Pottawatomie county is located in central Oklahoma just southeast of Oklahoma City with Shawnee serving as the county seat.
Major waterways and recreational opportunities include the Canadian River, which forms its entire southern line with McClain County and Pontotoc County; the North Canadian River, which forms a portion of the northeast line with Seminole County and Shawnee Twin Lakes (also known as Shawnee Reservoir) west of Shawnee.
Interesting historical sites include the H.T. Douglas Mansion, the Governor's Mansion and Garage and St. Gregory's Abbey and College, all in Shawnee.
The county is the birthplace of one of the most heralded athletes of all time--Jim Thorpe. He was born in the rural northeast corner of the county.
The county population on July 1, 1999, was 62,654, an increase of 3,894 over the 1990 census.