Editing Woodward, Oklahoma (section)

== Economy ==
The city maintains a city manager commission type of government. Woodward is the principal center of trade for Northwest Oklahoma and a ten-county region including counties in Kansas and Texas. It serves a trade area of greater than 50,000 people. Agriculture, petroleum, wind energy, and manufacturing all contribute to Woodward's economy.

Woodward serves as a market and processing center for wheat, cattle, hay and poultry. The city has grown around the [[Southern Plains Range Research Station]], a United States agricultural experiment station established in 1912.

Woodward also lies in an oil and natural-gas area on the shelf of Oklahoma's [[Anadarko Basin]]. In 1956, natural gas was discovered in Woodward County. Thereafter, Woodward enjoyed significant growth due to the opening and location of oil field service and drilling companies in Woodward.

In addition to hydrocarbons, many portions of Woodward County are underlain by one of the world's largest deposits of [[iodine]]. Since 1977, numerous companies have explored for and produced crude iodine in Woodward County. Woodward Iodine and Deepwater Chemicals are located in Woodward. In 2003, [[Florida Power & Light Company]]'s subsidiary, FPL Energy, and the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, began commercial production of electricity generated from [[wind turbine]]s constructed {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} north of Woodward.

Manufacturers include oil field equipment, apparel, crude iodine, and printing and publishing. Clothing factories are a relatively recent addition.

CF Industries operates an ammonia facility that also produces associated nitrogen products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfindustries.com/who-we-are/locations/woodward-nitrogen-facility|title=Woodward Nitrogen Complex|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref>  The plant was built by Fluor <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fluor.com/about-fluor/corporate-information/history?target=Fluor-Chem-Petro|title=Fluor History - Building a Legacy|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref> for WR Grace and Co, which operated it from 1975<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.icis.com/resources/news/2014/06/20/9793144/fire-halts-production-at-cf-industries-fertilizer-plant-in-oklahoma/|title=Fire halts production at CF Industries fertilizer plant in Oklahoma|date=June 20, 2014|work=ICIS News|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref> to 1988 as Oklahoma Nitrogen Co. Terra Industries bought the plant from Grace in 1988.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newsok.com/article/2242725|title=Sale Completed of Woodward Ammonia Plant|date=October 18, 1988|newspaper=The Oklahoman|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref> In 2010, CF Industries took over Terra,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/terra-finally-accepts-cf-industries-takeover-bid/|title=Terra Finally Accepts CF Industries' Takeover Bid|last=Sanati|first=Cyrus|date=March 12, 2010|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref> and currently operates the plant.

Woodward is the corporate headquarters for Beaver Express Service, L.L.C., Oklahoma's largest and oldest Oklahoma-based small package express and LTL motor freight carrier. Beaver Express serves the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, and Texas.