De Soto, Missouri
De Soto is a city of 6,470 people in Jefferson County, Missouri, founded in 1869.
Why visit De Soto
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 10 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Melba Theatre, Central School Campus, Louis J. and Harriet Rozier House and Railroad Workers Memorial Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in De Soto
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About De Soto
De Soto is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,449 at the 2020 census and the city is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Isaac Van Metre was first to settle in De Soto in the year of 1803. The town was organized in 1857 and is named for the explorer Hernando De Soto, who claimed the Louisiana Territory for Spain.
From the Wikipedia article De Soto, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Central School Campus
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in Missouri, United States
Louis J. and Harriet Rozier House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in DeSoto, Missouri, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Railroad Workers Memorial Park
Park · 0.8 mi
Memorial to the workers at the local railroad shops and their contributions to building the town.
Fountain City Road, De Soto
Restaurants and cafes10
Sherwood's Classic Eats
Restaurant · American, Diner · 0.4 mi
Sherwood’s Classic Eats is a beloved American restaurant in De Soto, MO, proudly serving the community since 2018. We offer a diverse...
122 North Main Street, De Soto
Su 11:00-18:00, Mo-Th 11:00-20:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 1.0 mi
12872 State Route 21, De Soto
Mo-Th 07:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-24:00; Su 08:00-23:00
History
De Soto was platted in 1857 and named after Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), Spanish conquistador. A post office has been in operation at De Soto since 1858.
The city is known as "Fountain City" because of its numerous artesian wells. Water from these wells and springs were bottled and shipped by tank car to the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis.
The Central School Campus and Louis J. and Harriet Rozier House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1953 and 1959 De Soto was voted an All-America City by the National Civic League.
From the History section of De Soto, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship12
Grace Luthern Church Missouri Synod
Church · Lutheran · 0.5 mi
121 West Kelley Street, De Soto
Trinity Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.5 mi
202 West Miller Street, De Soto
Desoto Apolistic Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 2.1 mi
4521 St. Route 110, Desoto
First United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.4 mi
200 North 2nd Street, De Soto
Hope United Church Of Christ
Church · United Church Of Christ
113 South 3rd Street, De Soto
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
504 South 4th Street, DeSoto
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare2
Westland Health Mart Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
2020 Rock Road, De Soto
Map of De Soto
51 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 22°F | 2.7 in | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 25°F | 2.5 in | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 34°F | 4.0 in | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 44°F | 4.9 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 54°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 63°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 57°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 46°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 35°F | 3.5 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 26°F | 2.8 in | 2.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Festus (11 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
Jefferson County has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-05-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires (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)
- 2017-06-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-01-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Farmington Regional Airport (FAM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Raintree Plantation 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Festus 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Crystal City 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Bonne Terre 15 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Barnhart 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Terre du Lac 17 mi south, about 27 min by car
- Potosi 18 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Valmeyer 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Leadwood 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Arnold 22 mi northeast, about 36 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
- De Soto, Missouri, Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
- De Soto City Hall, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Arlington Event Center De Soto, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Melba Theater De Soto, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church De Soto, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Downtown De Soto, Missouri, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Rozier House NRHP 06000221 Jefferson County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rozier House2 NRHP 06000221 Jefferson County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Central School Campus NRHP 09000813 Jefferson County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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