Editing Springfield, Missouri (section)

{{about|the city|the metropolitan area|Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Springfield, Missouri
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
<!-- images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = {{multiple image
| border                     = infobox
| total_width                = 280
| caption_align              = center
| image_style                = border:1;
| perrow                     = 1/2/2/1
| image1                     = Downtown Springfield, MO and Hammons Field.jpg

| caption1                   = [[Hammons Field]] and Downtown Springfield
| image2                     = Aquarium entrance.jpg

| caption2                   = [[Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium|Wonders of Wildlife]]
| image3                     = ParkCentralSquarefountainbyCVBCS.jpg

| caption3                   = Park Central Square
| image4                     = Commercial Street Historic District, Springfield, Missouri.jpg
| caption4                   = [[Commercial Street Historic District (Springfield, Missouri)|Commercial Street
]]
| image5                     = MissouriStateUniversityMeyerCarillon.jpg

| caption5                   = [[Missouri State University]]
| image6                     = Pythian Home of Missouri - Green County MO retouched.jpg

| caption6                   = [[Pythian Home of Missouri|Pythian Castle]]
}}
| image_flag         = Flag of Springfield, Missouri.svg
| image_seal         = 
| nickname           = The "Queen City of the Ozarks"<br />"Birthplace of [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]]"
| image_map          = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=y|frame-width=270|frame-height=200|frame-align=center|zoom=4|type=point|title=Springfield, Missouri|marker=city|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080}}
| map_caption        = Interactive map of Springfield
| coordinates        = {{coord|37|12|55|N|93|17|54|W|region:US-MO|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flagu|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Missouri|Counties]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flagicon|Missouri}} [[Missouri]]
| subdivision_name2  = {{hlist|[[Greene County, Missouri|Greene]]|[[Christian County, Missouri|Christian]]}}
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 1834
| established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2  = 1838
| established_title3 = 
| established_date3  = 
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
| leader_title       = [[List of mayors of Springfield, Missouri|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Ken McClure
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 28, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 216.78
| area_total_sq_mi   = 83.70
| area_land_km2      = 215.26
| area_land_sq_mi    = 83.11
| area_water_km2     = 1.52
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.59
| area_metro_km2     = 7824
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 3021
<!-- Population -->
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_ft       = 1299
| population_total   = 169176
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = 785.91
| population_density_sq_mi = 2035.49
| population_est     = 170596
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_urban   = 282,651 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|143rd]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/29/2022-28286/2020-census-qualifying-urban-areas-and-final-criteria-clarifications|title=2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications|author=United States Census Bureau|website=Federal Register|date=December 29, 2022}}</ref>
| population_density_urban_km2 = 812.4
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 2,104.1
| population_metro   = 475,432 (US: [[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|111th]])
| population_rank    = US: [[List of United States cities by population|152nd]]
| population_demonym = Springfieldian
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 65801-65810, 65814, 65817, 65890, 65897-65899
| area_code          = [[Area code 417|417]]
| website            = [https://springfieldmo.gov/ springfieldmo.gov]
| leader_title2      = 
| leader_name2       = 
<!-- Area -->
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;6
| timezone_DST       = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;5
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 29-70000
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0735864<ref name=gnis>{{Cite GNIS|735864|Springfield}}</ref>
| image_blank_emblem = City of Springfield, Missouri logo.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
}}

'''Springfield''' is the [[List of cities in Missouri|third most populous city]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Missouri]] and the [[county seat]] of [[Greene County, Missouri|Greene County]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The city's population was 169,176 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2970000|access-date=December 2, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> It is the principal city of the [[Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri|Springfield metropolitan area]], which had an estimated population of 487,061 in 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Dallas County, Missouri; Polk County, Missouri; Webster County, Missouri; Christian County, Missouri; Greene County, Missouri |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/dallascountymissouri,polkcountymissouri,webstercountymissouri,christiancountymissouri,greenecountymissouri/PST045221 |access-date=April 5, 2022 |website=www.census.gov |language=en}}</ref> and includes the counties of [[Christian County, Missouri|Christian]], [[Dallas County, Missouri|Dallas]], [[Greene County, Missouri|Greene]], [[Polk County, Missouri|Polk]], and [[Webster County, Missouri|Webster]],<ref name=OMB_18-04>{{cite web|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bulletin-18-04.pdf|title=OMB Bulletin No. 18-04: Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses|publisher=[[United States Office of Management and Budget]]|date=September 14, 2018|access-date=March 3, 2019}}</ref> The city sits on the Springfield Plateau of the [[Ozarks]], which ranges from nearly level to rolling hills. Springfield is the largest city in the Ozarks.

