Mexico, Missouri | |
|---|---|
 The Audrain County Courthouse in downtown Mexico. | |
 Logo | |
| Nickname: Main Street of the Midwest | |
 Location inAudrain County in theState of Missouri | |
| Coordinates:39°09′45″N91°52′40″W / 39.16250°N 91.87778°W /39.16250; -91.87778 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Audrain |
| Incorporated | March 5, 1855 |
| Named after | 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 | 12.14 sq mi (31.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2) |
| Elevation | 761 ft (232 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,469 |
| • Density | 945.2/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 asNew Mexico, is acity in and thecounty seat ofAudrain County, Missouri, United States.[5] It is home to theMissouri Military Academy and annually hosts theMiss Missouri Pageant. The city's population was 11,469 at the2020 census.[6] Themicropolitan statistical area consists of Audrain County. It is a part of theColumbia, Missouri metropolitan area.
Mexico was laid out as "New Mexico" in 1836 and was a major stop for settlers heading to theRepublic 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 theMexican War that sawTexas become a part of the United States.
There is an apocryphal story about the name. When aUniversity 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 paintedMexico.'" 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 theWabash Railroad in 1858 and by theAlton 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'sfire 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 theNASA rocket launch site inCape Canaveral.[8] The industry fell on hard times and both majorrefractory 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 forSaturn's new U.S. auto plant. It lost toSpring 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 fromInterstate 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 theNational Register of Historic Places.
TheAudrain County Courthouse,Ross House, andArthur 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 ofUS Route 54 and state routes22 and15.[13] According to theUnited 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) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Averageprecipitation 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] | |||
The2020 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) fromother races, and 7.66% (879) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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-yearAmerican 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 thepoverty line, including 26.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those ages 65 or over.
As of thecensus[20] of 2010, there were 11,543 people, 4,727 households, and 2,908 families residing in the city. Thepopulation 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% fromother races, and 2.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried 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 ofHardin College and Conservatory of Music, aBaptist college established in 1873 for young women, an institution founded and endowed byCharles H. Hardin, governor of the state from 1872 to 1874. It closed during theGreat 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 theMexico Public Schools. Public schools in the city includeMexico 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 theColumbia/Jefferson Citytelevision market. Televisions in Mexico can receive astrong signal fromCTN affiliateKFDR (channel 25), moderate signals fromNBC/The CW affiliateKOMU-TV (channel 8),CBS affiliateKRCG (channel 13),ABC/MyNetworkTV/Fox affiliateKMIZ (channel 17), CTN affiliateWTJR (channel 16), and weak signals fromPBS affiliateKMOS-TV (channel 6), NBC/The CW/Fox affiliateWGEM-TV (channel 10), and CBS/ABC affiliateKHQA-TV (channel 7).[22] WTJR, WGEM and KHQA arelicensed toQuincy, Illinois andHannibal, 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 formattedKXEO (1340 AM),gospel formattedKJAB (88.3 FM),public formattedKAUD (90.5 FM; simulcast ofKBIA91.3 FM in Columbia), andcountry formattedKWWR (95.7 FM;sister to KXEO).[23]
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata
Geographic data related toMexico, Missouri atOpenStreetMapArticles related to Mexico, Missouri | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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