Cameron, Missouri - “The Crossroads of the Nation”

Cameron Profile
Cameron, Missouri, invites you visit us and discover what makes Cameron an excellent place to work, live, and locate your business. Cameron is composed of pleasant families with great pride , both personal and community. Cameron consistently ranks well in Community Betterment competition.

Location: Cameron, with a population of 9,788 was founded in 1855 and is located in north central Missouri, 35 miles east of St. Joseph and 50 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri. It is easily accessed via I 35, US 36 & 69.

Quality of Life: Cameron has a wide variety of housing opportunities and recreational facilities including parks, golf course, aquatic center, and a YMCA. The Cameron R-1 school district is located on three campuses within easy walking distance. Cameron also has a Children's Development Center and Clinic to facilitate our special needs adult population.

Transportation: all major truck lines provide carrier service to the area via I-35, US 36 and 69. Newly renovated Cameron Airport sees much use due to its 4,000-ft. lighted runway; FBO; 24-hour service.

Utilities: Electric power from N.W. Electric, Platte Clay Electric, United Electric and Farmers Electric Cooperatives Co-op provide abundant power for citizens and industry. Natural gas is supplied by MGE.

Economy: The economy is well balanced, providing a good supply of hard working, dependable workers as evidenced by a 2006 labor study.

Industry: The industrial park, offering convenient access to Highway 36, contains 85 acres of land. The Industrial Development Authority, established in 1979, has the capability to issue tax exempt bonds.

Recreation
Cameron has bragging rights to extensive public recreational facilities available to residents and visitors. Cameron offers something for almost all sports. Golfers enjoy the 18-hole Cameron Memorial Golf Course with clubhouse and paved cart paths. Swimmers favor Recreation Park's Aquatic Center's 350,000 gallon Olympic-sized swimming pool with a 121 foot water slide known as the Parkside Fury. Six recently refurbished tennis courts with timed lighting, sand volleyball, playground equipment as well as shelter houses are also available at Recreation Park. Walkers and joggers enjoy the all weather track at Dave Goodwin Stadium that is available 24/7 unless a game or meet is scheduled. The football field also boasts an all purpose artificial turf field. Soccer enthusiasts will appreciate the new soccer fields at West & 2nd. Baseball or softball games are held at the three-field complex near Recreation Park.

Cameron is 6 miles north of Wallace State Park, where both visitors (100,000 annually) and residents enjoy hiking, picnicking, swimming, camping, fishing, playgrounds, shelter houses, and restroom facilities available on its 501 acres. Six acre Lake Allamon is in the center of the park and stocked with bass and channel catfish. Hunting, fishing, and camping are also available at nearby Soggy Bottom Crawfish Farm.

Community Facilities
The state-approved water plant currently operates at 85% capacity. Cameron's four city reservoirs serve as the source for the city water supplies. The city's wastewater treatment facilities managed by Alliance Water consist of 2 oxidation ditches. Recent improvements have made site virtually odor free. Sewer Capacity is 1.8 Million gallons a day. Water capacity is at 1.6 Million gallons a day.

Cameron High School is the largest high school in the four-county area at 521 students. The newly renovated facility offers technological skills and quality educational programs. Multiple curricular choices and activities are offered such as football, softball, drama, wrestling, boys and girls basketball, track, golf, baseball, band, cheerleading, and dance team. Parkview Elementary School has approximately 780 students in Early Childhood and Kindergarten through 4th grade. Student/teacher ratios are maintained around 18 students per classroom teacher. All classrooms are Internet accessible, and electronic white boards have been added to every regular classroom in grades Kindergarten through four. We also have the largest Middle School in the surrounding area at 487 students. Total enrollment in 2007 - 1,730.

Cameron has an excellent 16 person police force as well 3 additional officers assigned to the regional NITRO task force. Their experience and dedication led to an 80% case clearance as compared to the national average of 29% in 2007. This low crime rate is a great benefit to business. Cameron has a 35 member volunteer fire department which allows the city to be classified as a Class Five city by the fire insurance underwriters. The Cameron public library is located at 312 N. Chestnut houses 44,000 items, including the traditional books for all ages. Also included are books on CD, movies, genealogy tools/information, high-speed Internet, computer access, story hours, and summer reading programs. Users can access the card catalog form the comfort of home at www.cameronlibrary.org. Call them at 816-632-2311 for more information.

Cameron Airport is located southeast of Cameron on Highway A A full-service airport facility that offers aviation gas and jet fuel, it features a full-length taxiway, over 4000-plus feet of runway, 24-hour fuel service, hangers, and a pilot's lounge.

