About Springfield
Facts, Figures and Information
A Warm Hello!
The staff at Visit Springfield welcomes you to our website and we hope we'll be welcoming you to our city soon! With more than 456,000 people in the metro area and millions of tourists each year, Springfield is rich with interesting and entertaining attractions, more than 6,300 hotel rooms, more than 850 dining options and a variety of shopping and cultural activities.
Education
You could call Springfield a college town, but the truth is education is the cornerstone of the community at all levels. More than 24,000 students attend the Springfield R-12 School District, Missouri's largest fully accredited school system. Collegiately, Missouri State University and its more than 24,000 students call Springfield home, as do the students of Drury University, Ozarks Technical Community College and Evangel University.
Living Here
Living in Springfield is easy. It’s a place that has everything you need. The city has a plentiful and growing job market, great schools, world-class health care, and all the entertainment and cultural options of a big city—but with far less stress and an abundance of character and friendliness. You can fast-track your career, afford the home you’ve always wanted, simplify your commute, and enrich your life amid the natural beauty of the Ozarks. Learn more about the business community at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and see what the city has to offer for your lifestyle, then live here and just breathe.
Green Initiatives
Among Springfield's finest assets are its beautiful scenery and clean environment, something community leaders are striving to maintain through a variety of programs and sustainable building projects. Those projects include the Discovery Center, a hands-on science museum housed in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building. The Discovery Center, certified at the Gold level, was the first building in southwest Missouri to attain the certification. Springfield is the proud home to Missouri's first hotel designed to LEED Gold Standards. The hotel Hilton Garden Inn has a modern interior and exterior with unique design elements for sustainable operations. Springfield also is home to the Green Circle Shopping Center, an environmentally friendly building home to several retailers including Dynamic Earth, an outdoor sporting goods store. The shopping center received its Platinum Certification in early 2009.
Learn more about the city's history, Route 66, community resources and environment below. If you're not finding what you need, feel free to call Visit Springfield at 800-678-8767 or 417-881-5300. We'll do everything we can to help you find the information you're seeking.
