BlockBefore

Webb City, Missouri

17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Joplin Township. It lies in ZIP code area 64870. The Survey maps it on the Webb City quadrangle. 13,031 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,001 feet above sea level.

Webb City within Jasper County

On record in Webb City

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 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Webb City grew from 10,996 to 13,031 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
201010,996
202013,031+2,035 (+19%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 17 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.

In the county-history sources

80,318 words on this township

The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883 names this settlement in its chapter on Joplin Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

Galena, Empire City, Thurman, Webb City, Carterville, Oronogo, Smithfield, Carl Junction, and Blende City, are, strictly speaking, little more than suburban towns, each paying royalty to the great city around which they cluster, and upon which they are in great part dependent.

Passage source: The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883.

It is now in place to give all that could be ascertained concerning the reverened gentleman from whom the city undoubtedly gained its name. Eev. Harris G. Joplin was a native of Tennessee, born about the year 1810. The father of the subject of this sketch died when he was quite young, leaving him and a widowed mother. They were not abundantly blessed with this world's goods, and hence great want and inconvenience were experienced. Possessed of an indomitable will, however, young Joplin acquired a very liberal education and studied for the ministry. He was ordained in western Tennessee, and at once moved to Missouri, locating in Greene county. There he engaged in preaching and was shortly afterward married to a Miss Simms, of that county. He came to this vicinity in 1840, locating just outside of the corporate limits of the city, near the graveyard, east of East Joplin. There he built a large log-cabin and improved a farm of about eighty acres. He employed a number of negroes, but in connection with his ministerial labors gave personal supervision to all work on his farm. He organized the first Methodist Episcopal congregation in this part of the county, and held meetings in his cabin home. By a gentlemen who was intimately acquainted with him, he is described as an extraordinary man in many respects. He had a clear, well trained voice, was highly excitable, deeply in earnest, and at times would grow most eloquent, holding his audience spell-bound. His height was about five feet eight inches; his weight probably one hundred and fifty-five or sixty pounds. He wore his hair short, shaved clean, had a very light complexion, dressed neatly, but economically, and was of an amiable disposition. While here he built up a large congregation considering the sparse settlement of the country. Devoted, ambitious, and liberal to a fault, he soon found himself so financially embarrassed as to render it necessary for him to dispose of his property, and at the earnest solicitation of friends in Greene county, was induced to return to his former field of labor in the fall of 1844. He labored in Greene and surrounding counties until his death, which occurred in 1847. Near the log-cabin of the Rev. Mr. Joplin was a spring, the source of the little run which now divides East Joplin and empties into Joplin Creek proper. This little stream was originally Joplin Creek, the larger one subsequently taking its name. The city took her name from the creek. As regards the authenticity of the above the writer has only to say that every efibrt has been made to get at the exact facts with results indicated.

Passage source: The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883.

The Sunday Herald was established in 1877, the first issue being on March fourth, by the Herald Printing Company, comprising D. C. Farrar, R. T. Sitterley, and A. "W. Carson, all practical printers, and the latter with ten years' experience as a publisher. Four previous attempts at establishing Democratic papers had resulted in disastrous failures to the proprietors. The outlook was not the brightest, but faith in the enterprise and promise of future growth of Joplin, induced the founders to make the venture. Mr. Farrar had charge of the mechanical department, Mr. Sitterley the editorial, and the business management was placed in the hands of Mr. Carson. In November following the Daily Herald was established as a morning paper, and from the date of their first appearance neither has ever missed an issue. The business management has been continuouslv in the of Mr. Carson, and whatever of success has been awarded the enterprise may be ascribed to his persistent work, industry, and enterprise.

Passage source: The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883.

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 Joplin Township - it names this place 9 more 9 times.

Fires near this place

21 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 21 fires within 5 miles of Webb City between 1993 and 2020, burning about 116 acres in total. None started naturally. None 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
Debris and open burning11
Missing data/not specified/undetermined10

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
24 September 2015Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation128610-04912-09242015-1548
22 September 1993Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
30 August 2000Debris and open burning3.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
18 July 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
10 July 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined3.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
17 May 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
22 April 1998Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
8 March 1993Debris and open burning1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Jasper County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 797 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 797 workings within 5 miles of Webb City: 789 past producers, 6 producers, 1 unknown, 1 occurrence. 6 still produce. What was taken out: Zinc, Lead, Lead, Zinc, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Zinc. 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
Sucker Flats PitClayPast Producer
Vogie Chat PlantSilicaProducer
Independent Gravel CoSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Mattes Bros. Chat PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Webb City Chat PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Fenix MineZinc, LeadPast Producer1855, 1910
Unknown - Zn/PbZinc, LeadPast Producer
Unknown - Zn/PbZinc, LeadPast Producer
Unknown - Zn/PbZinc, LeadPast Producer
Aylor Lease N.E. JoplinZincPast Producer1898, 1900

