Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0Union has 141 acres of parks, 11 for every 1,000 residents
2% of Union’s land is conserved, about 128 acres. 67% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2.3 miles of mapped trail cross Union, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 45% of U.S. towns · #137 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
How much outdoors does Union have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Union is ahead of 45% of U.S. towns, #137 of 247 in Missouri. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Union’s 2% is ahead of 54% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 48% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Union City Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 8 parks & preserves
128 conserved acres
2% of Union’s land. Who manages Union’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Union City Lake/Fairgrounds Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Union City Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Clark Vitt Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Union Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Union Swimplex And Ball Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Union City Ball Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Hoffert Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
39 places to go in Union
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
6 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 27 playgrounds without a name on the map.
2 lakes & rivers
2.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The walking year in Union
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 47 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 85 | 89 | 88 | 80 | 69 | 56 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Union →
Questions about parks and trails in Union
Where can I hike in Union?
The longest trail networks: Union City Park, 0.3 miles; Clark-Vitt Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Union is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Missouri town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Union’s trails?
Union City Park and Clark-Vitt Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Union?
2.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of painted or protected lanes and 1.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Union?
4,309 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Union or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 141 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Union have?
Ahead of 45% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #137 of 247 in Missouri. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Union neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →