In the past, the cities of Midland and Odessa experienced a civic rivalry of bitter competition and political intrigue.

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 economy of the area is heavily dependent on the petroleum industry and has experienced a series of booms and busts as the price of crude oil has fluctuated.

The Permian Basin is the source of the New York Mercantile Exchange's benchmark West Texas Intermediate Crude.

In even-numbered years, Odessa hosts the Permian Basin International Oil Show—the world's largest inland petroleum exposition—at the Ector County Coliseum.

The Permian Basin is also home to several windfarms and the city of Andrews is a candidate site for an experimental high temperature nuclear reactor.

This airport serves as a regional hub for cities and towns throughout the Permian Basin and as a gateway to Big Bend National Park.

The spirit of cooperation can be seen in the Midland Odessa Transportation Alliance (MOTRAN) and its centerpiece project "La Entrada al Pacifico" or "Entrance to the Pacific".

La Entrada al Pacifico is an official trade corridor that connects the Mexican port city of Topolobampo on the west coast of Mexico with major markets in the Eastern and North Eastern United States and includes an inland port facility to be located in Midland–Odessa.