Stay Missouri Rentals, Vacation Rentals in Missouri

Missouri is a West North Central state bordered by Iowa to the north, Illinois to the east, Arkansas to the south, and Kansas to the west. The state is located near the geographic center of the United States at the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, the two longest rivers in the country. The Missouri River flows through the center of the state and the Mississippi River forms the state's eastern border. Because of its central location at the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, Missouri is a major transportation crossroads. The state is a center of water, land, and air transportation. Kansas City, Missouri's largest city, and St. Louis, the state's second largest city, are leading air travel, train, and trucking centers. The Missouri Compromise, a United States Government plan that temporarily maintained an equal number of free and slave states after the Louisiana Purchase, allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state in 1821. After the Louisiana Purchase, Missouri was the frontier of the United States. Pony Express riders carried mail 1,966 miles from St. Joseph, a city in Missouri, to California.

It's understood and can be seen that people in different regions speak, act, and have expectations of others in certain ways that differ from other regions of the country. I expect that each of us can picture the way people interact who are from New York City, the rural North East, Southerners, Westerners, Mid-Westerners, and likely others. Each has distinct expectations and ways of interacting, some might seem harsh, others might appear more honest, others speak politely, and some might act reserved. I will leave it to everyone to draw their own pictures. BTW, before anyone gets their panties in a knot, I know that such drawings are made with a very broad brush and cannot apply to everyone from a certain region. However, it cannot be denied that there has traditionally been a dominant way that people carry themselves in various regions of the country. That is what I'd like to get a feeling for in Missouri.

Missouri has a continental climate, but with considerable local and regional variation. The average annual temperature is 10°C in the northwest, but about 16°C in the southeast. Kansas City has a normal daily mean temperature of 12°C, ranging from 3°C in January to 26°C in July; St. Louis has an annual mean of 13°C with –2°C in January and 27°C in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Missouri was –40°C, set at Warsaw on 13 February 1905; the hottest, 48°C, at Warsaw and Union on 14 July 1954. A 1980 heat wave caused 311 heat-related deaths in Missouri, the highest toll in the country; most were elderly residents of St. Louis and Kansas City. Fifty-one more heat-related deaths occurred in St. Louis during a 1983 heat wave. The average annual precipitation for Kansas City (1971–2000) was 40 inches, with some rain or snow falling about 110 days a year. The heaviest precipitation is in the southeast, averaging 48 inches; the northwest usually receives 35 inches yearly. Snowfall averages 20 inches in the north, 10 inches in the southeast. During the winter, northwest winds prevail; the air movement is largely from the south and southeast during the rest of the year. Springtime is the peak tornado season.

Saint Louis: Once the home of Chuck Berry, Missouri’s heartland is now most noted for that iconic archway, an ultra-modern metallic curve next to the Mississippi River that stretches to 630 feet.

Kansas City: Home to a strange combination of the US national tax headquarters and a heady, traditional dose of jazz.

Branson: Located in Taney County in the southernmost portion of the state, Branson is one of the most popular cities in Missouri, and for the surrounding region.

Springfield: Columbia Missouri is centrally located between Kansas City and St. Louis, and is home to the University of Missouri.

Excelsior Springs: Excelsior Springs is a community coming together and finding their historical background one step at a time. If you're wanting to get away here is the place to go.

If you like county music, Missouri could be the state for you. Millions of country music fans visit Branson to listen to their favorite artists. Other people go to the Ozark Mountains, a scenic region and one of the major recreation areas in the Midwest. Jefferson City, named for Thomas Jefferson, is the state's capital. See the murals of Thomas Hart Benton, a famous American painter, in the State Capitol Building.

By Air: Commercial airliners at Kansas City International Airport. The state of Missouri has two major airport hubs: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Kansas City International Airport.

By Rail: Two of the nation's three busiest rail centers are located in Missouri. Kansas City is a major railroad hub for BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad. Kansas City is the second largest freight rail center in the US (but is first in the amount of tonnage handled). Like Kansas City, St. Louis is a major destination for train freight. Amtrak passenger trains serve Kansas City, La Plata, Jefferson City, St. Louis, Lee's Summit, Independence, Warrensburg, Hermann, Washington, Kirkwood, Sedalia, and Poplar Bluff.

By Bus: Many cities have regular fixed-route systems, and many rural counties have rural public transit services. Greyhound, Trail ways, and Megabus all provide inter-city bus service in Missouri.

By Rivers: The Mississippi River and Missouri River are commercially navigable over their entire lengths in Missouri. The Missouri was channelized through dredging and jettys and the Mississippi was given a series of locks and dams to avoid rocks and deepen the river. St. Louis is a major destination for barge traffic on the Mississippi River.