Missouri (MO) is located in the Midwest of the United States, with the Mississippi River forming its eastern border. Agriculture and the food industry play a vital role in Missouri’s economy, and it is home to one of the world’s largest breweries, Anheuser-Busch. Major tourist attractions include Gateway Arch National Park, featuring a massive arch located in St. Louis, and the Ozark Mountains. The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City, with Kansas City being the largest.
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Table of Contents
Quick Facts
Name Missouri Abbreviation MO Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City (Population: 510 704) Current time 9:33 Time zone CST (UTC-6), state observes daylight saving time CDT (UTC-5) Population 6,154,889 (#19 most populous US state) Area 69,714 mi² (#21 largest US state) Admitted to the Union August 10, 1821 (#24 state to join) ⭐ Capital of Missouri
The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City, which it became at its founding in 1821. The original name of the settlement was Lohman’s Landing, and one of the proposed names was the punning Missouriopolis, but in the end Jefferson City was chosen in honor of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson.
🏙️ Largest City in Missouri
The largest city in Missouri is Kansas City, with a population of 510,704 in 2023. The second most populous is St. Louis with a population of 281,754 and the third most populous is Springfield with 170,188.
🕒 Time in Missouri
The current time in Missouri is 9:33. Central Standard Time (CST, UTC-6) is used throughout the state, with Daylight Saving Time (DST) being observed from March to November.
🧑🤝🧑 Population of Missouri
As of 2023, Missouri had a population of 6,154,889, making the state the 19th most populous in the United States.
📍 Area of Missouri
The total area of Missouri is 69,714 mi², of which 69,118 mi² is land and 597 mi² is water. Missouri is the 21st largest state in the USA.
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Fun Facts About Missouri
🧩 Missouri Neighboring States
Missouri shares borders with eight states, including Tennessee; no other state in the USA has more neighbors. Kansas to the west, Nebraska to the northwest, Iowa to the north, Illinois to the east, Kentucky and Tennessee to the southeast, Arkansas to the south, and Oklahoma to the southwest.
📅 Date of Missouri Statehood
Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821, as the 24th state, formed from part of the Missouri Territory.
📛 Nickname of the State of Missouri
Missouri has no official nickname, however “Show Me State” is commonly used on license plates. Its origin is unclear. One theory is that it is related to a traditional distrust of Missourians who believed it only after seeing it with their own eyes.
The other nickname, “The Cave State,” refers to the local wildlife, as more than 7,500 different caves have been discovered throughout Missouri.
⛰️ Highest Mountain in Missouri
The highest mountain in Missouri is 1,772 ft Taum Sauk Mountain, which is part of the Saint Francois Mountains.
🏞️ Rivers in Missouri
The longest river in the state is the Missouri River with a total flow length of 2,343 mi. It is followed by the Mississippi River (2,318 mi), the White River (722 mi), the Des Moines River (525 mi), and the St. Francis River (426 mi).
🎓 Universities in Missouri
The largest university in the state is the University of Missouri, which was founded in 1839 and has over 68,000 people studying on its four campuses combined. The second largest university is Missouri State University in Springfield, with approximately 23 thousand students, and the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, with around 13 thousand students enrolled.
✉️ Missouri ZIP Codes
Missouri has dedicated ZIP code ranges 630xx-631xx, 633xx-641xx and 644xx-658xx, you can search for the specific one for any address on the USPS website. For more information, see the article ZIP Codes in the USA.
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Weather in Missouri
The best time of year to visit Missouri is early fall, when the humidity is lower and the temperatures more comfortable than in the hot summer. The weather is also more stable with less chance of tornadoes or uncomfortably high temperatures.
Spring in Missouri begins in March, when temperatures typically range between 32°F and 59°F. In the following months, temperatures rise to 63°F to 72°F in May, but with this the probability of rainy days increases. Thunderstorms with torrential rains are relatively common, and dangerous tornadoes may occur in western Missouri.
Missouri summers are humid and hot, with temperatures often exceeding 86°F. The feeling of heat is compounded by the high humidity, and especially in the evenings, thunderstorms and heavy rains can occur, causing flash flooding.
