Whiteman AFB
unincorporated, Johnson County · 3,517 peopleOutdoors grade, better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #160 of 247 in MO
Missouri rankings · Outdoors
Best towns for the outdoors in Missouri
Whiteman AFB ranks first on outdoors among Missouri’s 247 towns of 2,500+; 37 of the 247 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.
The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work
A+
#2Park Hills
St. Francois County · 8,753 peopleOutdoors grade, better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #145 of 247 in MO
#3Fenton
St. Louis County · 4,060 peopleOutdoors grade, better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #44 of 247 in MO
All 247 towns
Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank (T = tied; 6 towns here); the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
247 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeOverall
1Whiteman AFBunincorporated, Johnson County · 3,517 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #160 of 247
2Park HillsSt. Francois County · 8,753 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #145 of 247
20Kansas CityJackson County · 521,220 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #200 of 247
25Sunset HillsSt. Louis County · 9,075 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #63 of 247
26CottlevilleSt. Charles County · 6,717 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 247
31Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau County · 40,977 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #203 of 247
32Maryland HeightsSt. Louis County · 27,559 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #22 of 247
43Bellefontaine NeighborsSt. Louis County · 10,368 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #245 of 247
45St. PetersSt. Charles County · 61,479 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #43 of 247
46IndependenceJackson County · 121,675 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #202 of 247
51CaruthersvillePemiscot County · 5,211 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #247 of 247
53Ste. GenevieveSte. Genevieve County · 5,065 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #83 of 247
56Oakvilleunincorporated, St. Louis County · 35,333 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #58 of 247
58HigginsvilleLafayette County · 4,770 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #30 of 247
60University CitySt. Louis County · 34,657 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #168 of 247
65St. CharlesSt. Charles County · 72,561 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #60 of 247
69Webster GrovesSt. Louis County · 23,450 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #8 of 247
74Marceline TownshipLinn County · 2,589 peopleBbetter than 60% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #52 of 247
77Spanish Lakeunincorporated, St. Louis County · 17,873 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #225 of 247
79JacksonCape Girardeau County · 16,033 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #51 of 247
84PortagevilleNew Madrid County · 2,702 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #177 of 247
86Weldon SpringSt. Charles County · 5,301 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #55 of 247
97Liberty TownshipStoddard County · 14,741 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #116 of 247
102Excelsior SpringsClay County · 10,819 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #133 of 247
T106City TownshipBarton County · 4,337 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #210 of 247
110Dardenne PrairieSt. Charles County · 15,032 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #41 of 247
112East PrairieMississippi County · 2,841 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #204 of 247
113SpringfieldGreene County · 169,847 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #176 of 247
118DeslogeSt. Francois County · 4,819 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #197 of 247
120North Kansas CityClay County · 5,613 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #152 of 247
122Center TownshipVernon County · 9,550 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #173 of 247
126FarmingtonSt. Francois County · 19,226 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #196 of 247
128Independence TownshipDunklin County · 11,792 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #199 of 247
131Lake St. LouisSt. Charles County · 19,129 peopleB−better than 47% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #31 of 247
136El Dorado SpringsCedar County · 3,642 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #230 of 247
138Mount Pleasant TownshipBates County · 5,093 peopleC+better than 45% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #175 of 247
140FredericktownMadison County · 4,584 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #188 of 247
143Mount VernonLawrence County · 4,835 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #108 of 247
144Grain ValleyJackson County · 16,908 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #76 of 247
146Pike TownshipStoddard County · 3,577 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #117 of 247
148Woodson TerraceSt. Louis County · 3,902 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #237 of 247
153Black JackSt. Louis County · 6,547 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #181 of 247
158Bonne TerreSt. Francois County · 6,636 peopleC+better than 39% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #193 of 247
159Creve CoeurSt. Louis County · 18,480 peopleC+better than 39% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #65 of 247
