Springfield (Missouri)

Springfield is in the southwest of Missouri, in a resort area of the Ozarks. It is the industrial, trade, and shipping center of a rich agricultural area producing dairy products, livestock, poultry, grains and fruit. The city has stockyards, flour mills, food-processing plants and factories that make clothing, furniture, appliances, electronic components, steel products, motors and rubber and paper products. Springfield is the seat of Drury College, Southwest Missouri State University and Evangel College.

In the Civil War, Springfield was taken by Confederate forces after the local battle of Wilson's Creek in 1861. The battlefield and a national cemetery are in the vicinity. One of Springfield's most famous inhabitants was 'Wild Bill' Hickok.

Some of the most interesting sites in Springfield are the American Civil War Library at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, the Commercial Street Historic District, Dickerson Park Zoo, Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, Founders Park, Gray-Campbell Farmstead, Missouri Institute of Natural Science, Riverbluff Cave, Springfield-Greene County Library District, St. John's Episcopal Church, Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, U.S. Route 66 marker and Wild Bill Hickok–Davis Tutt shootout site. There are also many museums, including the Air & Military Museum of the Ozarks, Dr. Michael J. Clarke History Museum, History Museum and the Springfield Art Museum.

There are many parks. They are Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park; the Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park; the Mediacom Ice Park; the Cooper Park and Dickerson Park Zoo to name a few. Several biking trails run through the city, connecting Springfield's most interesting sites.

The surrounding area of Springfield has lakes, waterways, caves and forests. There are many hotels, café's and restaurants in town. Springfield is 180 km southwest from Jefferson City and 1440 km southwest of Washington D.C.