Odessa, Missouri
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1885 and the latest in 1983. It stands in Sni-A-Bar Township. It lies in ZIP code area 64076. The Survey maps it on the Odessa South quadrangle. 5,593 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 932 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Odessa
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Odessa Ice Cream Company Buildinglisted 1996
Population over time
2 figuresOdessa grew from 5,300 to 5,593 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5,300 | |
| 2020 | 5,593 | +293 (+6%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 18 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1885 USGS Warrensburg quadrangle1:125000
- 1887 USGS Warrensburg quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Warrensburg quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1947 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1954 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1958 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Odessa South quadrangle1:24000
- 1983 USGS Sedalia quadrangle1:100000
What happened here
An account from the chapter on Sni-A-Bar township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.
Deeds Of Violence
The following is given by Mr. Eli Adams: In the spring of 1841, Mrs. Mary Scott and her son, King B. Scott, were murdered in this township. Mrs. Scott's body was found in the fire in the house. In the spring of 1843, two years afterward, the body of King B. Scott was found in a branch of the Sni. Suspicion rested upon John C.
In the county-history sources
15,129 words on this townshipHistory of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881 names this settlement in its chapter on Sni-A-Bar Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
May 4, 1824, Fort Osage township was set off from Sniabar township, which had prior to this extended to the west line of the state. The line then established between the new and the old township was the Big Sniabar. creek from its mouth to its source, near where Chapel Hill now stands, thence south in a straight line to the Osage river.
Chapel Hill Masonic Lodge, No. jjo, is in Sniabar township, and the date of its dispensation is 1870. The names of the charter members were: John McClure, John W. Wilkinson, Dr. F. M. Shore, R. Edmondson, D. G. Doty, F. E. McCormack, A. J. Lyon, B. E. Phillips and John W. Bledsoe. Names of the first officers: J. H. McClure, W. M.; F. M. Shore, S. W.; J. W. Wilkinson, J. W.; D. G. Doty, treasurer; J. W. Bledsoe, secretary; F. E. McCormack, S. D.; A. J. Lyon, J. D.; R. Edmondson, tyler. The present membership of the lodge is 18. The hall is a frame and was built in 1S69, at a cost of $500. There was a lodge at this point before the war, but during the war it was robbed of its charter and jewels by federal troops. The present lodge has been chartered since the war.
The Hopewell O. S. Presbyterian Church, at Odessa, was organized September 14, 1850. The original members were: John H. Allison, Eliza Bledsoe, Sarah Bullard, C. D. Copp, S. S. Cornwell, Nancy Davidson, John Jackson, Clarinda Jackson, James M. Keith, Thomas Lee, Mary Lee, Elizabeth Lee, Ann Mary Lee, Elizabeth Keith, Nathaniel C. and Rebecca Maxwell, Mary M. Chesney,Jane Patterson, John B. and Adaline Taylor, H. and Lena Young.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Sni-A-Bar Township - it names this place 43 more 43 times.
Fires near this place
8 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 8 fires within 5 miles of Odessa between 2005 and 2019, burning about 91 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 June 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 7 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 176450-05441-04072018-1427 |
| 5 April 2006 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 2 April 2005 | Recreation and ceremony | 10 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 29 March 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 10 March 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 178276-05441-03102019-1323 |
| 22 October 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 179463-05441-10222019-1450 |
| 10 January 2018 | Debris and open burning | 19 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 177732-05440-01102018-1929 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Odessa: 5 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
Storms near this place
50 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Odessa in 50 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 22 hail, 21 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2002 | Flash Flood | Odessa | $800,000 | Junction of highway 131 and county road FF closed due to high water. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | $5,000 | Damage to trees around a Sonic on Highway 131. Tree came down and took out some power lines. |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | $5,000 | Construction trailer blown over on Highway 40. Also some power lines down. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | $2,000 | Power lines and several trees down. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | $1,000 | A tree was blown onto powerlines and caused a fire. Thunderstorm winds were estimated up to 60 mph. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a barn. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Delayed report of downed limbs and a couple of wires near Odessa. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Downed wires near Route WW east of Odessa. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Odessa | - | Quarter size hail in Odessa. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Odessa | - | Social media photo of ping pong ball sized hail in Lake Lafayette. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Odessa | - | Mping report of half dollar sized hail near Route M and Varner Road southeast of Odessa. |
| August 2019 | Hail | Odessa | - | Reported from Sonic Drive In. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Odessa | - | Interstate 70 was closed at mile marker 38 due to flash flooding. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Odessa | - | A citizen was rescued from the top of their car after it was swept into a ditch. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Several trees and power lines were down in Odessa. |
| April 2016 | Hail | Odessa | - | This report was received via Twitter. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Odessa | - | This report was gained via social media. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Odessa | - | This hail was precisely measured at 1 1/8 inches. |
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Odessa | - | Interstate 70 was flooded with 6 to 12 inches of water near mile marker 37 and 38. |
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Odessa | - | Water was covering the front porch and up to the door threshold at a residence in Odessa. There was substantial water running through the yard, and small livestock needed to be rescued from the rising water. |
| April 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Odessa | - | A brief tornado formed within a linear convective severe storm that moved through the Kansas City Metro area. As the storm approached Odessa, Missouri a weak and brief tornado caused some minor damage to businesses and residences in Odessa. The worst of the damage occurred across the west end of town, then the tornado crossed Interstate 70 causing a semi to overturn on the westbound lane of I-70 near Odessa. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Two trees blown down intersection of 131 and HH. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Large trees downed from thunderstorm winds. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Large tree limbs blown down. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Odessa Police reported 65 mph winds southeast of town. |
| October 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | The Odessa Police Department reported 60 mph wind gusts. |
| October 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | The sheriff's department reported 60 mph wind gusts at mile marker 47 on Interstate 70. |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Odessa | - | Between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell over much of Lafayette County resulting in several reports of flash flooding. In Odessa, Highway U which is just east of Highway M, was under 2 feet of water for a half mile stretch. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | The Odessa Fire Department reported 4 inch diameter tree limbs blown down in Odessa. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | Several large trees were blown down. |
| May 2018 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| February 2007 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| September 2003 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| September 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| December 2002 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| December 2002 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Odessa | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenton | 3.5 miles | 17 | |
| Lake Lafayette | 3.8 miles | 18 | |
| Oakland (historical) | 6.3 miles | 19 | |
| Bates City | 6.3 miles | 19 | |
| Mayview | 7.5 miles | 16 | |
| Fortyville (historical) | 7.7 miles | 16 | |
| Chapel Hill | 7.9 miles | 13 | |
| Wellington | 9.4 miles | 17 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Odessa | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q960445 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 723697. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.









