Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Fort Leonard Wood is a community of 15,432 people in Pulaski County, Missouri, founded in 1940.
Why visit Fort Leonard Wood
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 3 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Saint Robert Golf Course and Bosa Heights Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Fort Leonard Wood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of the city of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood (former Chief of Staff) in January 1941. Originally intended to train infantry troops, in 1941 it became an engineer training post with the creation of the Engineer Replacement Training Center.
From the Wikipedia article Fort Leonard Wood (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
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Restaurants and cafes5
Agave Azteca
Restaurant · Mexican · 4.2 mi
332 Marshall Drive, Saint Robert
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Scooter's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 4.1 mi
340 JH Williamson J. H. Williamson Junior Drive, Saint Robert
Mo-Su 05:00-20:00
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 1.7 mi
2624 Missouri Avenue, Fort Leonard Wood
Mo-Sa 05:00-15:00; Su 07:00-15:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 4.0 mi
453 V.F.W. Memorial Drive, Saint Robert
Fr-Tu 09:00-21:00, We 08:00-21:00, Th 10:00-21:00
History
Prior to the establishment of the current Fort Leonard Wood, the name was used in 1928 to rename Camp Meade in central Maryland when it was decided that the facility, originally established as a temporary World War I cantonment, would become a permanent military post. However, after a brief time, the change of name was successfully challenged by U.S. legislators from Pennsylvania (where George G. Meade, hero of the Battle of Gettysburg, was from), and the name was changed back to Fort Meade. This left the name "Leonard Wood" unused. In 1939, Congress approved the purchase of a 40,000-acre tract of land near Leon, Iowa, for use as a military reservation, but did not authorize funds to do so at the time.
The installation has historically held a training role under TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command) rather than a FORSCOM (Forces Command) role, which dates back to its origins in World War II as an engineer replacement training center. During the Gulf War, the 5th Engineer Battalion from the fort saw action in the Middle East.
From the History section of Fort Leonard Wood on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Bell's Extended Stay and Suites
Motel and hotel · 4.1 mi
116 Bell Drive, Saint Robert
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Williams Early Childhood Ctr
School · 1.6 mi
12225 Pulaski Avenue, Fort Leonard Wood
Williams Elementary School
School · 1.6 mi
12225 Pulaski Avenue, Fort Leonard Wood
Healthcare1
General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital
Hospital · 1.0 mi
4430 Missouri Avenue, Fort Leonard Wood
Map of Fort Leonard Wood
28 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 22°F | 2.8 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 26°F | 2.5 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 33°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 43°F | 4.9 in |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 5.1 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 62°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 66°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 64°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.9 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 45°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 34°F | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 26°F | 3.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ft Leonard Wood (1 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
Pulaski County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-01-01: 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)
- 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
Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport (TBN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- St. Robert 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Waynesville 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Crocker 15 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Richland 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Dixon 17 mi north, about 27 min by car
- Newburg 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Doolittle 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Licking 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Rolla 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Lebanon 30 mi west, about 48 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- M67A1 Flame Thrower Tank, D'oh Boy (Mark Holloway), CC BY 2.0
- Fort Leonard Wood replaces houses destroyed by tornado; hosts ribbon cutting DVIDS781931, Marti Yoshida, Public domain
- Fort Leonard Wood replaces houses destroyed by tornado; hosts ribbon cutting DVIDS781930, Marti Yoshida, Public domain
- Army dedicates new chapel at Fort Leonard Wood DVIDS482065, Marti Yoshida, Public domain
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Midwest Storm Strikes Fort Leonard Wood (Image 4 of 6), DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri - Large Letter Postcard (4236676111), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- New two-story dining facility brings four times more space to feed US Army soldiers DVIDS490400, Marti Yoshida, Public domain
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