Autumn in Missouri tends to cool down to an average of 59°F to 68°F, and the likelihood of rain decreases as well. Thus, September and October are the best times for hiking, with dangerous tornadoes rarely occurring.
Winter in Missouri tends to be colder in the north of the state, where temperatures can drop below freezing and snowfall can be 10 cm to 15 cm. In southern Missouri, winter temperatures usually hover around 32°F.
🌡️ Average Temperatures and Precipitation in Missouri
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Things to Do in Missouri
1️⃣ Gateway Arch National Park
Gateway Arch National Park is different from most others. It is located in the city of St. Louis and its main attraction is a 630 ft tall metal arch that offers a beautiful panoramic view of the city and the surrounding area. The arch was built between 1963 and 1965 to highlight the city’s importance to the settlement of the American West in the 19th century. An elevator takes visitors to the top of the arch.
2️⃣ Silver Dollar City Amusement Park
Silver Dollar CityAmusement Park is located near the city of Branson in the southwestern part of the state, and is styled entirely in the image of a late 19th century village. The park features traditional craft workshops that showcase life at the time, and visitors can see glass or pottery making.
The main attractions at Silver Dollar City are roller coasters or the popular hollowed-out log ride along the waterway. The park also has rides for young children and a separate water world, making it a great stop for entire families.
3️⃣ Anheuser-Busch Brewery
Anheuser-Busch Brewery is one of the largest and oldest breweries in the USA, brewing its first batch of beer in 1852. Visitors can take a tour that includes a demonstration of the brewing process and a tasting of different beers.
Interestingly, the brewery’s operator has been litigating worldwide since 1907 with Czech Budvar over the Budweiser trademark. The American brewer lost most of the disputes.
4️⃣ City Museum
The City Museum in St. Louis combines an amusement park, an art gallery and a large playground. The museum is atypical in its architectural design and is an ideal stop for families with children. They can explore labyrinths, tunnels and slides that are made from recycled materials. More adventurous kids can climb the outdoor structure, which offers a beautiful view of the city of St. Louis.
5️⃣ Forest Park
Forest Park in St. Louis is one of the largest urban parks in the USA, surpassing the famous Central Park in New York. The park opened in 1876 and is now home to an art museum, history museum, and zoo. Visitors can enjoy extensive walking and cycling trails or several lakes on which to boat.
6️⃣ Saint Louis Zoo
The St. Louis Zoo is one of the best zoos in the United States, having opened in 1910. Admission to the zoo is free, but there are fees for some attractions. The zoo is home to over 18,000 species of animals, which are divided into several themed pavilions. The most popular enclosures include polar bears, penguins and sea lions. The zoo is a good place to visit for families with children.
7️⃣ Onondaga Cave State Park
Onondaga Cave State Park is home to one of the most beautiful caves in all of Missouri, known for its limestone formations. Visitors can take a guided tour of the cave and see stalactites, stalagmites and an underground pool during the tour. There are also several hiking trails and campsites in the park.
8️⃣ Missouri Botanical Garden
The St. Louis Botanical Garden is one of the oldest in the United States, having opened in 1859. Also known as Shaw’s Garden, the garden is themed into several sections, such as the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Butterfly House. The botanical garden’s herbarium is the second largest in North America, having more than 6.6 million plant species.
9️⃣ Fantastic Caverns
Fantastic Caverns are caves near the town of Springfield in southwest Missouri that were discovered in 1862. The cave is known for its large underground spaces that are richly interspersed with stalagmites.
Access to the cave is only possible on an organized guided tour, which is very atypical. This is the only cave tour in America that takes place on a towed vehicle pulled by a small jeep.
🔟 Lake of the Ozarks
Lake of the Ozarks is one of the most popular recreational areas in the state of Missouri, offering visitors a wide range of opportunities for water sports or fishing. With a shoreline length of 715 mi, it is one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States. Around the lake there are a number of campsites and cabins that allow you to spend several days in the place.
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Largest Cities in Missouri
The table below shows the ten largest cities in the state of Missouri in 2023, the source of the data is the United States Census Bureau, a federal agency whose main job is to count the population.
