Longview's inclusion in a list of the top metropolitan areas for economic vitality offers validation the city is doing lots of things right, a local economic official said.

John Stroud, executive director of the Longview Economic Development Corp., said the ranking should carry lots of weight with national decision makers.

Longview was ranked No. 45 out of 379 metropolitan areas in the nation in a listing in Monday's Wall Street Journal. It was one of five Texas metropolitan areas to rank in the top 50 for economic vitality based on criteria developed by Moody's Economy.com, the Journal reported.