Pottawatomie County has always been considered a strong manufacturing center, along with being known as a prosperous, regional trade location. The seat of government for the county is located in Shawnee and the area boasts a large contingent of manufacturers, some with Fortune 500 or International corporate ownership.

The region has continually expanded to meet the needs of those existing manufacturers as well as encouraging new capital investments in the areas of healthcare, education, retail, employment, housing, and entertainment.

Location
Pottawatomie County is located just to the southeast of Oklahoma County and within the Oklahoma City MSA (1.4 million). With a population of nearly 72,000, Pottawatomie County and Shawnee are located just 40 miles east of Oklahoma City on I-40 and its geographically central location offers accessibility by interstate, state, and federal highways, along with air and rail. As an edge city, the region offers competitively priced and suitable land for developments of all types.

Unique History

Pottawatomie County has a unique history. Seminole, Creek, Citizen Band Potawatomi, Absentee Shawnee, Kickapoo and Sac and Fox Indian tribes settled it. It was opened to settlement in the Land Run of September 22, 1891. The county name was changed by vote in 1892 to honor the Potawatomi Tribe, whose name of “nishnabe” translates to "people of the place of the fire." The county has a strong heritage of agriculture, education, manufacturing, healthcare, commerce and railroad businesses.

Major communities include: Shawnee, McLoud, and Tecumseh. A small portion of Oklahoma City extends into the county.