Why visit Lawson
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Lawson
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lawson
Lawson is a city in Clay and Ray counties in Missouri, United States, that is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 2,541 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Lawson, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
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Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Lawson, Missouri, a property listed on the NRHP
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes3
Mulligans Eatery and Pub
Diner · American · 0.5 mi
Tu-Sa 11:00-20:00
Where to stay1
History
Lawson was founded in 1870 and was named for New York businessman L. M. Lawson. A post office called Lawson has been in operation since 1876.
Lawson is home to Ray County's oldest bank, Lawson Bank, founded in 1883. Interesting sites near Lawson include the historic Watkins Mill (now a Missouri state park and National Historic Landmark) and KC-10L, a Nike missile base, located a mile east of Lawson (Nov 1959 - Feb 1964).
From the History section of Lawson, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship6
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Lawson
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 17°F | 1.3 in | 5.0 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 21°F | 1.6 in | 6.5 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 31°F | 2.5 in | 2.0 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 41°F | 4.1 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 75°F | 52°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 64°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 55°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 43°F | 3.2 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 31°F | 2.1 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 22°F | 1.7 in | 4.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kearney 3E (7 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
Clay County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 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)
- 2011-06-30: Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-02-03: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Excelsior Springs 7 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Kearney 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Lathrop 10 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Liberty 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Smithville 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Buckner 21 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Claycomo 21 mi southwest, about 34 min by car
- Gladstone 24 mi southwest, about 38 min by car
- Independence 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Kansas City 28 mi southwest, about 44 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
- 2022 08 14 PA0001a, Robert W. Peterson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Mill, County Highway MM, Lawson vicinity (Clay County, Missouri) crop1, Watkins_Mill,_County_Highway_MM,_Lawson_vicinity_(Clay_County,_Missouri).jpg : Jet Lowe, Photographer derivative work: Kbh3rd ( talk ), Public domain
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