Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150. In 2009, the surrounding Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 174,300.
Although often believed to have been named for the ragtime composer Scott Joplin, who lived in Sedalia, Missouri, Joplin is named for Reverend Harris Joplin, the founder of the area's first Methodist congregation. Joplin was established in 1873 and expanded significantly from the wealth created by the mining of zinc; its growth faltered after World War II when the price of the mineral collapsed. The city gained travelers as Route 66 passed through it; "Joplin, Missouri" is among the lyrics to Bobby Troup's legendary song, memorializing the city among others on the famous highway.
On May 22, 2011, Joplin was struck by an extremely powerful EF-5 tornado, resulting in at least 136 deaths and over 900 injuries, along with major damage to numerous houses and businesses, St. John's Medical Center, and multiple school buildings. The Joplin tornado is the deadliest single twister since Woodward, Oklahoma in 1947. The death toll in Joplin may rise further as the search continues.
