"Joplin at the turn of the century, 1896-1906" Dedicated to Joplin by Thomas Hart Benton in 1973 is on permanent display in the Joplin City Hall at Sixth and Main Streets. Image provided by the City of Joplin
JOPLIN, Mo. -- To the people who live here, Joplin is big enough, small enough, and close enough. Big enough to have nice places to shop and eat; small enough that you see friends almost everywhere you go; and close enough to Tulsa or Kansas City for a special weekend getaway.
Joplin is definitely on the move with the amenities of big city living and the charms of small-town friendships, security and family life. Since 2000, Joplin has experienced a boom like never before. New businesses have popped up and more are expected to come with new land developments. As Joplin continues to grow, the City of Joplin has supported the growth with vision and balance.
The newest development is Wildwood Ranch, a 2,064-tract west of Joplin that is being carved up to create custom lots for mega homes, townhomes, apartments and up to 3,500 single-family dwellings. And that's only the southern half of the site. Hundreds of acres are being set aside for commercial, manufacturing and industrial sites on the northern side of the tract, which is intersected by a Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railroad easement. The property has been designated as an enhanced enterprise zone for the Joplin area, which would provide a new industry with state funds for employee training and favorable tax incentives.
There is a real sense of community in Joplin, and the citizens nurture that component that contributes to our great quality of life. Joplin is home to great schools, hospitals, businesses, industry, and some of the greatest citizens in America. All of these elements combine to support an economy that is experiencing unprecedented growth.
Joplin also serves as a regional hub for the Four-State region. On any given day the city has over 100,000 people who are working, going to school, visiting, shopping in our stores and eating in our restaurants. Joplin's estimated population in July 2006 was 47,994, a 5.5 percent increase in the 2000 census population of 45,504.
As a regional hub, the population of Joplin more than doubles. It is absolutely essential that the local business community and government work everyday to retain Joplin's position as that hub and that we never underestimate how important that distinction is.
