Edgar Springs is a city in Phelps County,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, United States. The population was 199 at the 2020 census.

History

A post office called Edgar Springs has been in operation since 1866. The community was named after a nearby spring on the property of John Edgar.

Geography

Edgar Springs is located on the Salem Plateau region of the Missouri

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

. The town is on

U.S. Route 63 U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is a , north–south United States Highway primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 (I-20) in Ruston, Louisiana; the northern terminus is at US&nbs ...

at the southern edge of the

Mark Twain National Forest Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The ...

. Rolla is approximately 18 miles to the north and

Licking Licking is the action (philosophy), action of passing the tongue over a surface, typically either to deposit saliva onto the surface, or to collect liquid, food or minerals onto the tongue for ingestion, or to animal communication, communicate w ...

in Texas County is 13 miles to the south.''Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 1998, First edition, p. 54, According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. As of the 2000 census, Edgar Springs was the closest town to the mean center of U.S. population, the theoretical center of the United States based on population. The exact point was approximately 2.8 miles east of the town at 37°41'49.15" North, 91°48'34.44" West.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 208 people, 87 households, and 58 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 112 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.67%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 4.33% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population. There were 87 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 37.5 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 190 people, 91 households, and 53 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 100 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.84%

, 2.11% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.53% from other races.

or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population. There were 91 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.74. In the city the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $30,781. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $20,625 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $12,672. None of the families and 4.9% of the population were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including no under eighteens and 22.9% of those over 64.

Traffic tickets

The city has been identified as a

speed trap Speed limit, Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside "s ...

. In 2015, the city fought a proposed law that limited how much money municipalities could make from traffic fines. In 2018, the city filed a financial statement with the Missouri State Auditor's Office. Most cities are limited to keeping 20% of their annual general operating revenue. A resident who petitioned for the 2018 audit of city revenue was banned from the premises of city hall with the exception of board meetings. A 2022 court ruling found the city in violation of both due process and

Sunshine Law Freedom of information laws allow access by the general public to data held by national governments and, where applicable, by state and local governments. The emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisf ...

requirements.

Climate

Edgar Springs has a humid subtropical climate with cold winters and warm summers.

Notable people

* Mayme Ousley, first woman elected mayor of a town in Missouri, was born in Edgar Springs. * James Robert Lamar, Missouri congressman who was born here in 1866. * Dean Switzer, preacher of Edgar Springs Baptist Church from 2016-2021. Grandfather to Vincent K. Switzer, who died in 2005. Some say his ghost still haunts the church to this day.

References

{{authority control Cities in Phelps County, Missouri Cities in Missouri