Geography of Missouri
Located on the eastern edges of the Great Plains of North America, much of Missouri is fertile prairie land, parsed by rivers and streams. To the west, south of the Missouri River, the Osage Plains extend to its border with Kansas; it is mixed tallgrass prairie land with scattered woodlands. In the southern regions of Missouri, the Ozark Plateau (also covering parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma) dominates the landscape; it is a beautiful place of heavily forested hills and low mountains, as well as caves, lakes and rivers. In the southeastern region stand the St. Francois Mountains and the highest point in the state, Mount Tom Sok. Missouri’s lowest point is found along the St. Francis River in the “ region.
- Allcitycodes: Provides map of area codes in Missouri by county and city.
- Ask4beauty: Introduction to the state of Missouri, addressing geography, history, politics, economy and population.
- Toppharmacyschools: Lists all educational institutes in Missouri, including psychology, biological science, clinical psychology, computer science, economics, fine arts, etc.
Boot’s heels along its southeastern border with Arkansas.
Two of America’s most important rivers flow through the state; the Mississippi River forms its entire eastern border, and the Missouri River cuts the state nearly in half. Many additional rivers (tributaries of the Mississippi and Missouri) flow from states, and countless streams enrich farmland.Major lakes in Missouri (many created by river damming) include Lake of the Ozarks, Table Mountain Lake, Stockton Lake, Clearwater Lake, Wappapello Lake, Truman Reservoir, and Bull Shoals Lake on its southern border with Arkansas.
Missouri Famous Natives
People listed are almost always native to the state. We do (on occasion) include those who have either lived within the state for most of their adult lives or have made significant contributions to the state in their personal endeavors.
A
- Forrest Clare “Phog” Allen basketball player, baseball player, coach
- Henry “Heck” Allen writer, screenwriter
- William Robert “Bob” Allison baseball player
- Directed by Robert Altman
- Louis Ambroise trapper, merchant
- Flyer James “Jimmy” Angel, discovered Angel Falls in Venezuela
- Written by Maya Angelou
- Baseball player Andrew “Andy” Ashby
- Edward “Ed” Asner actor
- Senator David Rice Atchison, served as President of the United States for one day in 1849
- Charles Otobi trapper, merchant, mountain man
- Steven Morehouse Avery author
B
- Bert Bakara songwriter
- Josephine Baker singer, dancer
- Scott Bacula television actor
- Outlaw Kate “Ma” Barker
- James Carroll Beckwith painter
- Actor Noah Beery Sr.
- Wallace Beery actor
- Robert Russell Bennett composer
- Thomas Hart Benton artist
- Yogi Berra baseball player
- Chuck Berry singer
- George Caleb Bingham artist (born in VA)
- Actress Linda Blair
- Harriet Bland Olympic medalist, athlete
- Henry Wollman Bloch co-founder H&R Block
- Co-founder of Richard Adolf Bloch H&R Block
- Educator Susan Elizabeth Blow, founder of the first kindergarten in the US.
- Athlete Delores “Dee” Boekman, Olympic coach
- John William “Blind” Boone pianist, composer
- Neil Boyd singer
- Kenton Lloyd Boyer baseball player
- Bill Bradley basketball player
- Omar Nelson Bradley five-star general
- Molly Brown (The Unsinkable Molly Brown) colossal survivor, political activist
- Psychic Sylvia Brown
- Edgar Buchanan actor
- Baseball player Mark Alan Buehrla
- Soprano Grace Bumbry
- William Burroughs author
- Norbert Leo Butz actor
C
- Sarah Caldwell opera director, conductor
- Martha Jane Canary (Calamity Jane) frontierswoman
- Actress Jessica Brooke Capshaw
- Harry Christopher Carabina (Harry Carey) baseball announcer
- Dale Carnegie writer, educator
- George Washington Carver educator
- Robert “Bob” Cassilly sculptor, museum director
- Jean Baptiste Charbonneau explorer, guide, fur hunter (born ND)
- Don Cheadle actor
- Written by Kate Chopin
- Fur trader François Gesso Chouteau, local executive, “father of Kansas City”
- Harold Eugene “Gene” Clark singer, songwriter
- William Clark explorer, Governor of Missouri Territory
- Samuel Langorn Clemens (Mark Twain) ( Author )
- Hannah Cole pioneer woman, Boonville’s first settler
- Frank Converse actor
- David Cooke singer (born in TX)
- Admiral Robert Edward Kunz US Navy
- Christopher “Chris” Cooper actor
- Morton Cecil Cooper baseball player
- William Walker Cooper baseball player
- Helen Cornelius singer, songwriter
- Crockett ‘s ivory sprinter, “1974 the world’s fastest man”
- Walter Cronkite TV announcer
- Sheryl Crow singer, songwriter
- Robert Cummins actor
D
- William H. Danfoth founder Ralston- Purina
- Actress Jane Darwell
- Lester Dent writer
- Inventor of Charles Stark Draper
SAINT LOUIS
Located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, St. Louis is one of America’s greenest and most modern cities.
This home of the amazing Gateway Arch, the Clydesdale Budweisers and the “Beer King” is also known for art galleries, science and technology museums, over a hundred beautiful parks, and majestic 18th and 19th century architecture.
The nightclubs here are brimming with the rich sounds of Blues and Country Western music, and classic riverboats cruise the Mississippi River offering dinner and shows, or just a day of sightseeing fun.
St. Louis is a thriving capital city and a great place to raise a family as it offers more free top attractions than anywhere in the US other than Washington DC. In short, this clean city is a great place to visit on your Missouri vacation.
- Both the ice cream cone and iced tea were first served at the Louis World’s Fair in 1904.
- Louis was the first American city to host the Olympic Games (in 1904).
- Notable Missouri native authors including T.S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, Eugene Field, Yogi Berru and Vincent Price of St. Louis.
Gate Arch Waterfront
St. Louis’ most famous landmark, Gate Arch Waterfront, commemorates US citizens’ acquisition and settlement of all lands west of the Mississippi River.Standing 630 feet tall, it is the tallest monument in the US. The viewing area near the top of the arch, accessible by a short streetcar ride, offers breathtaking views across the Mississippi River and southern Illinois.
St. Louis Zoo
Recognized as one of the top five zoos in the country, the St. Louis Zoo has both indoor and outdoor exhibits, along with a children’s petting zoo.Controlling many exotic animals from around the world such as giant anteaters, black rhinos, hippos, cheetahs, elephants and spotted hyenas, the Zoo offers fun and excitement to last a full day or more. Another special feature is the Zooline Railroad, a small passenger train that circles the zoo, stopping at more popular attractions.
Anheuser-Busch Tour
The largest brewing company in the US, Anheuser-Busch, famous for introducing America’s first national beer, Budweiser, began as a small brewery in St. Louis.The tour takes visitors through the complex, and those of legal age can taste beer samples of any Anheuser-Busch products in the Hospitality Room at the end of the tour. Visitors see that the beer is made in front of them because of the Plexiglas shields. Another favorite attraction is the Budweiser Clydesdales horses and their exercise area and carriage house.