Missouri is a state located in the Midwest of the US although it´s geographically closer to the eastern coast. The area of Missouri is the 20th biggest (180,533 km²) and has the 18th most residents of the 50 US states (6,083,672). The largest cities are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia, however the capital is Jefferson City. The state is currently governed by a Democrat named Jay Nixon.

At first glance without going into detail it seems like Missouri is a pretty average state. It´s located in the middle of the US the and average in terms of size as well as population.

But if you take a closer look you will see that the "show me state" has a lot of interesting things to offer. It has the Gateway Arch in St. Louis which is the country's biggest man made monument reaching a height of 192 m. It symbolizes Missouri´s importance as the gateway to the west since 1803.

In the elections Missourians were pretty accurately voting for the future president. From 1904 to 2004 they just got it wrong once. That is why it´s a swing state that the candidates will focus on in this election phase as well.

Missouri is famous for its barbecue. You can check it out at Gates and Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City or at Pappy’s and Bogart’s in St. Louis. The state also has a good wine reputation. The World War I Museum in Kansas city is the only museum in the US dedicated to World

War I. Also stop by the Titanic Museum to experience the legendary sea story.

If you like to go out at night you can go to the Kansas City Power & Light District where dining entertainment live music and shopping in the heart of downtown is offered. In Branson you can enjoy more than 100 star-studded live music shows.

Furthermore is he Washington Avenue entertainment district located in St. Louis a great place to walk along one of America's Top 10 Great Streets.

Missouri also offers an exciting stay at LEGOLAND in Kansas City and the St. Louis Zoo.

Missouri is the birthplace of the historic highway, making it a good spot to start a road trip. The tour goes from St. Louis over Springfield to Joplin where the classic stops and eclectic roadside attractions are at.

Missouri is also state with an interesting history as it is the birthplace of famous persons like Mark Twain or John J. Pershing.

author: Marcus Marcath