Route 66 runs through Joplin, a southwest Missouri city of about 54,000 people, close to the Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas lines. It began as a lead and zinc mining boom town. Many also know it for the EF5 tornado of May 2011, which killed 161 people. The city rebuilt, and new construction in the recovery zone is still part of the local story.
There is a good amount to see for a town this size. Route 66 sites and murals dot downtown, the Joplin Museum Complex covers the mining history and minerals, and Grand Falls and Wildcat Glades are good for a walk outdoors. Living here is affordable and stable. The tradeoffs are plain. Crime runs above the national average, mostly theft and some assaults, and tornado season is serious, so learn where your shelter is. Springfield is about 70 miles away and Tulsa about 110.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Mining Capital; Crossroads of America (Route 66); Four States Region hub; City That Rebuilt After the 2011 Tornado
- Founded
- 1839 first settled; 1873 incorporated (merger of Joplin City and Murphysburg); lead and zinc mining boom followed
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Marshallese; Vietnamese; Lao
- Airports
- Joplin Regional Airport (JLN), about 8 miles southwest of downtown, limited commercial service; Northwest Arkansas National (XNA), about 80 miles south; Springfield-Branson National (SGF), about 70 miles northeast; Tulsa International (TUL), about 110 miles southwest
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20%; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; food delivery 15-20%; counter service optional
About this data
Population 53,930 is Census Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025) via QuickFacts; land area 38.08 sq mi (converted to km2), median value and rent from Census QuickFacts. Metro figure is an approximate estimate for the Joplin MO-KS MSA (about 189,000; not retrieved from a Census table). Elevation, coordinates, founding, event names and months, hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living index, airport distances, crime and 1BR rent are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified in this pass; confidence lower because search snippets were thin. Official URLs found via search but not load-tested.
