10 Quirky Facts About Missouri That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% Accurate (2024)

Can you guess which it is? With more than 200 fountains around the city, Kansas City holds the title of the City of Fountains. Many say it has more fountains than any other city in the United States.

You might already know that, but can you name all eight of those states? Missouri is bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.

That president was Harry S. Truman.

While around a dozen states have a state horse, Missouri didn’t get its state horse, the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse, until 2002. To honor this majestic animal, Missouri celebrates the first full week of September each year with "Missouri Fox Trotter Week."

The Missouri mule, a cross of a female horse and a male donkey, officially became the state animal in 1995.

For just over three weeks in October 1903, the brand-new town was officially known as Lucia. It was renamed Branson after Reuben Branson, the local postmaster.

Red’s Giant Hamburg dates back to 1947, and it earns credit as being the first fast food restaurant to have a drive-thru window. Missourians still flock to Red’s Giant Hamburg in Springfield for a delicious burger and a side of nostalgia.

When you buy a loaf of sliced bread at the grocery store, think of Chillicothe. Although the bread slicer was invented by an Iowan, Otto Rohwedde, the first time sliced bread was sold was in this small Missouri town.

The honor to host the first Olympics in America was originally given to Chicago. However, the games were ultimately held in St. Louis during the summer of 1904.

If you’re making a call to a Missouri number, you’ll dial one of six area codes first. Missouri’s area codes are 314, 636, 816, 660, 573, and 417.