//
U.S. state
Photo: Peter Fitzgerald, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Missouri is a state in the American Midwest. In addition to a network of state parks, Missouri is home to Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. A much-visited show cave is Meramec Caverns in Stanton. Missouri is home to two of the Midwest's larger cities: Kansas City and St. Louis.
The largest metro area of Missouri, and home to the Gateway Arch
Second largest metro area in Missouri, blues and BBQ await
The capital area region and the home of the largest university in Missouri. Jefferson City was once named the "Most Beautiful Small City in America"
Hannibal was the hometown of Mark Twain, who set two of his novels here, and it hosts a Mark Twain museum
Includes St. Joseph, Arrow Rock, and Weston — small town America
Includes the Ozark Mountains, a popular camping area
Includes several national forests which offer outdoor activities, and its rivers offer canoeing and kayaking excursions
By train
Amtrak service is provided to St. Louis and Kansas City from Chicago. as the Missouri River Runner is the train line that connects them, with many stops along the way.
By bus
Greyhound and Jefferson Lines bus also serve Missouri and provide regular service to and from many destinations.
On foot
By train
There is twice daily Amtrak service from St. Louis to Kansas City. Stops include Kirkwood, Washington, Hermann, Jeferson City, Sedalia, Warrensburg, Lee's Summit, and Independence.
By bus
Greyhound runs Interstate 44 from St. Louis to Joplin with stops at Rolla, Fort Leonard Wood/St. Robert, Lebanon, Springfield, and Joplin. They run Interstate 70 from St.
By foot
S. states that allow foot traffic on all toll-free Interstate highways (except within the city limits of Kansas City and St. Louis). This makes hitchhiking relatively easy.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Columbia · Regional · COU
Loading places around the airport…
state capital
lots of concerts, including dinner shows, and amusement attractions, like Silver Dollar City.
college town (home to the University of Missouri)
boyhood home of Mark Twain and "The Unsinkable" Molley Brown
largest city; blues and BBQ await
where the Wild West began
Second largest city, and is the "Gateway to the West", home to the Arch
Scott Joplin's kingdom
"Queen City" of the Ozarks
Lake of the Ozarks region, lake and recreation area is in the Central Missouri region of Missouri. It is a very popular tourist area in the northern part of the Ozarks.
The Ozarks is in the USA and includes areas in southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, southeast Kansas, and eastern Oklahoma.
Between May 1804 and September 1806, 32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery.
Missouri's only national park consists of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. This is the best area in the state for an international backpacker. The park has numerous places to camp. There are many canoe and float trip operators that will provide transportation to and from the river for a reasonable price. While canoeing or floating down the rivers, there are many caves, but as of 2026, they cannot be explored with the exception of Jam-Up Cave, as they are all closed to public entry due to White Nose Syndrome. If you decide to swim in the rivers, be careful and wear some kind of shoe that will stay securely on your feet. The river is full of rocks that are very painful to the feet and the current of the rivers could sweep the shoes right off your feet. It is still a great place to go swimming, especially the Current River. The water on a 6 foot man only rises about neck high in most places and it is spring fed and very cold even on the hottest day. Note: Be prepared if you have an emergency on the river as your cell phone will not work on the river or near it. There are pay phones at some stores along the river. Bring everything you think you may need. Hospitals are scarce and a good drive to get to in this area.
found in various parts of the state from the southwest to the east. Features many campgrounds, hiking trails, and lakes. Some sites of note: Council Bluffs; on Highway DD about 3 miles (5 km) north of Hwy 32 in Iron County. Features a full campground, beach swimming, boat rentals and concessions. Loggers Lake; approx. 10 miles (15 km) from highway 72 in Bunker, follow signs as this place is not on any kind of paved road. Features everything mentioned above except concessions.
Articles and travel topics about Missouri and United States.
Nature & adventureHow to use the America the Beautiful pass, navigate timed-entry reservations and win hiking permits across America's top national parks.
7 min read
Travel tipsHow to master the NYC subway with OMNY contactless pay, dodge airport transfer traps and explore iconic Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods.
7 min read
ItinerariesHow to plan the classic California Highway 1 road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, navigating Big Sur closures, coastal stops and vehicle tips.
6 min read
Travel tipsSplitting a city stay between two hotels can cut costs, save hours of travel and buy you a night of luxury. Here is how to do it well.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.