Smithville is a city in

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

and Platte counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

and is part of the

Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, along the

Little Platte River The Little Platte River is a stream in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a tributary of Platte River and is 66.4 miles long, which makes it its second longest tributary. The river is the primary inflow for Smithville Lake and is its outflow ...

. The population was 10,406 at the 2020 United States census. Smithville is also known for the Smithville Lake.

Geography

Smithville is located in western Clay County on the

. The Little Platte is dammed just east of the city to form the Smithville Reservoir.

U.S. Route 169 U.S. Route 169 (US 169) is a north-south U.S highway that currently runs for 966 miles (1,555 km) from the city of Virginia, Minnesota, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Memorial Drive. Route description Oklahoma US 169 is a major north–sou ...

passes the west side of the city. 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 , of which is land and is water.

Major Highways

The city is served by 1 U.S. highway, 1 Missouri route, and 3 Missouri Supplemental routes: * north-south highway that traverses the entire city. It is an

undivided highway A single carriageway (British English) is a road with one, two or more lanes arranged within a one carriageway with no central reservation/median strip to separate opposing flows of traffic. A single-track road is a type of single carriageway ...

in the north half, a

stroad A stroad is a thoroughfare that combines the features of streets and roads. Common in the United States and Canada, stroads are wide arterials (roads for through traffic) that also provide access to strip malls, drive-throughs, and other aut ...

in part of the south half, and a divided highway in the southernmost quarter. It continues north to Kansas and south to Kansas City. * is an east-west highway crossing the southern third of the city; it continues west to Platte City and east to Kearney. * MO-supp-F

Route F, travels unsigned through the northeast portion of the city as North Bridge Street, East 1st Street, Spelman Drive, and Northeast 172nd Street * MO-supp-DD

Route DD, also known as Main Street, travels through downtown east towards Smithville Lake * MO-supp-KK

Route KK, a short route in the northwest of the city

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Smithville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Smithville was on August 9, 1988, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 23, 1989 and February 16, 2021.

History

Smithville is named after

Humphrey "Yankee" Smith Humphrey Smith commonly known in his lifetime as "Yankee" Smith (1774 in New Jersey – May 5, 1857 in Clay County, Missouri) was the unofficial founder of the city of Smithville, Missouri, and a figure in the history of the State of Missouri. Smi ...

(1774 – May 5, 1857) after he settled at the site in 1822. The town was originally known as "Smith's Mill" but ultimately became "Smithville" as it was easier to pronounce. Another reputed history behind the name is that it was going to be named Smith's Mill, but there was already another current settlement in Missouri with the same name so it was altered slightly to differentiate it. Silver Screen stars

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

and Noah Beery, Sr. were born and raised near Smithville. The Aker Cemetery and Downtown Smithville Historic District are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 10,406 people, 3,647 households, and 2,864 families in Smithville. The population density was 643.9 per square mile (248.7/km). There were 3,761 housing units at an average density of 232.7 per square mile (89.9/km). The racial makeup was 90.77% (9,446)

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 ...

, 0.72% (75) black or African-American, 0.54% (56) Native American, 0.64% (67) Asian, 0.11% (11)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.82% (85) from other races, and 6.4% (666) 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 was 0.9% (93) of the population. Of the 3,647 households, 37.1% had children under the age of 18; 59.3% were married couples living together; 23.9% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 16.7% consisted of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.1. 26.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 86.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 86.0 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $83,400 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,840) and the median family income was $92,279 (+/- $8,943). Males had a median income of $43,881 (+/- $4,109) versus $34,508 (+/- $5,507) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $40,012 (+/- $2,416). Approximately, 2.7% of families and 6.1% of the population were 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 12.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those ages 65 or over.

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 8,425 people, 3,115 households, and 2,321 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 3,280 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.0%

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 ...

, 0.7%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population. There were 3,115 households, of which 142.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.5% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 12.68 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age in the city was 36.9 years. 29% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,514 people, 2,067 households, and 1,529 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,220 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.23%

, 0.22%

, 0.45% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.11%

, 0.67% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population. There were 2,067 households, out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $52,639, and the median income for a family was $58,966. Males had a median income of $42,388 versus $29,150 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 $22,669. About 2.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the

, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Smithville R-II School District covers the portion in Clay County, that is, the vast majority of the city. It operates three elementary schools, one middle school and Smithville High School. The portion in Platte County is in the Platte County R-III School District. Platte County High School is that district's comprehensive high school. Smithville has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, a branch of the

Mid-Continent Public Library Mid-Continent Public Library, officially known as Consolidated Library District #3, is a public library system serving Clay County, Missouri, Clay, Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, and Platte County, Missouri, Platte Counties in Missouri, wit ...

Notable people

* Bradford Keeney, therapist *

Jayce Tingler Jayce Michael Tingler (born November 28, 1980) is an American professional baseball coach and manager. He is the bench coach for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously served as manager of MLB's San Diego Padres from 2 ...

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

bench coach of the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

* Kenneth Wilson, member of the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

References

External links

Official website
* Historic maps of Smithville in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

{{authority control Cities in Clay County, Missouri Cities in Platte County, Missouri Cities in Missouri