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Vandalia, Missouri facts for kids

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Vandalia, Missouri
City of Vandalia
Water tower in Vandalia
Water tower in Vandalia
Location of Vandalia, Missouri
Location of Vandalia, Missouri
Country United States
State Missouri
Counties Audrain, Ralls
Area
 • Total 2.25 sq mi (5.82 km2)
 • Land 2.24 sq mi (5.81 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
764 ft (233 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,553
 • Estimate 
(2023)
3,464
 • Density 1,583.33/sq mi (611.44/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
63382
Area code(s) 573
FIPS code 29-75688
GNIS feature ID = 2397120

Vandalia is a city in the state of Missouri, USA. It is located in both Audrain and Ralls Counties. In 2020, about 3,553 people lived there. This number includes people living in a large state facility within the city.

The part of Vandalia in Audrain County is near Mexico. The part in Ralls County is near Hannibal.

History of Vandalia

How Vandalia Started

Vandalia was first planned in 1870 by Aaron McPike and Judge Harmen Caldwell. The city was officially mapped out in 1871. It was named after another city called Vandalia, Illinois.

The first homes in Vandalia were built with lumber brought from Louisiana, Missouri. A post office has been open in Vandalia since 1871.

Historic Buildings in Vandalia

The Lincoln School is a special building in Vandalia. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means it is an important historical site.

Geography and Location

Where is Vandalia?

Vandalia is located on US Route 54. This is in the northeastern part of Audrain County. It is about 15 miles west of Bowling Green.

The city is about 27 miles from the Mississippi River. It is also about 30 miles southwest of Hannibal. St. Louis is about 100 miles northwest of Vandalia.

Transportation in Vandalia

A train line called the Gateway Western Railroad runs through Vandalia. US Route 54 connects Vandalia to Illinois in the east. It also connects to Jefferson City and the Lake of the Ozarks to the south and west.

Land and Water Area

Vandalia covers a total area of about 2.25 square miles (5.82 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 2.24 square miles (5.81 square kilometers). Only a very small part, about 0.01 square miles (0.01 square kilometers), is water.

Vandalia's Climate

Vandalia has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. The hottest month is usually July, and the coldest is January. The city gets a good amount of rain throughout the year.

Climate data for Vandalia, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 77
(25)
81
(27)
88
(31)
92
(33)
96
(36)
105
(41)
108
(42)
106
(41)
108
(42)
93
(34)
88
(31)
74
(23)
108
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 60.0
(15.6)
65.0
(18.3)
75.3
(24.1)
83.0
(28.3)
87.0
(30.6)
92.4
(33.6)
95.2
(35.1)
95.6
(35.3)
90.9
(32.7)
84.3
(29.1)
72.6
(22.6)
63.7
(17.6)
97.4
(36.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 35.7
(2.1)
40.8
(4.9)
52.2
(11.2)
64.2
(17.9)
73.6
(23.1)
82.5
(28.1)
86.4
(30.2)
85.1
(29.5)
78.6
(25.9)
66.6
(19.2)
52.5
(11.4)
40.5
(4.7)
63.2
(17.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 27.1
(−2.7)
31.5
(−0.3)
41.8
(5.4)
53.1
(11.7)
63.4
(17.4)
72.5
(22.5)
76.4
(24.7)
74.7
(23.7)
67.2
(19.6)
55.2
(12.9)
42.6
(5.9)
32.1
(0.1)
53.1
(11.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 18.5
(−7.5)
22.1
(−5.5)
31.4
(−0.3)
42.0
(5.6)
53.2
(11.8)
62.6
(17.0)
66.4
(19.1)
64.3
(17.9)
55.8
(13.2)
43.9
(6.6)
32.6
(0.3)
23.7
(−4.6)
43.0
(6.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −1.2
(−18.4)
3.7
(−15.7)
13.8
(−10.1)
28.1
(−2.2)
39.5
(4.2)
51.5
(10.8)
56.9
(13.8)
55.4
(13.0)
41.8
(5.4)
29.4
(−1.4)
17.3
(−8.2)
5.7
(−14.6)
−4.8
(−20.4)
Record low °F (°C) −24
(−31)
−16
(−27)
−12
(−24)
18
(−8)
29
(−2)
35
(2)
45
(7)
40
(4)
32
(0)
20
(−7)
−5
(−21)
−24
(−31)
−24
(−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.20
(56)
2.27
(58)
3.35
(85)
4.23
(107)
4.97
(126)
5.07
(129)
4.59
(117)
3.37
(86)
3.69
(94)
2.76
(70)
2.73
(69)
2.04
(52)
41.27
(1,048)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.4 6.5 9.2 10.2 11.6 9.8 8.1 7.2 7.5 8.7 6.7 7.2 99.1
Source: NOAA

Population and People

How Many People Live Here?

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 501
1890 979 95.4%
1900 1,168 19.3%
1910 1,595 36.6%
1920 2,158 35.3%
1930 2,450 13.5%
1940 2,672 9.1%
1950 2,624 −1.8%
1960 3,055 16.4%
1970 3,160 3.4%
1980 3,170 0.3%
1990 2,683 −15.4%
2000 2,529 −5.7%
2010 3,899 54.2%
2020 3,553 −8.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, Vandalia had 3,899 people living in 1,105 households. About 671 of these were families. The city had about 1,740 people per square mile.

Who Lives in Vandalia?

The average age of people in Vandalia in 2010 was 37 years old. About 15% of the residents were under 18 years old. Most of the population, about 70.5%, was female.

Education in Vandalia

Schools in the Area

The Van-Far R-I School District serves Vandalia. It has an elementary school and a middle school. There is also the Van-Far Jr./Sr. High School for older students.

Local Library

Vandalia also has a public library. It is a branch of the Mexico-Audrain Library District. This library offers books and resources for everyone in the community.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Vandalia (Misuri) para niños

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