Caruthersville is a center of conveniences for the Missouri Bootheel
Home to several parks, restaurants and a casino, Caruthersville is the center of life in Pemiscot County. “It’s a river town set right on the Mississippi,” says Don Lancaster, owner of Heartland Town & Country Real Estate. “It’s an older community with a lot of historic homes, including old Colonial Revival, two-story-type houses.” 5,600 people live in the riverside city, with agribusiness, entertainment and retail being the largest employers. “One of their main incomes is the casino on the river,” Lancaster says. “They have a few small restaurants, but their biggest supply of those types of amenities are along the interstate, where the heavy flow of traffic is.” The highway, as well as the only Mississippi River bridge between southern Illinois and Memphis, connects Caruthersville to nearby cities and beyond.
Downtown and State Route 84 offer diverse eateries and shopping
Ward Avenue serves as Caruthersville’s downtown retail strip. Historic storefronts host boutique shops and local eateries like A Little Pizza Heaven, the local pizzeria and live music venue. Close to the Mississippi riverbank, the Round House Restaurant serves traditional Southern dishes like fried fish and hickory-smoked ham more than 70 years after its founding. Missouri Route 84 is lined with several fast food chains. Grocery options are scattered throughout town, and they include Hays Supermarket, Dollar General and Mann’s Fish Market. Downtown Caruthersville is also home to the Century Casino & Hotel, a major employer and regional attraction. Opened in November 2024, it occupies the site of the last riverboat casino on the Mississippi. The casino is now a riverside resort with nearly 600 machines, an RV park and dining areas.
Ranch-style homes in Caruthersville sell for competitive prices
Caruthersville’s residential streets often put ranch-style homes behind large front lawns, sidewalks and curbside trees. Homes under 2,000 square feet have sold for $110,000 to $160,000, while larger properties go for $160,000 to $370,000. Fixer-upper ranch-style homes have sold for $30,000 to $70,000. Caruthersville’s median sale price of $62,000 is around half the median in Kennett, another Missouri Bootheel hub.
Parks, a country club and adventure park offer recreation venues
Close to downtown, Eastside Park offers shaded pathways that lead to a playground, baseball field and basketball court. The Diane Sayre Recreation Center invites members to make use of its pool, gym, skateboard ramp and many other facilities. At the city’s southern end, the Caruthersville Sports Complex includes four baseball fields, while the neighboring England City Park offers a playground and tennis courts. The Caruthersville Country Club and its nine-hole course are open to the public. During the fall months, River City Adventure Park is a popular venue for pumpkin picking, trampoline jumping and many other activities.
Caruthersville High prepares students for their post-school futures
Students can start at Caruthersville Elementary School before attending Caruthersville Middle School, both of which receive C-minus ratings from Niche. The C-rated Caruthersville High School offers a College and Career Readiness program geared towards preparing students for college, military or career futures.
The interstate and a nearby bridge connect this city to shopping hubs
Interstate 155 runs past Caruthersville and connects it to nearby cities. The Caruthersville Bridge, the only Mississippi River crossing between Illinois and Memphis, takes highway commuters to the Northwest Tennessee employment center of Dyersburg within a 25-mile drive. The Missouri Bootheel hub of Kennett is also 25 miles away. Caruthersville has a handful of medical practices, but the Pemiscot Memorial Hospital is a 6-mile drive up Missouri Route 84.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
