Mexico, Missouri | |
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The Audrain County Courthouse in downtown Mexico. | |
Nickname: Main Street of the Midwest | |
![]() Location in Audrain County in the State of Missouri | |
Coordinates: 39°09′45″N91°52′40″W / 39.16250°N 91.87778°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Missouri |
County | Audrain |
Incorporated | March 5, 1855 |
Named for | Nuevo México (English: New Mexico) |
Government | |
• Type | Council–Manager |
• Mayor | Chris Miller |
• Manager | Bruce Slagle |
• Council | Members
|
Area | |
• Total | 12.50 sq mi (32.38 km2) |
• Land | 12.13 sq mi (31.43 km2) |
• Water | 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2) |
Elevation | 761 ft (232 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,469 |
• Density | 945.27/sq mi (364.96/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 65265 |
Area code | 573 |
FIPS code | 29-47648 [4] |
GNIS feature ID | 2395107 [3] |
Major airport | Mexico Memorial Airport |
Website | mexicomissouri.net |
Mexico, formerly known as New Mexico, is a city in and the county seat of Audrain County, Missouri, United States. [5] It is home to the Missouri Military Academy and annually hosts the Miss Missouri Pageant. The city's population was 11,469 at the 2020 census. [6] The micropolitan statistical area consists of Audrain County. It is a part of the Columbia, Missouri metropolitan area.
Mexico was laid out as "New Mexico" in 1836 and was a major stop for settlers heading to the Republic of Texas (thus the name "New Mexico"), and it became the county seat under its present name in 1837. The word "New" was dropped after the Mexican War that saw Texas become a part of the United States.
There is an apocryphal story about the name. When a University of Missouri student, who was questioned on radio, was unable to give an account of her hometown's name, the question was put to L. Mitchell White, then editor and publisher of the Mexico Ledger: "'The first settlers found a wooden sign along the trail. It pointed southwest, and on it had been painted Mexico.'" To avoid unnecessary labor, the sign was left in place. "It was easier to call their town 'Mexico' than to take down the old sign." [7]
Mexico was incorporated as a town in 1855, was served by the Wabash Railroad in 1858 and by the Alton Railroad in 1872, and was first chartered as a city in 1874. The city is in the bluegrass region of Missouri, and was a shipping point for horses and mules. Mexico was a onetime major source for the nation's fire brick production, so much so that it adopted the moniker "Fire Brick Capital of the World". Bricks produced in Mexico were used in the construction of the NASA rocket launch site in Cape Canaveral. [8] The industry fell on hard times and both major refractory plants in the area closed in 2002. There is no active quarrying for clay used in fire brick or refractories production in the area.
Mexico is located in the central region of Missouri known as "Little Dixie," so named because of the settlement of the region by whites from border south states, intent on reproducing the ways and means of the Deep South. Over half of the enslaved population of Missouri was concentrated in Little Dixie counties, and was the epicenter to much of Missouri's racist violence in the 19th and 20th centuries. [9] Mexico competed with other MO cities for the title, "Capital of Little Dixie." [10]
The historic downtown square, with the typical courthouse as the focal point, is surrounded by dozens of multi-story brick buildings—some dating to the founding of the community. There are, of course, other historic spots including Simmons Stables and Graceland. In the late 1970s, Mexico began ripping up crumbling sidewalks of the downtown square and installing red paver bricks accented with turn-of-the-century lamp posts and park benches. In the 1980s, Mexico was one of six nationwide finalists for Saturn's new U.S. auto plant. It lost to Spring Hill, Tennessee because Mexico was not served by a four-lane freeway. So as not to lose future development, Mexico officials quickly lobbied state and federal officials to secure funding for a new four-lane divided highway (U.S. Route 54) which now serves the community from Interstate 70. Formerly known as the "Saddle Horse Capital of the World," Mexico still hosts Hollywood celebrities and other visitors from around the world who come to purchase riding horses. The Simmons Stables, currently being revitalized, are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Audrain County Courthouse, Ross House, and Arthur Simmons Stables Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [11] [12]
