About Jefferson City
The satellite view shows Jefferson City, the seat of Cole County and the capital of
Missouri, a state in the Midwestern
United States. The town lies close to the geographic center of the state at the Missouri River, the longest river in North America. Missouri's capital is situated between the Northern Plains and the edge of the Ozark Plateau, about 160 mi (250 km) east of
Kansas City, and 130 mi (210 km) west of
St. Louis.
Missouri State Capitol with The Science Fountain in the foreground.
Image: Evan Kane
In the 19th-century the former frontier town was a trading post known as Lohman's Landing. Missouri Territory was organized in 1812, and
Saint Louis served as Missouri's seat of government.
In 1821 the settlement was chosen as Missouri's capital and named the City of Jefferson, after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.
Today Jefferson City likes to be called the "Most beautiful small town in America".
The town has a population of 42,500 inhabitants (in 2018), some more than 150,000 people live in Jefferson City's Metro area.
The city is kind of isolated because it is one of the four state capitals not served by an interstate highway.
Jefferson City is home to the
Lincoln University, a historically black college.
The city's economy relies on the state government; most people have government jobs, the largest employer is the State of Missouri. There are some industries and services notably healthcare, education, banking, retail, hospitality, and energy industries.
The city was in the Top 10
(4th place) of WalletHub's list of
2016’s Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business, in 2018 it ranked 31st.
Jefferson City attractions:
The Dome in the Missouri State Capitol building.
Image: Tojosan
The
Missouri State Museum (
www.missouristatemuseum.com) depicts the culture and history of Missouri's past and present; the museum is located inside the state capitol.
Carnahan Memorial Garden is a garden next to the Governor's Mansion, laid out in the late 1930s.
Fountains:
On the grounds of the Missouri State Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion are several fountains, there is the
Fountain of the Centaurs, a granite pool containing two bronze centaurs and some smaller figures; behind the pool is a relief showing the signing of the Louisiana Purchase by Robert R. Livingston, James Monroe.
The Sciences and The Arts Fountains, are two fountains created by Robert Aitken on either side of the main entrance to the Missouri State Capitol.
Also on the Missouri State Capitol grounds is the
Lewis and Clark Trailhead Plaza with a monument of five figures commemorating the journey of the Corps of Discovery through Missouri led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
Modern Art museum:
Thomas Hart Benton murals in the House Lounge in the Missouri State Capitol.
Image: cswroe
Jefferson City Museum of Modern Art (
www.jcmoma.com) an educational museum and gallery space.
Performing Arts:
Miller Performing Arts Center (
www.themillercenter.org) the center on Madison Street is used for educational, community, and professional arts programs.
Scene One Theatre (
www.sceneonetheatre.com), the city's black box theater.
The Little Theatre of Jefferson City (
www.tltjc.org) community theater with a mixture of dramas, comedies, and musicals.
Churches:
The
Cathedral of Saint Joseph (
www.cathedraljc.org) is the Mother Church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City.
Shopping:
Capital Mall (
www.capitalmall.com), mall for shopping, dining, and entertainment in Jefferson City.
Prison break:
Missouri State Penitentiary (
www.missouripentours.com) formerly Missouri's primary maximum security institution (from 1836 to 2004).
Outdoors:
The
Runge Conservation Nature Center (
info webpage) features a visitor center with exhibits and live-animal displays, special events, trails, demonstrations, and diverse natural habitats.
Katy Trail, a recreational rail trail that runs 240 miles (390 km) in the right-of-way of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.
Just zoom in (+) to see Missouri State Capitol, it is the third capitol building in the city after the other two have burnt down inadvertently.
The page shows a city map of Jefferson City with expressways, main roads, and streets, and the location of
Jefferson City Memorial Airport (
IATA code: JEF). The nearest airport with scheduled service is in Columbia, Columbia Regional Airport (
IATA code: COU) 23 mi (37 km) north of JC.
To find a location use the form below.