Springfield, MO, Missouri

The big metro for southwest Missouri, Springfield, is more of a city than you might expect to find in this part of the country. Downtown Springfield is home to the same variety of restaurants, shopping centers, entertainment opportunities, and sports stadiums that you might expect to find in much bigger cities. Springfield is also home to a few different universities, and its growing job market makes it a destination for younger folks in the area as well.

With that being said, city life and southwest Missouri don’t always mix perfectly in Springfield. The city is often described by residents as dirty, not just on account of its appearance, but because of the other people that live there as well. Some residents describe their neighbors as racist, sexist, and toxically masculine, while others complain about the city’s major homelessness problem, high crime rates and drug issues. Some residents complain that the police department is underfunded and others complain that there’s an NRA Museum attached to the local Bass Pro Shop. It’s a strange mix.

Not to beat a dead horse here, but life in Springfield will largely be determined by your ideologies and preferences. Often nicknamed the “Queen City of the Ozarks,” Springfield provides locals with plenty of outdoor opportunities on land and in the water. Downtown Springfield is home to the same volume of restaurants, shopping centers, entertainment opportunities, and sports stadiums you'd expect to find in much bigger cities. The St. Louis Cardinals minor league baseball team plays right in the heart of downtown. Festivals like Cider Days, Artsfest, and the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival are also major draws for locals.

If you want to see what people do for fun and culture in Springfield check out the calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Springfield and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

Big-name corporations like Bass Pro Shops, BKD, and O'Reilly Auto Parts all call Springfield home and employ a lot of locals. Industry-wise, financial services, manufacturing, and healthcare are also prominent in the area.