Springfield's nicknames include "Queen City of the [[Ozarks]]" and "The Birthplace of [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]]".<ref>[http://www.springfieldmo.org/final/newsite/ttd_page_history.asp Springfield sits at the crossroads of history!] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20061002222224/http://www.springfieldmo.org/final/newsite/ttd_page_history.asp |date=October 2, 2006 }}, Springfield, Missouri, Convention & Visitors Bureau. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Officially recognized as the birthplace of Route 66, it was in Springfield on April 30, 1926, that officials first proposed the name of the new Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway."</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Billings |first=Hank |url=http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070604/COLUMNISTS02/706040389/1072/NEWS01 |title=Historian puts date on origin of 'Queen City |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607110737/http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070604%2FCOLUMNISTS02%2F706040389%2F1072%2FNEWS01 |archive-date=June 7, 2015 |work=[[Springfield News-Leader]] |date=June 4, 2007 |access-date=June 13, 2007 |url-status=dead}} "Does Springfield's title as Queen City of the Ozarks go back to 1876?"</ref> The city has been called the "Buckle of the [[Bible Belt]]" due to its association with evangelical Christianity.<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/26228980|title=The Bible Belt in a Changing South|journal=Southeastern Geographer|jstor=26228980|access-date=February 17, 2022|last1=Brunn|first1=Stanley D.|last2=Webster|first2=Gerald R.|last3=Archer|first3=J. Clark|year=2011|volume=51|issue=4|pages=513–549|doi=10.1353/sgo.2011.0040|s2cid=129626842|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://cdm17307.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/p17307coll1/id/1824/download|title=The Ozarks: Buckle of the Bible Belt or Haven for Religious Diversity|last=Embree|first=David|access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref> The city is the headquarters for [[Bass Pro Shops]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baskas |first=Harriet |date=September 30, 2017 |title=Bass Pro Shops just opened a mega wildlife attraction, and CNBC got a look inside |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/30/bass-pro-shops-just-opened-a-mega-wildlife-attraction-and-cnbc-got-a-look-inside.html |access-date=April 5, 2022 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> and the adjoining [[Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sammuli |first=Allex |date=September 19, 2017 |title="World's largest wildlife attraction" opens in Springfield, Missouri |url=https://www.stlmag.com/api/content/773a3552-9ca5-11e7-9127-121bebc5777e/ |access-date=April 5, 2022 |work=St. Louis Magazine |language=en-us}}</ref> It is also home to [[O'Reilly Auto Parts]], which began as a family business with 13 employees in 1957. Springfield is close to [[Wilson's Creek National Battlefield]] and is along the national historic [[Trail of Tears]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Missouri (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/state/mo/index.htm |access-date=April 5, 2022 |publisher=United States National Park Service}}</ref> In 2020, Springfield's largest ethnicities were 87.6% white, 4% black, and 5% two or more races,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/springfieldcitymissouri/RHI125222#RHI125222 |title=Quick Facts: Springfield, Missouri |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 4, 2023}}</ref> placing it among the least diverse cities in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sbj.net/stories/springfield-ranks-poorly-on-list-of-diverse-cities,67614|title=Springfield ranks poorly on list of diverse cities|author=SBJ Staff|work=Springfield Business Journal|date=February 11, 2020|accessdate=November 11, 2023}}</ref> The city is a regional center of medical care, with the two largest hospitals, [[CoxHealth]] and [[Mercy (healthcare organization)|Mercy]], being the largest employers in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Partnership (SREP) |first=Springfield Regional Economic |title=Schools & Universities |url=https://www.springfieldregion.com/data/schools-and-universities/ |access-date=April 5, 2022 |website=Springfield Regional Economic Partnership |language=en-US}}</ref> Springfield hosts several universities and colleges, including [[Missouri State University]], [[Drury University]], and [[Evangel University]]. Springfield is an important regional center for distribution, logistics, and manufacturing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.missouripartnership.com/missouri-regions-sites/regions/the-springfield-region/ |title=The Springfield Region |publisher=Missouri Partnership |access-date=January 4, 2024}}</ref>