Joplin

Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Even though Joplin is the largest city located within both Jasper and Newton counties, it is not the county seat of either one. With a population of 51,762 as of the 2020 census, Joplin is the 12th most-populous city in the state. The city covers an area of 38.21 square miles (92.41 km2) on the outer edge of the Ozark Mountains. Joplin is the main hub of the three-county Joplin-Miami, Missouri-Oklahoma Metro area, which is home to 210,077 people; this makes the city the fifth largest metropolitan area in Missouri. In May 2011, a violent EF5 tornado killed more than 150 people and destroyed one-third of the city.