Springfield, Missouri The Official Economic Development Site for the Springfield Metro Region

The new terminal at Springfield-Branson National Airport opened in May 2009. The new terminal features the latest in airport functionality and has 10 gates with the capacity to expand to 60 gates.

SGF handles 800,000 passengers each year with connections to 12 US cities on 5 airlines. In 2005, the airport was the 4th fastest growing airport in the country.

Downtown Springfield is home to more than two dozen art galleries and on the first Friday of each month thousands of people from all walks of life flock to downtown to take part in the "ArtWalk" while enjoying one of more than 50 locally-owned restaurants or listening to the live music that spills onto nearly every street corner.

The renaissance in downtown Springfield has transformed this historic district into the heart of the Springfield region. Fine dining, trendy retail, a lively art scene, entertainment venues, and an explosion of loft apartments exist at every turn.

Nearly $400 million has been invested in the redevelopment and in the creation of high-tech research facilities, an 8,000 seat baseball stadium, a new convention center and plenty of new park space.

As one of the top 10 public accounting firms in the US, BKD's growth led to the development of a new office building in downtown Springfield. The new 100,000 sqft office will open in the summer of 2009.

Springfield is also headquarters to several large companies such as Bass Pro Shops, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Jack Henry & Associates. Other well-known companies with large operations in Springfield include Kraft Foods, 3M, JP Morgan Chase and T-Mobile.

On the edge of downtown, Missouri State University's Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts hosts a complete range of events, from acoustic rock concerts to Broadway shows, to performances of any kind.

Springfield is also home to a symphony, ballet and opera as well as a very lively arts scene.

The Cox South complex, the southern anchor of Springfield's "Medical Mile," reflects in the waters of Burrell Park Lake.

Health care in the Springfield area employs 30,000 people and has an economic impact of over $4.6 billion. Both major hospitals, CoxHealth and St. John's Health System are top 100 hospitals in the U.S.

We're well-known for being the home of Bass Pro Shops, and Springfield doesn't disappoint when it comes to hunting and fishing. A variety of hunting opportunities abound with deer and turkey seasons leading the way. Grab your rod and reel and head to any one of the numerous recreational lakes to angle for a variety of bass or catfish. Or test your fly fishing skills in some of the clear, spring-fed streams. Fishing holes like Bennett Spring and the North Fork of the White River boast some of the best rainbow and brown trout fishing in the country.

Nearly 40 inches of rainfall, mostly in the late winter and spring bring the hundreds of Ozark float streams to life and the constant flow of cool, clear springs keeps the floating going almost year-round. National Scenic Rivers like the Current, Jacks Fork and Buffalo provide hundreds of miles of floating with very little sign of development. Canoeing, tubing and even whitewater kayaking are great options for taking in the scenery on the rivers.

More than 16 miles of greenway trail run through Springfield including Galloway Creek Greenway, a National Parks Service designated National Recreation Trail. But the walking and biking opportunities don't stop there. The non-profit group Ozark Greenways has overseen the development of a 35 mile rails-to-trails project stretching from Springfield to Bolivar, a 6 mile water trail, and an 8 mile network of single-track. So whether you roll in tennis shoes, a stroller, a canoe, or on fat tires, you'll find ample trail in the Springfield area.

From leisurely strolls in nature to multi-day backpacking trips, Springfield and the Ozarks offer a wide-variety of hiking opportunities. Start within the city limits at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center where visitors can enjoy walking through a variety of ecosystems and build up to more scenic hikes in surrounding Mark Twain or Ozark National Forests or in nearby Buffalo National River. Then test yourself on the 165 mile trek on the Ozark Highlands Trail in northern Arkansas or take on the 140-mile Ozark Trail in southern Missouri.

Literally thousands of miles of shoreline across the region provide lake-goers with ample opportunity for fun and enjoyment. Some of the larger lakes like Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Beaver and Lake of the Ozarks are perfect for boating, water skiing, fishing and even SCUBA diving. Smaller lakes like Fellows, McDaniel, Taneycomo and Lake Springfield offer more laid back settings for fishing, canoeing and even sailing.

Designated a Tree City USA, Springfield has a long commitment to urban parks. Historic parks like Phelps Grove, Seqiouta, Fassnight and Doling offer fantastic settings for picnics, family outings or just a stroll through the trees. The commitment continues with new parks in the city like the marquee Jordan Valley Park in the heart of downtown, Wilson-Rutledge Farm Park and the new Cruse Dog Park.

Missouri State University is the second largest university in the state, with nearly 20,000 students. MSU offers more than 150 undergraduate and nearly 50 graduate programs. The Bears compete in Division I athletics and boast many of the top venues in the Missouri Valley Conference. The College of Business Administration, holds a variety of programs from Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Insurance to IT Services Management, Industrial Management, and International Management. It is also the largest business college in a seven-state area.

One of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation, Ozarks Technical Community College provides technical and general education for more than 13,000 students on 5 campuses. OTC provides over 50 program options as well as workforce training, continuing education, certificates, and associate degrees that fully transfer to Missouri State University, Drury and other area colleges.

Springfield Public Schools is Missouri's largest fully accredited school district with nearly 24,000 students who attend 53 schools. The school district earned the state's "Distinction in Performance" Award for academic achievement and progress five times from 2002-2006 and boast more than 63% of the faculty have advanced degrees. All five district high schools are designated Missouri A+ Schools and seniors who took the ACT achieved an average composite score of 22.9 compared with the national average composite of 21.1.

Evangel University is a private Christian university associated with the Assemblies of God. With over 100 programs in 10 academic departments and 1850 Undergraduate and Graduate Students Evangel is the largest of several Christian colleges in the Springfield region. Southwest Baptist University, Baptist Bible College and Central Bible College are several of the other larger institutions.

Founded in 1873, Drury University is a private, liberal arts college located in the heart of Springfield. With more than 3,500 total students and 70 majors and academic programs, Drury has been at or near the top of the U.S. News and World Report "Great Schools at Great Prices" list for the Midwest since 1999, including five years in the #1 slot.