Butler, Missouri
Butler is a city of 4,668 people in Bates County, Missouri, founded in 1852.
Why visit Butler
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 12 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Bates County Courthouse and Palace Hotel.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Butler
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Butler
Butler is a city in and the county seat of Bates County, Missouri, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 4,220 at the 2020 census.The city is named for William Orlando Butler, an American military and political figure of the early and mid-19th century. It is located approximately 50 mi (80 km) south of Kansas City, Missouri on Interstate 49.
From the Wikipedia article Butler, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks7
Bates County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
County courthouse in Missouri, United States of America
Palace Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Missouri
Bates County Veterans Tribute
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
Provided by Bates County Elks Lodge #2653 Dedicated June 2014
First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Statue
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
Founded & Organized by The Amen Society
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes12
Tu Casa Mexican Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi
27 West Dakota Street, Butler
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.7 mi
1014 West Fort Scott Street, Butler
Mo-Th 06:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-24:00; Su 06:00-23:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 0.9 mi
201 Fran Avenue, Butler
Mo-Th 08:00-01:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-02:00; Su 08:00-01:00
Where to stay2
History
When laid out in April 1852, Butler was a short distance from its modern location, with John C. Kennett being recognized as the first settler to build a home. The plat for Butler was filed in August, 1853 and consisted of five lots on fifty-five acres of donated land. The first county seat for Bates County was Papinville.
After a large portion of the county was split off to form Vernon County in 1855, Papinville was no longer near the geographic center, and Butler was selected in 1856 as the county seat. County officials shortly thereafter selected the contracting firm of Fitzpatrick & Hurt to construct a fifty-by-fifty foot brick courthouse at a cost of $5,000. This building served the county until being gutted by fire in 1861. The year 1856 also saw the establishment of Butler's first general mercantile store was established in 1856, with several others following in the years prior to the Civil War's outbreak in 1861.
From the History section of Butler, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship12
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.5 mi
201 West Atkinson Avenue, Butler
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare1
Map of Butler
56 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 20°F | 1.6 in | 2.6 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 24°F | 1.9 in | 3.0 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 33°F | 2.8 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 43°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 76°F | 55°F | 6.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 65°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 69°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 66°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 57°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 45°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 34°F | 2.9 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 24°F | 2.1 in | 2.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Butler 4W (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Bates County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-09-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-07-09: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-07-09: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2015-08-07: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Butler Memorial Airport (BUM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Adrian 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Archie 15 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Appleton City 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Louisburg 31 mi northwest, about 50 min by car
- Fort Scott 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Paola 36 mi northwest, about 58 min by car
- Osawatomie 37 mi northwest, about 59 min by car
- Raymore 38 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Belton 40 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Lee's Summit 46 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Butler, MO Palace Hotel, Keith Snyder, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bates County Courthouse, Jpjonesusn, CC BY-SA 3.0
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