Noel, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Noel, Missouri
City
Location in McDonald County and the state of Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	McDonald
Area
• Total	2.10 sq mi (5.44 km2)
• Land	2.02 sq mi (5.25 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation	846 ft (258 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,124
• Density	1,048.89/sq mi (404.92/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	64854
Area code(s)	417
FIPS code	29-52742
GNIS feature ID	2395242

Noel is a city located in McDonald County, Missouri, United States. It sits right along the Elk River. In 2020, about 2,124 people lived there. This was an increase from 1,832 people in 2010. The city is in the very southwest part of Missouri, close to the Arkansas border.

History of Noel

How Noel Got Its Name

A post office opened in Noel way back in 1886. The town was named after two brothers, Clark Wallace "C.W." Noel and William Jasper "W.J." Noel. They were stockmen and owned a sawmill in the area. The town officially started after the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railroad arrived.

The Christmas City Tradition

Noel is famous for its Christmas-themed name. It's like other towns such as North Pole, Alaska or Santa Claus, Indiana. Every year, many thousands of Christmas cards and letters are sent to the USPS Noel Post Office. People do this so their mail gets a special postmark. This postmark says, Noel, Mo. - "The Christmas City in the Ozark Vacation Land". This tradition became very popular in the late 1940s. A famous radio and TV singer named Kate Smith helped spread the word. Most of the time, local residents say "Noel" so it rhymes with "mole." This is to honor one of the town's founders, Bridges Noel.

Train Accident in 1969

On August 3, 1969, a freight train exploded as it passed through Noel. Pieces of metal flew through houses and buildings over a large area. Sadly, one person died, and 40 others were hurt.

Community and Diversity

Noel was once home to a Tyson Foods chicken-processing plant. By 2010, many refugees from Somalia and Sudan lived in the town. Most of them worked at the Tyson Foods plant. In 2011, some Muslim employees temporarily stopped working. They felt they were not allowed to pray five times a day as their faith required. Tyson Foods later said it was a misunderstanding between different cultures.

A mosque, a place of worship for Muslims, was built in 2009. An African grocery store opened in 2010. Both were located on Main Street. In 2020, a fire broke out at the African grocery store early in the morning. The store was destroyed. The fire also spread to the mosque and other nearby businesses. One person inside the store died from severe burns. After the fire, a group called the Islamic Society of Joplin started raising money. They wanted to find a new home for the mosque. They successfully reached their fundraising goal.

Geography

Noel is located in the southwest part of McDonald County. It is about 3 miles (5 km) north of the Arkansas border. Missouri Route 90 goes through the city and is known as Main Street. This road leads east to Jane and west to Southwest City, which is near the Oklahoma border. Missouri Route 59 also runs through the west side of Noel. It briefly joins Route 90 in the center of town. Route 59 goes north to Anderson and south to Sulphur Springs, Arkansas.

Noel covers a total area of about 2.10 square miles (5.44 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The Elk River flows through the city. It then flows northwest to join the Neosho River in Oklahoma. The Elk River is part of the larger Arkansas River system.

Population Information

2020 Census Details

In 2020, Noel had 2,124 people living in 687 households. About 31.2% of the people were White, and 16.7% were Black or African American. About 41.5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

About 38.3% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 3 people. The median age in the city was 30.8 years old. This means half the people were younger than 30.8, and half were older. About 32.8% of residents were under 18 years old.

2010 Census Details

In 2010, there were 1,832 people living in Noel. The population density was about 916 people per square mile. About 56.6% of the people were White. About 49.7% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

About 45.1% of households had children under 18. The average household had about 2.97 people. The median age in the city was 28.5 years. About 31.8% of residents were under 18 years old.

Education

Public schools in Noel are managed by the McDonald County R-1 School District.

Noel also has a public library, which is called the Noel Community Branch Library.

See also

In Spanish: Noel (Misuri) para niños