Every working recorded in Jasper County

Storms near this place

47 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Webb City in 47 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 23 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 4 flash flood, 1 funnel cloud. 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
April 2026Thunderstorm WindWebb City$50,000Trees were downed on powerlines.
February 2023Thunderstorm WindWebb City$50,000Multiple large trees and power poles were reported down.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindWebb City$30,000Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed numerous trees city wide. A boat and a car were significantly damaged from falling trees.
May 2021Thunderstorm WindWebb City$25,000Trees, power lines and poles were reported down along Rangeline and Enterprise Roads.
March 2017HailWebb City$25,000There were some cars and homes damaged in the Webb City area.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindWebb City$15,000no account filed
May 2018Thunderstorm WindWebb City$10,000A tree was blown down causing damage to several vehicles.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindWebb City$10,000Several trees and power poles were blown down across the western portions of Japser County.
November 2011Thunderstorm WindWebb City$10,000A NWS storm survey found straight line wind damage across portions of Webb City. Damage was focused in a path to the east northeast bending the steel Walmart sign and moving cart corrals. Damage included pulling the eve of a roof back on a nearby strip mall and blowing two HVAC units off a roof. A few small to medium sized trees were blown over. Numerous limbs were then downed from Webb City to Carthage. Wind speed was estimated at 70 to 80 mph.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWebb City$5,000Report of large trees down.
May 2021LightningWebb City$5,000Lightning struck a home causing minor electrical and structural damage.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindWebb City$5,000Several trees were blown down. One tree was blown down on a house.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindWebb City$5,000Skywarn spotters reported large trees and power lines down.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindWebb City$5,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindWebb City$3,000no account filed
May 2018Thunderstorm WindWebb City$2,000Several trees and power lines were blown down near Rangeline Road and Zora Road.
March 2026Flash FloodWebb City-Several low water crossings were flooding in Webb City due to excessive rainfall.
April 2025HailWebb City-Quarter sized hail was reported lasting more than three minutes.
April 2025HailWebb City-Quarter sized hail was reported.
April 2025HailWebb City-Ping pong ball sized hail was reported.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindWebb City-Several large branches were reported down on a home. No damage was reported.
April 2014Thunderstorm WindWebb City-The ASOS at the Joplin Airport measured a 53 knot wind gust.
May 2013Flash FloodWebb City-Several roadways were impassable and pictures of the flooding were on Facebook.
June 2013Flash FloodWebb City-Madison road was closed due to flooding near Rangeline Road.
August 2012HailWebb City-A local media station relayed a viewer report of hail up to the size of quarters.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindWebb City-Multiple trees were blown down through out the county.
October 2010Thunderstorm WindWebb City-A large limb was observed across the road.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindWebb City-Trained spotters estimated 70 mph wind gusts.
March 2007Flash FloodWebb City-Heavy thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall across Jasper County which lead to flooding. Several roads were closed to motorists by high water in and near Carthage. The intersection of County Road 170 and Jack Pine Road near the Spring River was closed and impassable to motorists. The intersection of Locust and Civil War roads was also closed to traffic due to high water. In Webb City, Mo., the intersection of Main Street and Broadway was closed to motorists with several inches of water covering the roads. In Carl Junction, Mo., roads and walkways in the Carl Junction Park were closed to traffic for several hours.
May 2018HailWebb City-no account filed
March 2017HailWebb City-no account filed
April 2015Funnel CloudWebb City-no account filed
May 2011HailWebb City-no account filed
June 2010HailWebb City-no account filed
June 2008HailWebb City-no account filed
June 2008HailWebb City-no account filed
June 2008HailWebb City-no account filed
April 2005HailWebb City-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindWebb City-no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindWebb City-no account filed
March 2003HailWebb City-no account filed
May 2003HailWebb City-no account filed
May 2003HailWebb City-no account filed
May 2003HailWebb City-no account filed
May 2003Thunderstorm WindWebb City-no account filed
July 2003HailWebb City-no account filed
June 1996Thunderstorm WindWebb City-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Jasper 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
Carterville1.1 miles17
Oakland Park2.4 miles19
Airport Drive2.5 miles18
Prosperity2.6 miles17
Lakeside2.7 miles17
Oronogo2.9 miles17
Tuckahoe3.7 miles18
Lone Elm4.0 miles19

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 Webb CityAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q966405The 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 728459. 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.