Cuba, Missouri, United States

🇺🇸 Cuba is a city in Crawford County, Missouri, United States. Cuba is the largest city situated entirely in Crawford County.

History Cuba was platted in 1857 when it was certain the railroad would be extended to that point. It was named after the island of Cuba.

President Harry S. Truman visited Cuba during a tour of U.S. Route 66. He surveyed the property that would eventually become Indian Hills Lake. Indian Hills Lake was originally known as "Indian Head Lake" because the skull of a Native American was found during excavation.

Bette Davis and Amelia Earhart also visited the town. Their visits are commemorated in the Viva Cuba Mural Project.

Cuba was designated as the Route 66 Mural City by the Missouri legislature in recognition of Viva Cuba's Outdoor Mural Project. The beautification group consulted with Michelle Loughery, a Canadian muralist who helped create the vision and two of the murals. The group commissioned twelve outdoor murals along the Route 66 corridor. Interstate 44 now runs through Cuba.

Cuba was also the site of the first Adopt a Highway program in Missouri.

The Cuba City Jail, Cuba High School Annex, Cuba Lodge No. 312 A.F. and A.M., George B. Hamilton House, Hotel Cuba, John Manson Munro House, Uptown Cuba Historic District, and Wagon Wheel Motel, Cafe and Station are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography Cuba is located on Missouri Route 19 approximately seven miles north-east of Steelville. I-44 passes the north side of the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.20 square miles (8.29 km²), all land.

Demographics The population density was 1,048.8 inhabitants per square mile (404.9/km²). There were 1,542 housing units at an average density of 481.9 per square mile (186.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.95% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 1.49% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.40% of the population.

There were 1,385 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

Arts and culture The Wagon Wheel Motel is a historic landmark and has been a presence on Route 66 since the 1930s. The guest cottages and old Wagon Wheel Cafe building underwent renovations beginning in 2009.

Cuba is home to the Crawford County History Museum. The Veterans Memorial, with almost 1000 names of veterans, sits in front of the museum on Smith Street.

Four miles west of Cuba on Route 66 is the World's Largest Rocking Chair (former). The chair is 42' high and draws many Route 66 travelers to take photos. It is located next to the reopened Fanning 66 Outpost (under new management).

Education The Crawford County R-II school district in 2000 had 1,426 students. The high school had 451 students, the middle school had 454, and the elementary school had 521. Renovation of the elementary and middle school facilities and the construction of a new high school, all of which cost more than $4 million, was recently completed. The school district has received full accreditation of the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

The Holy Cross Catholic School teaches grades PK through 8. In 2000 it had 54 students.

Cuba has a public library, a branch of the Crawford County Library District.