Midland/Odessa

Midland–Odessa is a metropolitan area located in West Texas approximately half-way between El Paso and Fort Worth, Texas. This combined statistical area (CSA) is made up of two metropolitan statistical areas (the Midland MSA and the Odessa MSA), and comprises three counties: Martin, Midland and Ector counties. The Midland–Odessa CSA is informally known as The Petroplex.

In the past, the cities of Midland and Odessa experienced a rivalry of bitter competition and political intrigue. Since the early 1990s, the nature of the rivalry has changed into one of friendly competition and economic cooperation. The Midland–Odessa area today is marketed as "Two Cities, no Limits."

The Midland–Odessa combined statistical area, informally known as The Petroplex, akin to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, is located along Interstate 20 in West Texas in a petroleum rich area called the Permian Basin. The Permian Basin extends into the South Plains region just south of Lubbock, Texas, extending westward into southeastern New Mexico.

Midland–Odessa enjoys a climate typical of the resort cities of the Southwest United States. The terrain type is described as semi-arid mesquite-mixed grassland subtropical steppe. Winters are typically mild with a few seasonable cold spells. In the spring the wind is quite strong and the summer can bring extended heat waves with many consecutive days with highs of 100 degrees or more. The average rainfall of Midland–Odessa is 14.96 inches. Midland–Odessa is located in zone 8 according to the USDA 2003 Plant Hardiness Map. On average the area experiences 316 days of sunshine a year.