City County Population 1 Kansas City Jackson, Clay, Platte, Cass 510,704 Map of Kansas City 2 St. Louis – 281,754 Map of St. Louis 3 Springfield Greene, Christian 170,188 Map of Springfield 4 Columbia Boone 129,330 Map of Columbia 5 Independence Jackson 120,922 Map of Independence 6 Lee’s Summit Jackson, Cass 104,184 Map of Lee’s Summit 7 O’Fallon Saint Charles 94,074 Map of O’Fallon 8 St. Charles Saint Charles 71,800 Map of St. Charles 9 St. Joseph Buchanan, Andrew 70,634 Map of St. Joseph 10 Blue Springs Jackson 60,539 Map of Blue Springs -
Sports Teams in Missouri
🏒 Ice Hockey (NHL)
Only the St. Louis Blues, founded in 1967, play in the NHL. The club is ranked in the Central Division in the Western Conference and plays its home games at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. It considers the team colors to be royal blue, gold, navy blue, and white.
🏈 American Football (NFL)
Missouri has one representative in the NFL, which is the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFC West Division Conference. The club entered the league in the 1970 season, having previously played in the AFL for ten years. Its symbolic colors are red, gold and white, and the club plays its home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
🏀 Basketball (NBA)
There is no team from Missouri in the NBA.
⚾ Baseball (MLB)
Missouri has two teams in the MLB baseball league.
The St. Louis Cardinals played in the National League as early as 1892 and are now ranked in its Central Division. Home games are played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and the club colors are red, navy blue, yellow, and white.
The other team is the Kansas City Royals of the American League’s Central Division. The club played its first season in 1969, adopting royal blue, white, light blue and gold as its colors. The City Royals play their home games at Kauffman Stadium in Missouri.
⚽ Soccer (MLS)
The St. Louis City SC soccer team is part of the Western Conference of the MLS League as of the 2023 season. The club colors are red, blue, gray, and yellow, and all home matches are played at CityPark Stadium in St. Louis.
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Missouri State Symbols
Missouri law has established dozens of different symbols, and this article lists some of them.
State Flag of Missouri
The first design of the flag was created in 1861, when it consisted of the gold Missouri coat of arms on a blue background. The current flag has been in use since March 22, 1913, with three horizontal stripes of red, white, and blue complementing the state seal in the center.
Great Seal of Missouri
The Great Seal of State is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the Missouri state government. The first draft of the seal was adopted on January 22, 1822, and since then there has been only a slight modification in 1907. The main motif is two grizzly bears holding a shield, representing strength and courage. The number of white stars commemorates the fact that Missouri became the 24th state of the USA.
State Bird
In the late 1930s, the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) joined the list of state symbols. The blue-brown-and-white colored bird is common in Missouri and is considered a symbol of the coming of spring because of its beautiful song.
State Animal
The mule was declared the official state animal in 1995 and has played an important role in the state’s history as a strong and reliable farm animal. The state of Missouri was one of the largest producers of mules in the late 19th century, at its peak exporting as many as 500,000 mules to neighboring states and countries.
State Flower
Since 1923, the state flower has been the dotted hawthorn (Crataegus punctata), which grows across the state, its flowers representing the natural beauty of Missouri.
State Fish
Since 1997, the official state fish has been the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), which is found in waters across Missouri. Interestingly, this species of fish is one of the most heavily fished catfish in North America.
State Stone
In 1967, the state’s General Assembly expanded the list of state symbols to include the orange and yellow mozarkite stone, which is found exclusively in Missouri. The name is a compound of the words MO (short for the state of Missouri) ZARK (after the Ozarks region) and ITE (meaning stone).
State Song
In 1949, the official state song of Missouri became the Missouri Waltz, reflecting the state’s cultural heritage. Interestingly, the song was popularized by President Truman, who was from Missouri and often played it on the piano.
State Amphibian
The state amphibian in 2005 was the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana), which is commonly found in Missouri. The largest frog in North America, it grows from 17 cm to 20 cm in length.
State Dessert
One of the most peculiar symbols is the plain ice cream cone as the official dessert of Missouri. The ice cream cone became widespread after the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The ice cream vendor at the time ran out of paper cups, and a neighboring standee offered to bake him a cone made of waffle batter.
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