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Why visit La Plata
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 1 place to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Gilbreath-McLorn House, John T. and Mary M. Doneghy House and La Plata Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in La Plata
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About La Plata
La Plata ( lah PLAY-tə) is a city in Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,257 at the 2020 census, down from 1,366 in 2010. La Plata is located next to the Adair County line and is on a mainline of the BNSF Railway. The town is best known for La Plata station, which provides passenger rail service to Chicago and Los Angeles.
From the Wikipedia article La Plata, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Gilbreath-McLorn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Missouri, United States
John T. and Mary M. Doneghy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Missouri, United States
La Plata Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
National historic district located at La Plata, Macon County, Missouri
Lester and Norma Dent House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Missouri, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes1
Where to stay1
History
The beginnings of La Plata can be traced back to March 17, 1827, when Drury Davis established a trading post near the town's current location. The ensuing few years saw Davis joined by family and friends to create a small village that included a blacksmith shop, an inn, and stagecoach station.
La Plata was platted in 1855. It was named after the city of La Plata, in Argentina. The name is of Spanish origin meaning "silver". Two men, Louis Gex and Thomas Saunders, were the primary force behind the town's platting, and drew straws to choose the community's name. Saunders wanted to name the town "Charlottesville" to honor a favorite sister, while Gex pushed for the name La Plata. Gex won out, and the town is believed to have been first incorporated on September 29, 1856. Another of the early settlers who helped in creating the town was W. W. Moore, who erected La Plata's first hotel.
From the History section of La Plata, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Map of La Plata
11 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 17°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 21°F | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 31°F | 2.6 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 41°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 72°F | 52°F | 5.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 61°F | 5.1 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 4.3 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 63°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 54°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 43°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 31°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 22°F | 1.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kirksville Rgnl Ap (6 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
Macon County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-03: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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)
- 2014-10-31: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kirksville Regional Airport (IRK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Atlanta 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Kirksville 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Macon 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Huntsville 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Moberly 42 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kahoka 49 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bloomfield 50 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Canton 51 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- La Grange 52 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Centerville 53 mi north, about 1 h 30 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
- 20190920 04 BNSF La Plata, Missouri, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- La Plata Square Historitc District3 NRHP 08000696 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Plata Square Historitc District2 NRHP 08000696 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Plata Square Historitc District NRHP 08000696 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Plata Square Historitc District4 NRHP 08000696 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Plata, Missouri (7235174798), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gilbreath-McLom House3 NRHP 78001667 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gilbreath-McLom House NRHP 78001667 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gilbreath-McLom House2 NRHP 78001667 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Doneghy House NRHP 90000488 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Doneghy House2 NRHP 90000488 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dent House NRHP 90000763 Macon County, MO, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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