Willard, Missouri:
​ A brief history.

The City of Willard (population of approximately 5,288 according to the 2010 Census) is located six (6) miles northwest of Springfield, MO in Greene County on U.S. Highway 160.  Currently comprising an area of 5.92 square miles (3,788.8 acres) the City’s early settlers were primarily of Scot, Irish, Welsh and English descent.  The first families to settle in what is now known as Willard were Oscar Farmer (1836), Dennis Kime and his wife (1854) and George and Elizabeth Sloan (1860) whose original home is still in use today.  The Town of Willard began to flourish in 1884 when the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad laid the first track of line running from Springfield through Willard and then eventually onto Kansas City.  This line, which later became referred to as the “High Line” is today a lighted walking/fitness trail which comprises a portion of Missouri's Premier Rail-Trail.  The City, originally to be named Robberson (after Dr. E.T. Robberson who had platted the town), upon discovery that another municipality already had that name became known as Willard after Mr. William Willard of Lebanon, MO who was the surveyor working for the railroad.  The City of Willard was therefore founded in 1884 and incorporated in 1949.  There are a number of sites of historic note including the Sloan residence (c. 1860), the Kime residence (c. 1860), the old Willard Bank (c. 1908), the Willard Hotel, the Blacksmith shop (c. 1922) and both the Presbyterian and First Baptist churches (c. 1891).
 
The City of Willard is located within the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area; is five and one-half (5.5) miles distant from the Springfield-Branson Airport and is twenty (20) miles distant from the nearest rail piggyback service.  The City is within close proximity to a number of colleges and universities such as: Missouri State University, Drury University, Ozarks Technical Community College, Evangel University and Southwest Baptist University.  The City is also positioned close to a number of nationally recognized medical facilities including:  Mercy Health System, Cox Medical Center and Ozarks Community Hospital.  The City of Willard is known for the following:

  • A very strong work ethic;
  • An excellent quality of life;
  • Very low crime rate;
  • An active Chamber of Commerce as well as a number of other civic organizations;
  • High quality services such as police, fire, municipal water and sanitary sewer;
  • Low tax rate;
  • An established and progressive recreational system including two (2) gymnasiums, a fitness center, an aquatic center, a number of walking/fitness trails, lighted softball and baseball fields, a soccer complex, a recreation center, a community center, two (2) public parks totaling forty-four (44) acres, etc.;
  • There are currently approximately one hundred and thirty (130) businesses and services in the City including four (4) banks, four (4) shopping centers, multiple eating establishments and a variety of retail;
  • Local professional medical services available include four (4) doctors, three (3) dentists, two (2) pharmacies, two (2) chiropractors and two (2) veterinarians;
  •  Currently home to a sixty (60) bed nursing home, a retirement village and one (1) assisted living facility;
  • A very high quality educational school system with an accredited A+ high school. Locally students score above state average in most categories on the MO Assessment Program and in standardized testing students have been equal to or above the national average in most areas; and,
  • Close proximity to the numerous retail services and eating establishments, etc. of Springfield, MO, Fantastic Caverns, Bass Pro Shop, Dickerson Park Zoo and Stockton Lake.

Why live in Willard?

A recent 2016 study by the Niche firm was conducted on THE BEST SMALL TOWNS TO RAISE A FAMILY. This study provided a comprehensive assessment of key metrics that indicate how good an area is to raise a family at the town level. This grade takes into account key family-centered factors such as public education, safety, community involvement and access to family necessities in the attem
​pt to holistically measure how good an area is for families. "Towns" exclude all suburbs and cities with over 100,000 residents.

The results show that the City of Willard, MO is ranked second (2nd) in the state of Missouri as the best place to raise a family with only the community of Eureka, MO being ranked higher than Willard and further, Willard is ranked 32nd in the entire country as the best place to raise a family. Willard's scores for those family-centered factors/metrics are as follows:

  • Crime and Safety grade (a location's general overall safety): B;
  • Education grade (the average overall grade for every public school where each school is weighted by the number of students served): A-;
  • Access to Libraries grade (proximity and availability of): B;
  • Community grade (indicates an area's involvement and investment in the community): A-;
  • Housing grade (how good an area is to purchase a home): A;
  • Access to Day Cares (proximity and availability of): B-; and
  • Access to Grocery stores (proximity and availability of): B-.
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