Business Week recently identified St. Joseph as one of the top three best places to raise kids in Missouri. St. Joseph was commended for having good schools, solid recreational facilities for children, affordable housing, and a safe, family-oriented community. St. Joseph has also been named a Missouri Creative Community and one of the nation’s “100 Best Communities for Young People.”

With a population of approximately 72,000, St. Joseph offers you a community steeped in history and an array of exciting activities and attractions. The city has been described as being “where the Pony Express began and Jesse James ended” and was recently named the #1 Top Western Town by True West Magazine.

It’s not just St. Joseph’s amazing past that makes it a great place to live. While the city does offer more than 50 national historical places and 15 museums to visit, it also offers a vast array of activities and recreational facilities. There are 48 parks, including a world class, 26-mile parkway system with amenities like baseball diamonds, tennis courts and swimming pools. Sports facilities include the Northside Recreational Complex, Noyes Sports Complex and Water Park, Bode Sports Complex and Ice Arena, Phil Welch Stadium and five golf courses.

Nearby Cities
The nearest major metropolitan area to St. Joseph is the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, which begins approximately 30 miles to the south. The nearest major airport is Kansas City International Airport, which is approximately 35 miles to the south.

St. Joseph is located near several major cities:

• Kansas City, MO - 35 miles

• Topeka, KS - 100 miles

• Omaha, NE - 135 miles

• Des Moines, IA - 170 miles

• Wichita, KS - 235 miles

• Tulsa, OK - 290 miles

• St. Louis, MO - 305 miles

PreK-12 Education
St. Joseph offers many options for preK-12 education, including 43 preschools, 29 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, nine high schools, 29 public schools, and 37 private schools.

• Six St. Joseph School District elementary schools earned 14 Top Ten school rankings.

• Eugene Field Elementary and Bessie Ellison Elementary are National “Blue Ribbon Schools.”

• Bessie Ellison Elementary, Eugene Field Elementary and Coleman Elementary are designated “Gold Star Schools.”

• The St. Joseph Public School District has received Missouri’s Distinction in Performance Award for two years in a row.

St. Joseph, Missouri Links