“Zinc City” has defined adaptation for nearly two centuries
Growing rapidly in the 1870s alongside the nation’s most productive zinc and lead mines, Webb City learned a lesson about economic diversification, a theme that continues today in its local businesses and level of entrepreneurship. The city of 13,000 became a Missouri boom town of sorts shortly after John C. Webb’s discovery of the metals on his newly purchased land. But when even more lead was discovered one state over in the early 20th century, city leaders scrambled for a Plan B while miners hit the road to Oklahoma. Local businesses were encouraged, stayed put and invested in the city. Webb City soon began producing a wider variety of goods, including explosives during World War II. “Webb City is definitely an entrepreneurial city,” says Cameron Tournear, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. “Plenty of people own businesses and know what it takes to make them thrive.”
Webb City is known as the "Zinc City".
The Kneeling Miner statue at King Jack Park pays tribute to Webb City's mining history.
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Leading industries include healthcare, retail and insurance
Webb City's biggest employers these days are involved in retail, healthcare and local government, but scores of smaller enterprises also do business here. Arriving newcomers since 2010 have driven the population up from around 11,000 to the current population. The city's red-bricked downtown serves as a base for emerging businesses, encouraged by the city's slate of tax abatements, business-incentive plans and other resources.
Downtown Webb City is lined with older brick multi story buildings.
Large retailers help support Webb City with jobs and needed supplies.
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The Mining Day Event Center is the city’s largest community center
Managed by Webb City Parks and Recreation, the new Mining Day Event Center has drawn attention and events since its opening in 2023. It stands next to the Mining Days Amphitheater with a raised stage and indoor/outdoor seating. Nearby Memorial Park is the city’s oldest park. King Jack Memorial Park is nationally known as the home of the Praying Hands Monument.
A large outdoor amphitheater adds to the options at King Jack Park.
The Praying Hands statue was created in the early 1970s in King Jack Park.
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Competitively priced homes draw buyers from both coasts
“Competitively priced new homes are a big reason newcomers from both coasts have been buying in Webb City,” says Tournear. “Our median home price is around $210,000, which is a great price for buyers who have recently sold a home for three or four times that figure. And for families who are looking for a slower pace of life, Webb City offers a supportive, faith-based community, where the biggest event on Friday night is the high school football game.”
Fixer-uppers sell from about $40,000 to $150,000. Historic cottages and Victorians can be found for less than $200,000. New homes range from $300,000 to about $430,000.
New traditional style homes line a residential street in Webb City.
Older homes in Webb City come with a long history.
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Webb City High is a top 20 high school in Missouri
Webb City R-7 School District is graded A by Niche. It serves 4,600 students across the city. Webb City High School is ranked 17th out of 560 high schools in the state by U.S. News & World Report. Crowder College, a two-year junior college, is the only institution of higher learning in Webb City and was founded in 1963.
Webb City High School is part of the Webb City public school district.
Crowder College offers Webb City residents a local college and technical education track.
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Downtown Webb City and nearby Joplin are shopping and dining hubs
Downtown Webb City welcomes visitors to blocks of murals depicting the city’s history. Tee Time Entertainment opened a driving range and entertainment park on East Broadway in 2024. HTeaO, a Texas chain of iced tea shops, opened a location in early 2025. Flat Creek Bar & Grill, a regional restaurant chain, opened a Webb City location in 2023.
Murals in downtown Webb City memorialize the city's history.
Residents in Webb City practice their golf swing and enjoy time out at Tee Time.
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Historic Route 66 bisects Webb City
Webb City is known for its location along Historic Route 66, which bisects the city at its intersection with Main Street. Car travel is the primary form of transportation, but MAPS and CARS are local transit providers. Joplin Regional Airport is 5 miles west of Webb City and is the closest commercial airport.
One of the state's largest storm shelters built as part of high school
Webb City High houses one of the largest storm shelters in the state, financed through federal grants in the wake of one of the nation's deadliest tornadoes ever, striking nearby Joplin in 2010. While not in the heart of the Midwest's Tornado Alley, severe storms are fairly common, especially in the spring and early summer.
Since 2020, Webb City’s reported rates of violent and property crimes have been mostly lower than the national and state average, according to FBI data. However, periodic spikes have occurred.
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