Пiedмонт қаласы: географиясы, халқы және тарихы

Piedmont is a city in northwestern Wayne County in Southeast Missouri, United States. Its population was 1,897 at the 2020 census. Part of the Ozark Foothills Region, it is at the convergence of State Highways 34 and 49. Piedmont, transliterated as "foot of the mountain," is named for its position at the foot of Clark Mountain, a 1424 foot summit approximately two miles north of the town.

Piedmont was platted in 1871 when the Iron Mountain Railroad was extended south to that point. The community derives its name from the French pied and mont, meaning "foot" and "mountain" respectively. A post office called Piedmont has been in operation since 1872.

Piedmont is located at
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.15 square miles (6 km2), of which 2.14 square miles (6 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0 km2) is water. Piedmont includes the neighborhood of Beckville. Nearby Clearwater Lake, a flood control lake that was constructed in the 1940s and managed by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, brings substantial seasonal tourism to Piedmont for boating, fishing, and camping.

Piedmont has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,977 people, 823 households, and 500 families residing in the city. The population density was There were 993 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 96.5% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 823 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 42.9 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.3% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

The City of Piedmont is governed by Mayor William H. "Bill" Kirkpatrick and a four member city council. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p. m. Central Standard Time (CST) at Piedmont City Hall, 115 W. Green Street.

Piedmont is a part of Missouri's 144th Legislative District and is currently represented by Chris Dinkins (R Annapolis, Missouri). In the Missouri Senate, State Senator Wayne Wallingford (R Cape Girardeau, Missouri) represents Piedmont as part of Missouri's 27th Senatorial District.

Piedmont is included in Missouri's 8th congressional district and is currently represented in the U. S. House of Representatives by Jason T. Smith (R Salem, Missouri).

Piedmont is known for its two nearby drive in theaters, the Pine Hill Drive In and the 21 Drive In near Van Buren. Since 1977 Piedmont has hosted an Ozark Heritage Fall Festival annually in mid October, which showcases traditional Ozark culture and handicrafts, and is one of the highest attended in the region. In August of 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of alleged unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings in Piedmont, the Missouri General Assembly passed SB139 designating Piedmont and Wayne County as the UFO Capitals of Missouri. Between February and April 1973, residents of Piedmont and the surrounding area witnessed unexplained activity in the sky. Several hundred calls were made to local police, sheriffs and newspapers. The incidents made local headlines and eventually national news outlets began reporting the sightings. Today, the city of Piedmont celebrates this designation every April with its annual UFO Festival.