Health care services include Cameron Regional Medical Center, NW Vision, Murphy Watson Burr Eye Center. Chiropractic care is available through Cameron Chiropractic, Gutshall Chiropractic, and Well Adjusted Chiropractic and Acupuncture Clinic. Elder care services are available from Tiffany In-Home Services. Cameron has senior living through Cameron Missouri Veterans Home and Cameron Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Safehaven Animal Rescue was founded in October 1999 to help adopt animals from the Cameron Animal Shelter as well as help animals in the surrounding counties where there are no shelters, and animals are left to fend for themselves. They work closely with other rescue groups and larger shelters.

Communication systems available in Cameron include CenturyTel phone service and internet access, a weekly newspaper, Citizen-Observer, and area radio station, KMRN/KKWK. These systems provide you with quick connections to your market areas.

Airport

Cameron Municipal Airport

Photos courtesy of Citizen-Observer

The 1996 completion of a $3 million airport improvement project includes a new 4,000 foot runway and taxiway. Recently the City received a grant to improve the parking ramp and hangar access. Over 30 area pilots hangar their planes at this highly-regarded facility which offers 24-hour fuel, aircraft rental, flight instruction and a fixed-base operator.

The spacious, modern enclosed shelter house features a refrigerator, stove and hot water in addition to a covered patio. Rent is $35.00 and it can be reserved by contacting the park office.

This 300-foot-long footbridge spans the east edge of Lake Allaman and is one of the most scenic spots in North Missouri. Small boats and electric motors are permitted on the six-acre lake which has a popular sand beach. The park is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Four campgrounds featuring 80 individual campsites, many with electricity, are offered at the park. Most sites are provided on a first-come-first-served basis, however Campground No. 4 (shown here) can be reserved for organized travel groups of up to 20. Sites accommodate a variety of camping modes from tents to huge RVs. Picnic areas are scattered throughout the park.

Shady Skunk Hollow Trail follows an intermittent stream and is one of four main trails comprising nine miles at the park. Deer Run Trail is the longest and stretches 3 _ miles throughout the 501-acre park. The park originated in 1932 when the Cameron Sportsman’s Club convinced the State to acquire 131 acres. Much of the initial development was provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930’s.

The Learning Stones are arranged in McCorkle Park across from the library and near the Goodrich Early Years Learning Center where students can gather outdoors to hear stories, conduct activities and study. It is a project of the Pride Committee of the Cameron Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Cameron Municipal Band built the Pavilion in 2001 to honor a distinguished local band instructor. The venue, in downtown McCorkle Park, continues the century-old tradition for weekly, summertime concerts by the City’s 50-member municipal band which was formed in 1866 and is one of Missouri’s last remaining tax-supported city bands. Voters approved a band tax in 1929 and for years the musicians performed atop the nearby Firemen’s Memorial. The Chamber’s Pride Committee added sturdy benches and sidewalks.

The Shamrock with embedded Blarney Stone nestles next to the concrete “Cameron” lettering in McCorkle Park visible for decades to train passengers as they traversed central Cameron. Although the tracks were removed decades ago, the shamrock is a reminder of the influence of Irish immigrants to Cameron’s history.

Cameron’s Olympic-size swimming pool hosts regional meets and features The Parkside Fury, an exciting, 121-foot serpentine water slide plus enclosed playground equipment. Funds for pool construction were all raised locally and it is available for private parties.

The Firemen’s Memorial in McCorkle Park was built in 1971 to honor the city’s many volunteer firefighters and displays a 1928 Studebaker fire truck plus other mementos. The Cameron Municipal Band held its summer concerts on the Memorial roof before the band constructed the Price Pavilion in 2001.

This view of the 18-hole Cameron Veterans Memorial Golf Course overlooks hole number 16 from the tee box. The Cameron course features lots of water and plenty of woods but the fairways are forgiving Annual family membership is less than $500 and low green fees attract golfers from the metro area as well as interstate travelers. The course added paved cart paths in 1998.

There is an abundance of colorful and creative playground equipment at Cameron’s Recreation Park which is co-located with other recreational and educational opportunities.

The City of Cameron and the Cameron School system cooperate to provide six outstanding tennis courts in Recreation Park which have recently been renovated. The courts feature timed lighting and are the site for numerous tournaments.

Return to Top

Cameron Area Chamber of Commerce
205 North Main, Cameron, MO 64429
Phone and Fax: 816.632.2005
Email Us

 Web Design by BK Web Works, © 2008, All Rights Reserved
Art by Kitty