McKinley County is located in the northwest portion of the state of New Mexico atop the San Juan Plateau. It was created in February 1899 and named for William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States. The county seat is Gallup, the county's largest town, which is also the center of the American Indian Inter-tribal Ceremonial that occurs every August. Portions of the Zuni and Navajo Nation Reservations lay within the county's boundary. McKinley County economy is driven by lumber industry, oil refining, coal mining, and uranium production.