Mexico is located approximately 100 miles northwest of St Louis at the intersection of US Route 54 and state routes 22 and 15. [13] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.38 square miles (32.06 km2), of which 12.01 square miles (31.11 km2) is land and 0.37 square miles (0.96 km2) is water. [14]
Climate data for Mexico, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–2013) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) | 80 (27) | 93 (34) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 106 (41) | 116 (47) | 115 (46) | 108 (42) | 98 (37) | 88 (31) | 76 (24) | 116 (47) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.6 (3.1) | 42.7 (5.9) | 54.2 (12.3) | 65.9 (18.8) | 75.1 (23.9) | 83.9 (28.8) | 87.9 (31.1) | 86.6 (30.3) | 79.4 (26.3) | 67.6 (19.8) | 54.3 (12.4) | 41.9 (5.5) | 64.8 (18.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.4 (−2.0) | 32.8 (0.4) | 43.0 (6.1) | 54.4 (12.4) | 64.3 (17.9) | 73.4 (23.0) | 77.6 (25.3) | 75.8 (24.3) | 67.9 (19.9) | 56.0 (13.3) | 44.0 (6.7) | 33.0 (0.6) | 54.2 (12.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.3 (−7.1) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 31.8 (−0.1) | 42.9 (6.1) | 53.5 (11.9) | 62.8 (17.1) | 67.3 (19.6) | 65.0 (18.3) | 56.4 (13.6) | 44.5 (6.9) | 33.7 (0.9) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 43.7 (6.5) |
Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) | −25 (−32) | −12 (−24) | 11 (−12) | 27 (−3) | 39 (4) | 46 (8) | 39 (4) | 25 (−4) | 17 (−8) | −3 (−19) | −25 (−32) | −25 (−32) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.03 (52) | 2.31 (59) | 3.17 (81) | 4.68 (119) | 5.07 (129) | 5.23 (133) | 4.43 (113) | 3.90 (99) | 4.86 (123) | 2.81 (71) | 2.75 (70) | 2.28 (58) | 43.52 (1,105) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.8 | 7.0 | 10.1 | 10.7 | 12.2 | 9.7 | 9.1 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 104.4 |
Source: NOAA [15] [16] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 960 | — | |
1870 | 2,602 | 171.0% | |
1880 | 3,835 | 47.4% | |
1890 | 4,789 | 24.9% | |
1900 | 5,099 | 6.5% | |
1910 | 5,939 | 16.5% | |
1920 | 6,013 | 1.2% | |
1930 | 8,290 | 37.9% | |
1940 | 9,053 | 9.2% | |
1950 | 11,623 | 28.4% | |
1960 | 12,889 | 10.9% | |
1970 | 11,807 | −8.4% | |
1980 | 12,276 | 4.0% | |
1990 | 11,290 | −8.0% | |
2000 | 11,320 | 0.3% | |
2010 | 11,543 | 2.0% | |
2020 | 11,469 | −0.6% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [17] 2020 Census [6] |
The 2020 United States census [18] counted 11,469 people, 4,538 households, and 2,880 families in Mexico. The population density was 945.5 per square mile (365.1/km2). There were 5,150 housing units at an average density of 424.6 units per square mile (163.9 units/km2). The racial makeup was 81.32% (9,327) white, 8.29% (951) black or African-American, 0.37% (42) Native American, 0.76% (87) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.58% (181) from other races, and 7.66% (879) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 4.1% (470) of the population.
Of the 4,538 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 39.8% were married couples living together; 36.6% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 33.1% consisted of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2.
23.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 101.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 87.7 males.
The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey [19] estimates show that the median household income was $40,741 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,474) and the median family income was $48,720 (+/- $2,765). Males had a median income of $31,850 (+/- $2,426) versus $26,335 (+/- $2,652) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $29,630 (+/- $3,280). Approximately, 13.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those ages 65 or over.
As of the census [20] of 2010, there were 11,543 people, 4,727 households, and 2,908 families residing in the city. The population density was 961.1 inhabitants per square mile (371.1/km2). There were 5,272 housing units at an average density of 439.0 units per square mile (169.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.1% White, 8.3% Black, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 4,727 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91.
The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
Mexico was the location of Hardin College and Conservatory of Music, a Baptist college established in 1873 for young women, an institution founded and endowed by Charles H. Hardin, governor of the state from 1872 to 1874. It closed during the Great Depression and never reopened. Its 1,200-seat auditorium has been painstakingly restored and is now used for community theater and concerts. The remainder of the college houses the Mexico Public Schools administrative offices on South Jefferson Street. Its mascot is a bulldog.
