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West Plains is a city in and the county seat of Howell County, Missouri, United States. At the 2000 Census, the city's population was 10,866. A 2009 estimate by the Census Bureau shows that the population has risen to 12,003. The West Plains Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of all of Howell County.

Founding and early years
West Plains was founded in 1828 as an unincorporated town. The early development of West Plains has been described to be similar to that of a boomtown, with the first several years as an incorporated town being noted as the most active period of population growth.

Disaster and the Great Depression
On the night of Friday, April 13, 1928, about sixty people had gathered in the Bond Dance Hall for a dance. The Bond Dance Hall was on the second floor of an East Main Street building; the first floor was occupied by Wiser Motors. At 11:05 p.m., as the orchestra played "At Sundown," a violent explosion occurred.

Thirty-seven people were killed; twenty of the dead were so badly mangled that they were unidentifiable. All of the unidentified dead in the explosion are today buried in the Oak Lawn Cemetery. They are memorialized by the "Rock of Ages" monument, erected on October 6, 1929. Numerous buildings, including the courthouse, were damaged to where they were not of use. To this day, no official cause to the explosion has been found. Numerous theories and stories have been passed through generations, one involving gasoline leaking from Wiser Motors. Later, a lifelong and well-known West Plains resident, the late Robert Neathery, wrote in his book, West Plains As I Knew It, that a truck full of explosives parked in the underlying garage was likely the cause for the deadly blast.

Shortly after the explosion, the Great Depression began to affect West Plains.

1940-present: Further development
The city has steadily grown since the Great Depression ended from a town of about 3,000 people to a city estimated to have around 12,000 people in its population.

Geography
West Plains is located at 36.73722°N, -91.865°W (36.737355, -91.864991). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32.1 km²), of which 12.4 mi2 is land and 0.04 mi2 of it (0.16%) is water.

Topography
West Plains is located in extreme south-central Missouri as part of The Ozarks, near the center of Howell County, to the east of the Ozark Mountains and Ozark Plateau. The city is mostly flat on the northern and eastern sides; however, the western and southern sides tend to have more hills. The city has slowly developed around Court Square (known by locals as "The Square"), with the west having slightly more land development than the eastern side of the city.

Climate
West Plains generally has a temperate climate year-round, with rain totals reaching their peak during spring and autumn months. Temperatures normally reach their maximum during mid-summer.

Public schools
The public school district covering the West Plains city limits and the South Fork and Moody areas is the West Plains R-7 school district, consisting of four schools:
 * West Plains Elementary School (K-4)
 * West Plains Middle School (5-8)
 * West Plains High School (9-12)
 * South Fork Elementary School (K-6)

Rural schools
The school district is surrounded by several rural school districts, each consisting of one elementary school: There are some ways in which the West Plains R-7 School District and the rural schools are united. For example, in the event of inclement weather, the closure of the West Plains school district results in all rural schools being closed as well. Also, after a student completes 8th grade at one of the rural schools, he or she attends 9th through 12th grade at West Plains High School.
 * Fairview Elementary School (Fairview R-11, K-8)
 * Junction Hill Elementary School (Junction Hill C-12, K-8)
 * Glenwood Elementary School (Glenwood R-8, K-8)
 * Richards Elementary School (Richards R-5, K-8)
 * Howell Valley Elementary School (Howell Valley R-1, K-8)

Private schools
There are two private schools in the West Plains area, both of which are Christian schools.
 * Faith Assembly Christian School (PK-12, Assemblies of God/Pentecostal)
 * Ozarks Christian Academy (K-10, Non-denominational/Protestant, Classical Christian education)

Higher education
There is one higher educational institution in the West Plains area, the West Plains branch of Missouri State University.

West Plains Regional Airport
West Plains has a regional airport with the ICAO code of KUNO. The airport, up until the summer of 2010, had been classified as a municipal airport and was used generally by private aircraft. Recent changes at the airport, however, suggest the airport may be opened to general commuters in the near future.