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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

Odessa within Lafayette County

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

Population over time

2 figures

Odessa 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.

YearPeople Change
20105,300
20205,593+293 (+6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 18 printed sheets

Matched 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.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Sni-A-Bar township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History 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 - Sni-A-Bar Township

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.

Read the rest of this passage

In the county-history sources

15,129 words on this township

History 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.

Passage source: History 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.

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.

Passage source: History 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.

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.

Passage source: History 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.

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 2005

Regional 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/undetermined4
Equipment and vehicle use1
Recreation and ceremony1
Arson/incendiarism1
Debris and open burning1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 June 2006Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
7 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation176450-05441-04072018-1427
5 April 2006Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
2 April 2005Recreation and ceremony10 acresMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
29 March 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined60 acresMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
10 March 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation178276-05441-03102019-1323
22 October 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation179463-05441-10222019-1450
10 January 2018Debris and open burning19 acresMissouri Department of Conservation177732-05440-01102018-1929

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Lafayette County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional 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.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Lafayette County

Storms near this place

50 since 1994

Regional 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2002Flash FloodOdessa$800,000Junction of highway 131 and county road FF closed due to high water.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindOdessa$5,000Damage to trees around a Sonic on Highway 131. Tree came down and took out some power lines.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindOdessa$5,000Construction trailer blown over on Highway 40. Also some power lines down.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindOdessa$2,000Power lines and several trees down.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindOdessa$2,000no account filed
June 2010Thunderstorm WindOdessa$1,000A tree was blown onto powerlines and caused a fire. Thunderstorm winds were estimated up to 60 mph.
May 2001Thunderstorm WindOdessa$1,000Thunderstorm winds destroyed a barn.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Delayed report of downed limbs and a couple of wires near Odessa.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Downed wires near Route WW east of Odessa.
March 2024HailOdessa-Quarter size hail in Odessa.
March 2024HailOdessa-Social media photo of ping pong ball sized hail in Lake Lafayette.
March 2024HailOdessa-Mping report of half dollar sized hail near Route M and Varner Road southeast of Odessa.
August 2019HailOdessa-Reported from Sonic Drive In.
July 2017Flash FloodOdessa-Interstate 70 was closed at mile marker 38 due to flash flooding.
July 2017Flash FloodOdessa-A citizen was rescued from the top of their car after it was swept into a ditch.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Several trees and power lines were down in Odessa.
April 2016HailOdessa-This report was received via Twitter.
April 2015HailOdessa-This report was gained via social media.
April 2015HailOdessa-This hail was precisely measured at 1 1/8 inches.
June 2015Flash FloodOdessa-Interstate 70 was flooded with 6 to 12 inches of water near mile marker 37 and 38.
June 2015Flash FloodOdessa-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 2014Tornado (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 2005Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Two trees blown down intersection of 131 and HH.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Large trees downed from thunderstorm winds.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Large tree limbs blown down.
April 2000Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Odessa Police reported 65 mph winds southeast of town.
October 2000Thunderstorm WindOdessa-The Odessa Police Department reported 60 mph wind gusts.
October 2000Thunderstorm WindOdessa-The sheriff's department reported 60 mph wind gusts at mile marker 47 on Interstate 70.
July 1998Flash FloodOdessa-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 1998Thunderstorm WindOdessa-The Odessa Fire Department reported 4 inch diameter tree limbs blown down in Odessa.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindOdessa-Several large trees were blown down.
May 2018HailOdessa-no account filed
April 2015HailOdessa-no account filed
May 2010HailOdessa-no account filed
February 2007HailOdessa-no account filed
April 2007HailOdessa-no account filed
September 2003HailOdessa-no account filed
September 2003Thunderstorm WindOdessa-no account filed
April 2003HailOdessa-no account filed
December 2002HailOdessa-no account filed
December 2002HailOdessa-no account filed
May 2002HailOdessa-no account filed
May 2002HailOdessa-no account filed
May 2002HailOdessa-no account filed
May 2002HailOdessa-no account filed
April 2001HailOdessa-no account filed
May 2001HailOdessa-no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindOdessa-no account filed
June 1996Thunderstorm WindOdessa-no account filed
May 1995Thunderstorm WindOdessa-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lafayette County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Greenton3.5 miles17
Lake Lafayette3.8 miles18
Oakland (historical)6.3 miles19
Bates City6.3 miles19
Mayview7.5 miles16
Fortyville (historical)7.7 miles16
Chapel Hill7.9 miles13
Wellington9.4 miles17

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 OdessaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q960445The 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.