de Soto Map
De Soto is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,477 at the estimated 2008 census. The Van Metre family were first to settle in 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 straightline winds/tornado struck.
De Soto is located at 38°08?26?N 90°33?27?W / 38.140481°N 90.557585°W / 38.140481; -90.557585. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.9 km2), all of it land.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,375 people, 2,544 households, and 1,656 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,673.6 people per square mile (646.0/km2). There were 2,741 housing units at an average density of 719.6 per square mile (277.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.71% White, 1.71% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
Nearby cities include Festus, Crystal City, Herculaneum, Pevely, Bonne Terre.