Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri
Metropolitan statistical area
Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area
Downtown Springfield viewed from Jordan Valley Park
Country	United States
State(s)	Missouri
Largest city	Springfield
Other cities	Battlefield Nixa Ozark Republic Marshfield Bolivar Willard
Area
• Total	3,021 sq mi (7,820 km2)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	475,432
• Rank	117th in the U.S.

The Springfield, Missouri, metropolitan area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in southwestern Missouri, anchored by the city of Springfield, the state's third largest city. Other primary population centers in the metro area include Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Marshfield, Bolivar, and Willard. Currently, the city limits of Springfield reach the Ozark city limits at the Christian County line on US 65, the city limits of Republic at James River Freeway on the southwest side of the city, and the Strafford city limits on Route 744 on the northeast side of the city.

As of the 2020 census, the MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) had a population of 475,432 and was the fastest growing metro area in the state of Missouri. The area is home to several centers for higher education, including Missouri State University, Drury University and Southwest Baptist University. The Springfield region serves as the headquarters for various companies and organizations, including Bass Pro Shops, BKD, LLP, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Jack Henry & Associates, Andy's Frozen Custard and CoxHealth, and also serves as an important location for JPMorgan Chase, Expedia and American Airlines. As of 2019, the Springfield metro had a GDP of US$20.8 billion, the third largest in Missouri.

Counties

• Christian
• Dallas
• Greene
• Polk
• Webster
• Stone
• Taney

Communities

Anchor cities

• Springfield (Principal city) Pop: 166,810

Places with 5,000 to 25,000 inhabitants

• Nixa Pop: 20,984
• Ozark Pop: 19,120
• Republic Pop: 16,005
• Branson Pop: 11,431
• Bolivar Pop: 10,714
• Marshfield Pop: 7,138
• Battlefield Pop: 6,001
• Willard Pop: 5,454

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants

Places with 500 to 1,000 inhabitants

• Highlandville Pop: 915
• Reeds Spring Pop: 886
• Rockaway Beach Pop: 857
• Fremont Hills Pop: 847
• Fordland Pop: 801
• Walnut Grove Pop: 723
• Pleasant Hope Pop: 614
• Bull Creek Pop: 590
• Indian Point Pop: 520

Places with less than 500 inhabitants

Unincorporated places

Satellite view of Springfield

Highways in the area

• Interstate 44 - north side of Springfield, connects Springfield with St. Louis (east) and Joplin; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Oklahoma City (west)
• U.S. Route 60 - a four-lane divided highway from Republic to James River Freeway and from US 65 to east of Rogersville, becomes part of James River Freeway on the south side of Springfield
• U.S. Route 65 - a freeway (officially the Schoolcraft Freeway in Springfield proper-6 lanes). A four-lane highway from Buffalo to the Arkansas state line.
• U.S. Route 160 a two-lane highway between Willard and Springfield, joins James River Freeway on the southwest side of Springfield, becomes a four-lane divided highway at Campbell Avenue to Nixa
• Route 13 - connects Springfield with Kansas City, becomes Kansas Expressway in Springfield, then joins James River Freeway to Campbell Avenue, and joins US 160 through Nixa
• Route 14 - a two-lane highway which connects Ozark and Nixa
• Route 125 - a two-lane highway between Strafford and Rogersville. It mainly lies in the rural part of the metropolitan area.
• Route 360 - a section of James River Freeway from US 60 to I-44 west of Springfield
• Route 413 - a four-lane highway joined with US 60 from Republic to James River Freeway, continues north and east into Springfield as Sunshine Street
• Route 744 - Known as Kearney Street in Springfield. It is a four lane highway that stretches from the Sprinfield-Branson National Airport to I-44. It lies on the north side of Springfield.
• Historic U.S. Route 66 passes through the Springfield area. It enters the area through Strafford, and follows Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, St. Louis Street, College Street, and Chestnut Expressway in Springfield. It continues west down Route 266 west of Springfield.

Economy

Springfield is the headquarters for O'Reilly Auto Parts, the only Fortune 500 company based in the region. It also houses the headquarters for Bass Pro Shops, CoxHealth, Andy's Frozen Custard, BKD, LLP and Jack Henry & Associates. The Springfield–Branson National Airport serves as a base for American Airlines and Envoy Air as the airline utilizes the airport as a maintenance base. Springfield is also an important region for call centers, with Expedia, Chase and AT&T maintaining call centers in the city.

Education

Secondary

Central High School in Springfield

Springfield Public Schools is the largest fully accredited school district in the State of Missouri with nearly 25,000 students and a graduation rate of roughly 88%. Nixa Public Schools, located just south of Springfield, is a growing district of 6,000 students that frequently ranks above the national average in ACT scores and has for the last ten years earned the highest state recognition for academic achievement given in Missouri. Other growing districts in the area are located in the cities of Ozark, Republic, Strafford, and Marshfield. Private schools in the area include the Greenwood Laboratory School in Springfield, located on the Missouri State campus, and the Summit Preparatory School, located near James River Freeway in Chesterfield Village.

Meyer Library at Missouri State University Campus

There are also several private religious schools in the area, including Springfield Catholic and Springfield Lutheran.

Colleges and universities

Missouri State University in Springfield is the second largest university in the state with roughly 23,697 in 2019. Other universities in Springfield include Drury University, a private liberal arts college with more than 1,000 students, and OTC with approximately 11,000 students, where students can earn a one-year certificate or a two-year associate degree.

Transportation

Principal Highways

• I-44 – East to St. Louis and west to Tulsa
• US 60 – East to Louisville and west to Monett
• US 65 – South to Little Rock and north to Des Moines
• US 160 – West to Wichita
• Route 13 – North to Kansas City
• Route 14 – Between Nixa and Ozark
• Route 125 – Between Strafford and Rogersville

Air

Allegiant Air flight departing from Springfield

The area is served by Springfield-Branson National Airport which has direct flights on Delta, United, American and Allegiant to thirteen cities across the United States, including hubs such as Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston, among others. With over one million passengers per year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is one of the fastest growing airports of its size in the country. A new terminal was opened at the airport in 2007 with 10 gates, expandable to 60, and runways can accommodate the Boeing 747 and large military aircraft.

Springfield has a secondary, smaller airport, Downtown Airport which is not served by any passenger airlines and is used mostly by smaller general aviation airplanes.

Public transportation

Public transportation in the metropolitan area is focused primarily in Springfield. City Utilities of Springfield operates Springfield Transit Services, operating many buses on several different routes throughout the city, and bus service is available 365 days per year with less frequent weekend, holiday and evening routes.

Greenways

The area has a growing number of Greenway trails, 70 miles (112 km) run through parks and green areas, while 81 miles (130 km) are located on city streets. Such routes include The Link, which runs on local roads through the city of Springfield, and the Trail of Tears Link, while the Frisco Link connects Springfield with Bolivar to the north.

See also

In Spanish: Área metropolitana de Springfield (Misuri) para niños