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Blue Springs, Missouri
City
Motto(s): 
City of Cooperation
Location of Blue Springs, Missouri
Location of Blue Springs, Missouri
Country United States
State Missouri
County Jackson
Incorporated 1880
Founded 1845
Area
 • Total 22.49 sq mi (58.26 km2)
 • Land 22.42 sq mi (58.06 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
974 ft (297 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 58,604
 • Density 2,490.48/sq mi (961.58/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
64013-64015, 64029, 64064
Area code(s) 816
FIPS code 29-06652
Interstates I-70 (MO).svg
U.S. Routes US 40.svg
State routes MO-7.svg
Website www.bluespringsgov.com

Blue Springs is a city located in the U.S. state of Missouri within Jackson County. Blue Springs is located 19 miles (31 km) east of downtown Kansas City and is the 9th largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,604 making Blue Springs the 10th largest city in the state of Missouri.

History

Blue Springs’ history is tied to the migration of settlers on their westward journey. Pioneers found the area to be an ideal stopover due to the abundance of cool, clean water from a spring of the Little Blue River - hence the name Blue Springs. The presence of water and a need for pioneer supplies led to the construction of a grist mill and permanent settlement at the current site of the City’s Burrus Old Mill Park, on Woods Chapel Road.

The Jackson County Court granted the incorporation of Blue Springs on September 7, 1880, making the City the fourth settlement in the county. An early settler, Franklin Smith, arrived in Blue Springs from Virginia in 1838 and became a leading figure in the community’s development. He established the first post office in 1845, naming it after the well-known springs.

The settlement continued to grow near the springs until 1878, when the Chicago and Alton Railroad announced plans to build a station about one mile east of the original settlement. To take advantage of the commerce the railroad would bring, the town moved its center to the site of the new station and continued its development as a rural trading center. The Chicago & Alton Hotel built in 1878, located on Main Street west of the railroad tracks is the oldest business in the City of Blue Springs.

Historical attractions near or in Blue Springs include: Missouri Town 1855, Fort Osage National Historic Landmark, Dillingham-Lewis House Museum, Chicago & Alton Hotel Museum, and the Lone Jack Civil War Museum.

Until 1965, the Blue Springs City Hall was located in a very small block building under the old water tower on the northwest corner of 11th and Walnut Streets. City Hall and the water tower were torn down not long after vacating the buildings. From 1965 to 1968, the second City Hall was a metal building located in the 200 block of 11th Street, across the street from the former Blue Springs Post Office. It also has since been torn down. In 1968 the current City Hall was built at 903 W. Main Street as the Blue Springs Municipal Building. The Blue Springs Municipal Building held the Blue Springs Police Department in the lower level and city hall functions on the main level until 1988, when the Police Department moved to a new police station at 1100 SW Smith Street. The Municipal Building was remodeled in 1989 and was renamed the Blue Springs City Hall.

After the old water tower was torn down, a new water tower was built in nearly the same location. The new water tower was torn down in April 2014, to make way for an expansion of the police department building.

The June 1911 issue of Technical World magazine published an article claiming that Blue Springs "boasts of possessing the world's champion marble players," and published a picture of a competition. It named Dan Stanley, George Webb, George Binger, and Lynn Pryor as the best.

On May 24, 2012, Chris Oberholtz & Dave Jordan of KCTV5 reported that several residents had seen strange lights in the evening sky above Blue Springs.

Past Mayors of Blue Springs

  • 1881 John A. Webb (Deceased) elected 1st Mayor of Blue Springs
  • Term Unknown John K. Dodson (Deceased)
  • Term Unknown D. C. Herrinton (Deceased)
  • 1910-1918 Benjamin Franklin Boley (Deceased)
  • 1918-1924 Joseph Edward Quinn (Deceased)
  • 1924-1940 R. J. Lowe (Deceased)
  • 1940-1944 J. L. Wells (Deceased)
  • 1944-1948 Hansel Lowe (Deceased)
  • 1948-1950 W. E. Calloway (Deceased)
  • 1950-1952 G. G. "Chief" Garrett (Deceased)
  • 1952-1954 W. C. Hatfield (Deceased)
  • 1954-1955 W. E. Galloway (Deceased)
  • 1955-1956 G. G. "Chief" Garrett (Deceased)
  • 1956-1958 Wilson P. Edmonds (Deceased)
  • 1958-1960 William H. Risler (Deceased)
  • 1960-1962 G. G. "Chief" Garrett (Deceased)
  • 1962-1966 J. O. Jackson (Deceased)
  • 1966-1970 Virgil L. Wills (Deceased)
  • 1970-1978 Dale Baumgardner (Deceased)
  • 1979-1982 Thomas E. Woods
  • 1982-1990 John R. Michael
  • 1990-2004 Gregory Grounds
  • 2004-2008 Steve Steiner
  • 2008–Present Carson Ross

Geography

Blue Springs is located at 39°1′4″N 94°16′28″W / 39.01778°N 94.27444°W / 39.01778; -94.27444 (39.017778, -94.274444). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.35 square miles (57.89 km2), of which, 22.27 square miles (57.68 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 129 —
1890 506 292.2%
1900 468 −7.5%
1910 561 19.9%
1920 551 −1.8%
1930 706 28.1%
1940 788 11.6%
1950 1,068 35.5%
1960 2,555 139.2%
1970 6,779 165.3%
1980 25,936 282.6%
1990 40,153 54.8%
2000 48,080 19.7%
2010 52,575 9.3%
2020 (est.) 58,604 11.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
2018 Estimate

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 52,575 people, 19,522 households, and 14,468 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,360.8 inhabitants per square mile (911.5/km2). There were 20,643 housing units at an average density of 926.9 per square mile (357.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.6% White, 6.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population.

