Joplin, Missouri

Joplin is a city in southwestern Missouri. It covers 31.5 sq mi (81.7 sq km) and has a population exceeding 50,000 people (2011 estimate), within a metropolitan area of 176,000 people. It is the biggest city in Jasper County but is not the county seat.

Joplin, Missouri
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:4th_street_Joplin,_MO.jpg
Author: AbeEzekowitz


Although often mistakenly associated with ragtime composer Scott Joplin, Joplin dates further back to the earlier part of the 19th century. The town itself developed in the years after the American Civil War. It was named after Methodist reverend Harris G. Joplin, who was an early settler in the area.

Joplin was rich in minerals such as lead and zinc. The town derived its prosperity from zinc mining. The result of surface and deep mining is that the city is today punctuated by remains of pit mines and mine shafts. These often cause cave in, creating sink holes.

Joplin experiences a humid subtropical climate. Summers here are hot and humid while winters mild to cold. The city is within the Tornado Alley due to cold air from Canada colliding with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. On 23 May, 2011, Joplin was hit by a powerful tornado which killed 160 people and injured over 900 more. Among the houses and facilities damaged by the tornado include St John's Medical Center.

Schifferdecker Home, Joplin
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schifferdecker_Home.jpg
Author: AbeEzekowitz

Visiting Joplin

Interstate 44 passes through Joplin, connecting it with Springfield, Missouri, in the northeast and Tulsa in the southwest.

Places of Interest in Joplin

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