Oklahoma City is the capital of Oklahoma and the anchor of a metropolitan region that stretches across the center of the state. Its municipal boundaries cover portions of Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie counties, making it one of the most geographically expansive cities in the United States. Its position at the crossroads of Interstates 35 and 40 has long shaped its role as a transportation and distribution hub for the Southern Plains. The city's economy has broadened well beyond its historic roots in oil and gas. Aviation and aerospace now form the largest sector, led by Tinker Air Force Base, the largest industrial operation in the state, and the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, a major Federal Aviation Administration facility. Energy, bioscience, healthcare, and logistics round out the mix, and the city hosts corporate headquarters including Devon Energy, Hobby Lobby, Paycom, and Sonic. This diversification helps the metro weather economic cycles and draws workers from across the region. Downtown Oklahoma City has been reshaped over recent decades by a series of voter-approved public investment programs that turned a faded warehouse district into Bricktown, a canal-side entertainment district with restaurants and venues, connected to the rest of downtown by the OKC Streetcar. The Myriad Botanical Gardens and its Crystal Bridge Conservatory provide a 15-acre green space in the heart of the central business district. To the southwest, Stockyards City preserves the area's western heritage with a working livestock market and western-wear retailers. Residential life extends across a wide range of settings, from the established neighborhoods ringing downtown to suburban communities on the city's north and west edges. The city's large land area means commutes and housing choices vary considerably by quadrant, and the surrounding metro includes the independent cities of Edmond, Moore, Norman, and Midwest City. For many residents, Oklahoma City combines the amenities of a state capital and regional employment center with a comparatively spacious, lower-density pattern of living.