Longview (pop. >80,000) is the county seat of Gregg County. Gregg, Rusk, and Upshur Counties comprise the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area, the largest MSA in the eastern part of Texas. The town is located on the U.S. Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 80 corridor that stretches 275 miles through a chain of towns between Shreveport-Bossier City (60 miles east in Louisiana) and Dallas-Fort Worth (125 miles west).

Longview is the regional shopping center for all East Texas. The diversity of shops and goods available in the community draws shoppers from throughout the Ark-La-Tex region. On the north side of town, the Longview Mall with more than 80 merchants and restaurants offers convenience under one roof. Traditional, yet progressive, downtown Longview offers boutiques, art galleries, fine furniture, and professional service businesses.

The community has many amenities including a convention center, a modern public library, the LeTourneau University Library, the Gregg County Historical Museum, the Longview Museum of Fine Art, the R.G. LeTourneau Museum, 25 movie screens, a rodeo arena, fairgrounds, pavilions, and an exhibit building. The town also has two major regional medical centers: Good Shepherd Medical Center and Longview Regional Medical Center with almost 500 beds between them. East Texas Regional Airport offers service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport via American Eagle. Longview is served by four school districts and is home to three institutions of higher learning.