There were 19,522 households, of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the city was 34.7 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 9.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

Transportation

  • The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, KCATA provides public bus services to Blue Springs.

Major highways and roadways

  • I-70.svg Interstate 70 - Major east/west interstate highway, connecting Blue Springs to Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis
  • US 40.svg US 40 -Connects Kansas City to Independence and then enters Blue Springs at Bolin Road to the west, then east of Adams Dairy Parkway enters Grain Valley.
  • MO-7.svg Route 7 - Links U.S. 24 Hwy with Blue Springs by first traveling through Independence entering Blue Springs at Pink Hill Road and is the main north/south Highway through Blue Springs, leaving Blue Springs at Colbern Road and entering Lake Lotawana then Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville.
  • Adams Dairy Parkway is an important trafficway that runs from the north to south through Blue Springs.

Culture/parks and recreation

Fleming Park is home to Blue Springs Lake and Lake Jacomo. The park is operated by Jackson County. Fleming Park offers many recreational features. Fleming Park's total land area is 7,809-acre (32 km2) of which 1,690-acre (7 km2) is water.

Blue Springs also has 22 city parks which offer a vast array of recreational activities. They are:

  • Adams Pointe Golf Course
  • Baumgardner Park
  • Blue Springs Park
  • Burrus Old Mill Park
  • Burrus Old Mill Skate Parks
  • Central Park
  • Dog Park at Gregory O. Grounds Park
  • Franklin Smith School Park
  • Gregory O. Grounds Park
  • Hidden Valley Sports Complex
  • James Walker School Park
  • James Walker Skate Park
  • Keystone Park
  • Pink Hill Park
  • Rotary Park at Railroad Lake
  • Ward Park
  • Wilbur Young Park
  • Wood Chapel Park
  • Undeveloped Parks or Green Spaces without amenities include the following:
    • Northeast Park Site, Valley View Park, Stone Creek Park, and Rosco Righter Park.

Blue Springs City owned or ran recreational facilities are:

  • Centennial Pool Plex
  • Vesper Hall

Private clubs or organizations

  • Blue Springs Family YMCA
  • Elks Lodge #2509
  • The American Legion Stanley-Pack
  • Metro East Tennis Center

Newspapers

  • The Examiner, Eastern Jackson County Daily Newspaper. Also known as the Blue Springs Examiner.
  • The Blue Springs Journal (No longer published.)
  • The Kansas City Star

Climate

Blue Springs experiences a colder variation of a four-season humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with mild days and cold nights during the winter, and hot days and muggy nights during the summer.

Climate data for Blue Springs, MO
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 73
(23)		 80
(27)		 87
(31)		 91
(33)		 91
(33)		 103
(39)		 108
(42)		 107
(42)		 105
(41)		 95
(35)		 82
(28)		 73
(23)		 108
(42)
Average high °F (°C) 41
(5)		 46
(8)		 53
(12)		 63
(17)		 74
(23)		 82
(28)		 87
(31)		 86
(30)		 78
(26)		 68
(20)		 51
(11)		 44
(7)		 64
(18)
Average low °F (°C) 23
(−5)		 26
(−3)		 37
(3)		 45
(7)		 53
(12)		 61
(16)		 66
(19)		 64
(18)		 55
(13)		 44
(7)		 35
(2)		 26
(−3)		 45
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −19
(−28)		 −15
(−26)		 −5
(−21)		 11
(−12)		 28
(−2)		 35
(2)		 48
(9)		 43
(6)		 29
(−2)		 7
(−14)		 −3
(−19)		 −25
(−32)		 −25
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.30
(33)		 1.51
(38)		 2.81
(71)		 3.78
(96)		 5.06
(129)		 5.47
(139)		 4.19
(106)		 3.82
(97)		 4.89
(124)		 3.54
(90)		 2.95
(75)		 1.86
(47)		 41.18
(1,046)

Economy

Top employers

According to the town's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Blue Springs School District 1,998
2 St. Mary's Hospital of Blue Springs 545
3 Fike Corporation 460
4 Hy-Vee 460
5 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 355
6 Price Chopper 335
7 City of Blue Springs 289
8 Home Depot 147
9 Target 135
10 Texas Roadhouse 130

Education

Blue Springs is served by three public schools districts and three private schools. Public Schools are as follows:

  • Blue Springs R-IV School District, has two high schools, which are Blue Springs High School and Blue Springs South High School, as well as a Freshmen Center.
  • Lee's Summit R-VII School District, has three high schools, but the only one that serves Blue Springs and it is Lee's Summit North High School.
  • Grain Valley R-V School District, has one high school, which is Grain Valley High School.

The private schools are as follows:

  • Timothy Lutheran Schools, K-8, North Campus
  • St. John La Lande Catholic School, K-8
  • Plaza Heights Christian Academy, PreK-12

Notable people

Sports

Entertainment

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Blue Springs (Misuri) para niños

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