It is served by the Mexico Public Schools. Public schools in the city include Mexico Senior High School, Mexico Middle School, Hawthorne Elementary School, Eugene Field Elementary School, and McMillan Early Learning Center. Private schools include St. Brendan's Catholic School. The Mexico Area Vocational-Technical School, the Advanced Technology Center and the Missouri Military Academy are also located in the city.
Mexico has a lending library, a branch of the Mexico-Audrain Library District. [21]
Mexico, as with the rest of Audrain County, is part of the Columbia/Jefferson City television market. Televisions in Mexico can receive a strong signal from CTN affiliate KFDR (channel 25), moderate signals from NBC/The CW affiliate KOMU-TV (channel 8), CBS affiliate KRCG (channel 13), ABC/MyNetworkTV/Fox affiliate KMIZ (channel 17), CTN affiliate WTJR (channel 16), and weak signals from PBS affiliate KMOS-TV (channel 6), NBC/The CW/Fox affiliate WGEM-TV (channel 10), and CBS/ABC affiliate KHQA-TV (channel 7). [22] WTJR, WGEM and KHQA are licensed to Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri, respectively.
Mexico radios can pick up stations from Columbia, Jefferson City, Moberly, and Hannibal. 4 radio stations are also licensed to the city: adult contemporary formatted KXEO (1340 AM), gospel formatted KJAB (88.3 FM), public formatted KAUD (90.5 FM; simulcast of KBIA 91.3 FM in Columbia), and country formatted KWWR (95.7 FM; sister to KXEO). [23]
Montgomery County is a county in the east central part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,322. Its county seat is Montgomery City. The county was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada.
Randolph County is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,716. Its county seat is Huntsville. The county was organized January 22, 1829, and named for U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator John Randolph of Roanoke, Virginia.
Ralls County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,355. Its county seat is New London. The county was organized November 16, 1820, and named for Daniel Ralls, Missouri state legislator.
Audrain County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,962. Its county seat is Mexico. The county was organized December 13, 1836, and named for Colonel James Hunter Audrain of the War of 1812 and who later was elected to the state legislature.
Kirksville is the county seat and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri. Located in Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 census. Kirksville is home to three colleges: Truman State University, Moberly Area Community College, and A.T. Still University.
Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,506 at the 2020 census. It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is derived from the Meskwaki language meaning "place where walnuts grow". Historically, the economy of the city was based on agriculture and its status as a college town.
Farber is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 322 at the 2010 census.
Laddonia is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 502 at the 2020 census.
Martinsburg is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 304 at the 2010 census.
New Bloomfield is a city in Cedar Township, Callaway County, Missouri, United States. The population was 669 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jefferson City Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States. It is a principal city of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Jackson was 15,481 at the 2020 census.
Harrisonville is a city in Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,121 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Cass County. It is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Smithville is a city in Clay and Platte counties in the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, along the Little Platte River. The population was 10,406 at the 2020 United States Census.
Chillicothe is a city in the state of Missouri and the county seat of Livingston County, Missouri, United States. The population was 9,107 at the 2020 census. The name "Chillicothe" is Shawnee for "big town", and was named after their principal town Chillicothe, located since 1774 about a mile from the present-day city of Chillicothe, Ohio. Chillicothe is known as "The Home of Sliced Bread".
Paris is a city and county seat of Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,161 at the 2020 census.
Marshall is a city in Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,065 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. The Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Saline County. It is home to Missouri Valley College.
Farmington is a city in St. Francois County located about 75 miles (121 km) southwest of St. Louis in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,217. It is the county seat of St. Francois County. Farmington was established in 1822 as Murphy's Settlement, named for William Murphy of Kentucky, who first visited the site in 1798. When St. Francois County was organized, the town was briefly called St. Francois Court House and later renamed to Farmington.
Moberly is a city in Randolph County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,783 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia metropolitan area.
Centralia is a city in Boone County in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 4,541 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 4,244 in 2018. A very small portion of the city lies in Audrain County.
Vandalia is a city in northeastern Audrain and extending into southeastern Ralls Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,553 at the 2020 census, which includes about 1,000 prisoners incarcerated at the prison located within the city limits.