161Old Jamestownunincorporated, St. Louis County · 20,651 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #195 of 247
162ManchesterSt. Louis County · 18,069 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #33 of 247
163Cotton Hill TownshipDunklin County · 4,700 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #232 of 247
164Crystal CityJefferson County · 4,694 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #17 of 247
165Lemayunincorporated, St. Louis County · 16,228 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #70 of 247
166Mountain GroveWright County · 4,754 peopleC+better than 36% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #155 of 247
167Carl JunctionJasper County · 8,484 peopleC+better than 36% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #106 of 247
169Duck Creek TownshipStoddard County · 3,016 peopleC+better than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #129 of 247
177WentzvilleSt. Charles County · 49,495 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #54 of 247
180Town and CountrySt. Louis County · 11,619 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #28 of 247
200Richmond HeightsSt. Louis County · 9,093 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #96 of 247
205Breckenridge HillsSt. Louis County · 4,350 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #242 of 247
206HerculaneumJefferson County · 5,402 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #61 of 247
209CharlestonMississippi County · 4,731 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #246 of 247
212Fort Leonard Woodunincorporated, Pulaski County · 15,432 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #86 of 247
213Afftonunincorporated, St. Louis County · 19,052 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #25 of 247
214Montgomery CityMontgomery County · 2,782 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #141 of 247
215Gray Summitunincorporated, Franklin County · 2,991 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #93 of 247
219Byrnes MillJefferson County · 3,183 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #209 of 247
220Castor TownshipStoddard County · 4,651 peopleDbetter than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #120 of 247
222Glasgow Villageunincorporated, St. Louis County · 5,504 peopleDbetter than 14% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #240 of 247
225Concordunincorporated, St. Louis County · 18,368 peopleDbetter than 12% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #32 of 247
226Terre du Lacunincorporated, St. Francois County · 2,516 peopleDbetter than 12% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #88 of 247
227High Ridgeunincorporated, Jefferson County · 3,714 peopleDbetter than 11% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #39 of 247
229Barnhartunincorporated, Jefferson County · 5,785 peopleDbetter than 10% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #91 of 247
231Windsor TownshipHenry County · 3,454 peopleDbetter than 10% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #201 of 247
232Mehlvilleunincorporated, St. Louis County · 29,805 peopleDbetter than 10% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #40 of 247
233Sherrill TownshipTexas County · 5,574 peopleDbetter than 9% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #192 of 247
235Grand River TownshipDeKalb County · 3,258 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #101 of 247
237Imperialunincorporated, Jefferson County · 5,488 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #114 of 247
241Sappingtonunincorporated, St. Louis County · 7,367 peopleDbetter than 5% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #20 of 247
243Villa Ridgeunincorporated, Franklin County · 2,835 peopleD−better than 2% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #147 of 247
T244Clarkson ValleySt. Louis County · 2,540 peopleD−among the lowest in the U.S.·Overall A− · #38 of 247
T244Murphyunincorporated, Jefferson County · 8,285 peopleD−among the lowest in the U.S.·Overall B · #99 of 247
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Missouri town is best for the outdoors?
Whiteman AFB (Johnson County) ranks first on outdoors among 247 towns, with an A+; Park Hills and Fenton follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (247 in Missouri). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Missouri page.
Go deeper
All Missouri rankings →More Missouri lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live247 towns · #1 GlendaleBest small towns155 towns · #1 GlendaleMost affordable towns247 towns · #1 Marceline TownshipSafest towns172 towns · #1 CottlevilleTowns with the best schools247 towns · #1 BrentwoodHealthiest towns247 towns · #1 LadueBest towns for jobs & income247 towns · #1 GlendaleMost walkable towns247 towns · #1 ClaytonTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk247 towns · #1 Whiteman AFBMost historic towns247 towns · #1 St. LouisTowns with the most civic life229 towns · #1 ChillicotheTowns with the least snow246 towns · #1 SalemDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns246 towns · #1 BethanyDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters236 towns · #1 CaruthersvilleDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers236 towns · #1 Anderson and Carl JunctionDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers236 towns · #1 Union TownshipDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes247 towns · #1 LadueDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes242 towns · #1 Mountain GroveDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns227 towns · #1 RogersvilleDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries50 towns · #1 Richmond HeightsDescribed, no letters
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