Southwest Springfield

If you’re in search of newer houses, lower home prices and more open space in the Springfield area, then it may be time to go Greene. Western Greene County is home to the city of Battlefield on the south side and the city of Ash Grove on the north end. The 25-mile trip between the two cities routes past a mix of subdivisions hugging the western boundary of Springfield as well as farmland and pastoral hamlets.

Most homes in this swathe of Greene County are found in the unincorporated areas just west of the Springfield city limits or in the town of Battlefield, western Greene County’s biggest city with 6,000 residents. These are some of the most recent sections of the Springfield metro to be developed, so there is a host of modern subdivisions built in the last 20 years. Homes here typically sell between the mid $200,000s and the high $300,000s. Even 3 miles west of the Springfield city limits, you’ll notice differences in prices and atmosphere compared to Springfield, says Keller Williams agent Sheila Johnson. “The prices are not quite as high as some of eastern Springfield or southwest Springfield. You still can get to downtown Springfield within 10 minutes, and there’s easy access to Interstate 44. It’s still a little bit more rural; it doesn’t feel like you’re right in the city.” Prices tend to be even lower in the smaller, outlying city of Ash Grove. A two-bedroom 1890s estate can be picked up for $145,000, and a four-bedroom home with a swimming pool can be found on the market in the high $200,000s. Spread among the green expanses between these towns are properties with large acreages, from $500,000 new builds plopped on 10 acres to a $1.3 million luxury compound occupying 57 acres.

Schools are a major consideration for folks who move to the area, says Johnson. Multiple highly touted school districts crisscross western Greene County, including some of the highest-rated schools operated by Springfield Public Schools. For example many children attend David Harrison Elementary School and Cherokee Middle School, both of which get an A-minus from Niche for the quality of their academics. Those students advance to Kickapoo High School, a two-time National Blue Ribbon School honoree, the top award given to schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Students further from Springfield attend Republic School District, rated an A-minus by Niche, Willard Public Schools, rated a B-plus by Niche or Ash Grove School District, where Ash Grove High School is part of Missouri’s A-plus Scholarship Program that hands graduates with good grades scholarship funds for in-state community colleges and technical schools.

Indoor and outdoor fun can be found at Chesterfield Park between Battlefield and Springfield. When it gets too rainy or cold to enjoy the park’s exposed walking trails and playground, head inside the Chesterfield Family Center to shoot down the 100-foot water slide, splash into the swimming pool or scale the 28-foot rock climbing wall. If you prefer peaceful solitude, drive to the northern side of the community to wander Bois D’Arc Conservation Area. Among the remote 3,100-acre preserve’s fishing holes and fields of black-eyed Susans are 100-year-old bois d’arc trees, once used by Native Americans to craft their bows.

To explore the region’s history dating back millions, rather than hundreds, of years, check out the Missouri Institute of Natural Science east of Battlefield, a free museum where you can see the remains of prehistoric creatures – and hunt for some yourself. The museum was founded in response to a major discovery where it now stands; road crews two decades ago blasted through rocks and inadvertently uncovered a cave system full of fossils and claw marks that date to the Ice Age. The museum, along with the accompanying geologic library and lab, display, study and protect the fossils and artifacts in the cave system. The institute also shows off fossils found across the country, including Henry, a triceratops skeleton dug up in Wyoming.

Western Greene County is less developed than Springfield, but there are a few popular hangs. For example Battlefield’s Wire Road Brewing Co. has enough to keep you coming back, from its 15 beer taps to the rotation of food trucks that rumble into the parking lot. The brewery’s heated back patio opens to a large yard where you can slide into a picnic table and watch a band mount the property’s wooden stage and jam into the evening. Though Ash Grove is smaller than Battlefield, that doesn’t mean its food scene lacks heavy hitters. Mama Loca’s Café and Cantina and its queso-covered burrito have gotten a shout-out from Feast Magazine, and locals regularly pack the quaint dining room and flower-filled patio. Shopping is sparse from Battlefield to Ash Grove, so residents are best off cruising to Republic or Springfield to shop for groceries, clothes, hardware or other needs.

Written By

Alex Soderstrom

Photography Contributed By

Kenyon Gerbrandt

Video By

Emily McNamara