Map of Centralia city, Missouri

Centralia is a city in Boone County in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 4,541 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 4,244 in 2018. A very small portion of the city lies in Audrain County.

The Boone County portion of Centralia (which forms the majority of the city) is part of the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, while a small part in Audrain County is part of the Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Centralia city overview:
Name:	Centralia city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Missouri
County:	Audrain County, Boone County
Elevation:	879 ft (268 m)
Total Area:	2.90 sq mi (7.50 km²)
Land Area:	2.90 sq mi (7.50 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	4,541
Population Density:	1,568.02/sq mi (605.33/km²)
ZIP code:	65240
Area code:	573
FIPS code:	2912898
GNISfeature ID:	2393789
Website:	www.centraliamo.org

Online Interactive Map

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Centralia online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Centralia location map. Where is Centralia city?

Centralia location on the U.S. Map. Where is Centralia city. — Centralia location on the U.S. Map.

Centralia location on the Missouri map. Where is Centralia city. — Location of Centralia in Missouri.

History

City origin

Centralia was laid out in 1857 and was named after its central location on the North Missouri Railroad from St. Louis to Ottumwa, Iowa, and from the fact that it was located near the center of a vast prairie between Mexico and Huntsville, and between Columbia and Paris.

Civil War

On September 27, 1864, 22 unarmed Union soldiers returning home on leave were pulled from a train in Centralia and executed by Confederate bushwhackers under William T. “Bloody Bill” Anderson. A Union force pursuing the guerrillas was ambushed, and about 150 were killed. The incident came to be known as the Centralia Massacre.

The A.B. Chance Company

The A.B. Chance Company was founded in 1907 by Albert Bishop Chance. He invented the first practical earth anchor. The company played a vital role in the growth of Centralia. Over the course of nearly 120 years, Chance has delivered pole line hardware, switches, cutouts and fuse links in addition to anchors, foundations, hot line tools, fiberglass and rubber products to the world-wide electricity transmission and distribution industry. Acquired by Hubbell in 1994, the Chance brand is manufactured in Centralia, Missouri.

The company still plays a major role in Centralia’s economy with employing 860 people.