Blue Springs, Missouri
| Blue Springs, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Motto: City of Cooperation | |
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| Coordinates: 39°1′4″N 94°16′28″W / 39.01778°N 94.27444°WCoordinates: 39°1′4″N 94°16′28″W / 39.01778°N 94.27444°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Jackson |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carson Ross (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22.27 sq mi (47.2 km2) |
| • Land | 22.27 sq mi (47.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 974 ft (297 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 52,575 |
| • Density | 3,066.8/sq mi (1,185/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 64013-64015,64064 |
| Area code(s) | 816 |
| FIPS code | 29-06652[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0714434[2] |
| Website | www.bluespringsgov.com |
Blue Springs is a city in in the U.S. State of Missouri and it resides in the County of Jackson. Blue Springs is twenty miles east of downtown Kansas City, MO. As of the 2010 United States Census the population was 52,575, making it the 10th largest city in the state of Missouri and the 7th largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. In 2010, CNN/Money Magazine ranked Blue Springs 49th[2] on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
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[edit] 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, predating Kansas City, Missouri. 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 Ossage, Dillingham-Lewis House Museum, Chicago & Alton Hotel Museum, and the Lone Jack Civil War Museum.
In 1970, Blue Springs had a population of 6,779. Today Blue Springs continues grow and prosper, and has a population over 55,000. It is home to the nationally recognized Blue Springs R-IV School District.
[edit] Geography
Blue Springs is located at 39°1′4″N 94°16′28″W / 39.01778°N 94.27444°W (39.017778, -94.274444)[3]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.27 square miles (57.7 km2), of which, 22.27 square miles (57.7 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.16%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 506 |
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| 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% | |
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As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 48,080 people, 17,286 households, and 13,362 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,642.7 people per square mile (1,020.5/km²). There were 17,733 housing units at an average density of 974.7 per square mile (376.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.18% White, 2.93% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.76% of the population.
There were 17,286 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.16. In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $55,402, and the median income for a family was $61,008. Males had a median income of $41,373 versus $29,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,444. About 3.9% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Goverment
The City of Blue Springs has a Mayor-Council-Administrator form of government as set forth in the Home Rule City Charter. The City Council is the governing body of the City, elected by the public. The City of Blue Springs employes a workforce of more than 250 employees who serve the City and its residents under the leadership and direction of the City Administrator. The City Administrator is appointed by the City Council and is responsible for the implementation of policies and decisions made by the Mayor and City Council.
[edit] Public Safety
Blue Springs has a Municipal Police Department and two Fire Districts providing public safety services to Blue Springs.
- All of Blue Springs law enforcement duties are performed by the Blue Springs Missouri Police Department, B.S.P.D. has 99 sworn law enforcement personel and 39 civilian support personel.
- Most of Blue Springs fire and ambulance service is performed by Central Jackson County Fire Protection District. C.J.C.F.P.D. is an Accredited[3] Fire Agency by the Commisson on Fire Accreditation International and is 1 of only 4 agencies in the state of Missouri to be accredited. There are less then 150 agencies world wide to be accredited.
- Fire and ambulance service for the very southern portion of Blue Springs, roughly south of Liggett Road, is served by Praire Township Fire Protection District.
[edit] Transportation
- Amtrack operates the Missouri River Runner which you can board in nearby Lee's Summit, and Independence. The Missouri River Runner travels daily from the Kansas City Metro to St. Louis, Missouri.
- The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, KCATA provides public bus services to Blue Springs.
[edit] Major Highways & Roadways
Interstate 70 - Major east/west interstate highway, connecting Blue Springs to Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis
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.
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 a important trafficway that runs from the northern portion of the Blue Springs to the southern portion of Blue Springs.
[edit] Culture
Blue Springs has 18 city parks which offer an abundance of recreational activities. Fleming Park is home to Blue Springs Lake, and Lake Jacomo. The park is operated by Jackson County. Fleming Park offers a vast array of recreational features. Fleming Parks total land area is 7,809 acres and 1,690 acres of water. Blue Springs Dog Park at Gregory O. Grounds Park offers numerous activities for dog's and their owners.
[edit] News Papers
- The Examiner, Eastern Jackson County Daily Newspaper. Also known as the Blue Springs Examinier.
- The Blue Springs Journal.
[edit] 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
- Lee's Summit R-VII School District
- Grain Valley R-V School District
The private schools are as follows:
- Timothy Lutheran Schools, K-8, North Campus 425 NW R.D. Mize Rd. Blue Springs, MO 64014, South Campus 301 SW Wyatt Rd. Blue Springs, MO 64015.
- St. John La Lande Catholic School, K-8, located at 805 NW R.D. Mize Rd. Blue Springs. MO 64015.
- Plaza Heights Christian Academy, K-12, located at 1500 SW Clark Rd. Blue Springs, MO 64015.
[edit] 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) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.30 (33) |
1.51 (38.4) |
2.81 (71.4) |
3.78 (96) |
5.06 (128.5) |
5.47 (138.9) |
4.19 (106.4) |
3.82 (97) |
4.89 (124.2) |
3.54 (89.9) |
2.95 (74.9) |
1.86 (47.2) |
41.18 (1,046) |
| Source: [4] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Utilities
Blue Springs is served by the following utilities:
- Natural Gas Service-Missouri Gas Energy, MGE.
- Electrical Service-Kansas City Power and Light, KC&PL.
- Water & Sewer Service-City of Blue Springs, Missouri supplies most of water to Blue Springs and sewer service to the all of the city.
- Water Service Only-Jackson County Public Water Supply District #13 is the supplier of water for the southern most portion of Blue Springs.
- Cable Television-Comcast Cable, and AT&T U-verse
- Telephone Service-AT&T, and Embarq south of Mason School Road.
[edit] U.S. Post Offices
Blue Springs has two Post Offices
- Main Post Office is located at 200 NW 11th Street Blue Springs, MO 64015
- Annex Post Office is located at 500 SW South Ave. Blue Springs, MO 64014
[edit] Hospital
St. Mary's Medical Center, located at 201 NE R.D. Mize Road Blue Springs, MO 64014
[edit] Libaries
- Mid-Continent Public Library operates two library branches in Blue Springs, Missouri.
- The North Branch is located at 850 NW Hunter Drive Blue Springs, MO 64015
- The South Branch is located at 2220 SW 7 Hwy Blue Springs, MO 64014.
[edit] Notable residents
- David Cook, winner of American Idol Season 7
- Ladell Betts, NFL player for the New Orleans Saints
- Jim Eisenreich, former Royals, Phillies, and Marlins baseball player.
- Ivana Hong, Alternate Olympic Gymnast Beijing 2008
- Brandon Lloyd, NFL player for the St. Louis Rams
- Russ Morman, former major league baseball first baseman; currently hitting coach for Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Tech N9NE, Kansas City, Missouri rap artist.
- Howard L. Brown, first Police Chief of the Blue Springs Missouri Police Department, retired after four decades as the Chief of Police.
- Carson Ross, first African-American Mayor of Blue Springs
- Jon Sundvold, former NBA player and University of Missouri basketball standout
- Doug Terry, former Kansas City Chiefs and University of Kansas football player
- Ricky Vega, former Pro Wrestler and World Wrestling Champion
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Average Weather for Blue Springs, MO - Temperature and Precipitation". Weather.com. http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USMO0507. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
[edit] External links
- Official City Website
- Historic maps of Blue Springs in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri
- Central Jackson County Fire Protection District, [1]
- "Best places to live 2010" Money Magazine [2]
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