Lawton, Oklahoma

L awton is a city in, and the county seat of, Comanche County, located in southwestern Oklahoma, about 87 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, along Interstate 44. Lawton was founded on August 6, 1901, and was named after Major General Henry Ware Lawton, a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient killed in action in the Philippine–American War. Lawton’s landscape is typical of the Great Plains, with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by the Wichita Mountains and Mount Scott, the region’s most prominent geological feature rising to 2,464 feet. In 1998, Lawton annexed a portion of nearby Fort Sill, an active U.S. Army installation that was originally established in 1869 for stationing cavalry troops during the Indian Wars. Today, Fort Sill hosts the U.S. Army FIRES Center of Excellence, which integrates field artillery and air defense artillery, as well as the Army Targeting Center. As Lawton’s largest employer, Fort Sill contributes significantly to the economic activity in the region, with over 5,000 full-time employees. AT A GLANCE LAWTON, OKLAHOMA WHAT: A city of 87,000 WHERE: In Comanche County, in southwestern Oklahoma WEBSITE: www.lawtonok.gov LAWTON, OK L A HOMA S E I Z I NG OP POR TUN I T Y