6 Biggest Cities in Missouri: How Well Do You Know The Show Me State?

Missouri may not have a bustling metropolis like Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York, but it does boast a number of cities with historical and cultural significance. Here is a list of the six biggest cities in Missouri, along with some interesting facts about each of them.

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Kansas City

Barbecue and jazz–f you’re hankering for either one, Kansas City might hit the spot. Missouri’s largest city, with a population of just more than 467,000, is said to have more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other city in the nation. Jazz clubs have dotted the city’s landscape since prohibition days, with musicians such as Count Basie making the city famous for this type of music.

St. Louis

It began as a fur trading village for French settlers, then became renowned as the jumping-off point for Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition. Years later, in 1904, St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair, where the ice cream cone and iced tea were introduced. St. Louis is currently home to about 350,000 people. In 2014, the St. Louis region became a topic of nationwide conversation following the shooting of Michael Brown in the suburb of Ferguson.

Springfield

Springfield is the third biggest city in Missouri, with a population of just less than 160,000. The city is home to Missouri State University and some of the state’s largest employers, including St. John’s Hospital.

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Independence

The hometown of President Harry S. Truman, Independence maintains many trails that pioneers traveled to go west. The city currently has a population of about 116,000, making it the fourth biggest city in the state. Located just east of Kansas City, Independence, Missouri has a dynamic retail, office, and medical business environment.

Columbia

Home of the University of Missouri, Columbia has a population of just more than 108,000. Compared to the state average, Columbia has a higher number of college students, a lower median age, and a greater percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Lee’s Summit

Lee’s Summit is located in the Kansas City region of Missouri. The city prides itself on having a small town flavor with a strong economic outlook and a vibrant population of more than 91,000 people.

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