De Soto
What’s happening
Weather
Forecast →Upcoming events
Put the next local happening — a market, a meeting, a concert — on the map.
Local news
Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.
The De Soto album
Outdoors in De Soto
Parks & trails →Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1910
Group of Workers, Peters Shoe Co, 1910
Photo · Library of Congress
About De Soto
City in Missouri, Jefferson County, United StatesDe Soto is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,449 at the 2020 census and the city is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Isaac Van Metre was first to settle in De Soto in the year of 1803. The town was organized in 1857 and is named for the explorer Hernando De Soto, who claimed the Louisiana Territory for Spain. De Soto was the city closest to the mean center of U.S. population in 1980. The city celebrated its Bicentennial in 2003. The city made national news on and after May 6, 2003, when straight-line winds and a tornado struck the junior high gymnasium.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
How De Soto ranks
All →Town numbers
Housing in De Soto
The typical De Soto home is worth about $251,000, up 6.2% in a year, 6% below the Missouri typical home.
Only 4 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.
Safety in De Soto
Safety Grade D
De Soto reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less.
Work & commute in De Soto
Full picture →Most working residents leave De Soto for work: only 13% work in town. The top destinations are St. Louis (7%), Hillsboro (4%) and Fenton (3%). Half commute less than 28 miles.
Health in De Soto
Health Grade D−
Healthier than 3% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.
Compared with Missouri
of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 12 are too close to call.
What stands out
Care nearby
Natural hazards in De Soto
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities.
Climate in De Soto
Full climate →De Soto has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Schools in De Soto
All De Soto schools →School Grade C+
The public schools De Soto’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 59% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MO. Ratings are from neighbors.
De Soto’s library
Library details →Famous people from De Soto
See all 8 →
Where De Soto is
Explore map →
Location map