Longview is the seat of Gregg County, in the piney woods of East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. Highways 80 and 259 converge just north of the Sabine River. With a population of about 82,000, it is the largest city in its region and the anchor of the Longview metropolitan area, a multi-county hub that also draws from neighboring Harrison, Rusk, and Upshur counties. Parts of the city itself extend into Harrison County. Longview's modern identity was forged by oil. The discovery of the East Texas Oil Field near Kilgore in 1930 touched off a boom that transformed the region, and Longview grew into the commercial and industrial capital of that boom. Oil and gas remain central to the economy, joined by manufacturing and logistics. Major employers include Eastman Chemical, Trinity Rail, and Komatsu Mining, alongside healthcare, retail, and distribution operations that reflect the city's role as a regional center. Education and healthcare add depth to the economy. LeTourneau University, a private Christian polytechnic institution, is headquartered in the city, joined by Kilgore College and a University of Texas at Tyler campus. A network of hospitals and medical facilities serves the surrounding region, making Longview a destination for care as well as commerce. The city combines the amenities of a regional hub — shopping, dining, cultural venues, and air service — with the forests, lakes, and slower pace of East Texas. It suits families and professionals seeking an affordable, self-sufficient city with a diversified economy, strong schools, and a genuine sense of place in the piney woods.