De Soto is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States.

The town was organized in 1857 and is named for the explorer Hernando De Soto, who claimed the Louisiana Territory for Spain.

Water from these wells and springs were bottled and shipped by tank car to the 1904 World Fair in St.

[7] The Central School Campus and Louis J. and Harriet Rozier House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[9] On April 22, 1981, a tornado destroyed the Joachim Savings & Loan, the offices of the Republic and Press newspaper, and a tire store.

[10] On May 6, 2003, at approximately 3:45 pm, a tornado outbreak began in Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.

[12] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.30 square miles (11.14 km2), all land.

The local economy is fueled by Union Pacific Railroad which operates a car repair shop on the east side of Main Street.

De Soto's main train station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad was constructed in 1919 and demolished in 1982.

[16] It had passenger service until April 30, 1971;[17] for several decades afterward, Amtrak's Texas Eagle passed through De Soto without stopping.

Amtrak announced in 2023 that it would add a De Soto stop to the Texas Eagle, pending agreements with Union Pacific and construction of a platform, after the city government had campaigned for its inclusion.

The closest institution of higher education is in Hillsboro, Missouri at Jefferson College.