[4] The city was named after a place mentioned in the poem "Das Lied von der Glocke" by Friedrich Schiller.

In 1842, Christoph Friedrich Pauling, his wife Catharine and their daughters Rebecca and Charlotte immigrated to the United States from Hanover, with a son being born while they were crossing the Atlantic; they travelled to "a German settlement in Concordia, Missouri",[8] near where they farmed; a second son was born in 1844 and their third and final son, Charles Henry (grandfather of Linus Pauling) was born in 1847.

There were 1,131 housing units at an average density of 635.4 per square mile (245.3/km2).

30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,006 housing units at an average density of 598.5 per square mile (231.1/km2).

31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[12] St. Paul Lutheran High School, a private institution, is the only residential high school affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in the United States.

[14] The annual Fall Festival is held the first weekend after Labor Day, with the CCC Parade (Concordia Comical Crew) held on Friday night.