The first settler to visit the area is believed to be Henry Schoolcraft, who arrived in 1818.

During that time he extensively studied the geological makeup of the area and noted the high concentration of lead and zinc.

Schoolcraft noted on the abundance of elk, bear and other wildlife in the area.

The majority of the mining done in Ozark, Missouri was done in the Elk Valley area.

[10] In 2012, press reports described Ozark as the fastest-growing city in Missouri.

[14] The 2020 United States census[15] counted 21,284 people, 7,648 households, and 5,238 families in Ozark.

Of all households, 25.2% consisted of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Ozark was home to Simclar Interconnect Technologies, a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) Simclar Group factory, providing backplane fabrication for telecommunications and data communications customers.

[18] In 2007, Simclar moved 115 jobs to Ozark from Springfield, lured by a "tax incentive under which the company donated $1 million to a local not-for-profit corporation, which in turn will buy buildings, machinery and equipment and lease them back to Simclar.

"[19] In 2012, Los Angeles-based private equity firm Balmoral Funds LLC acquired the Ozark plant as part of an agreement that included plants in Hialeah, Florida and Matamoros, Mexico.

The company was renamed Concurrent Manufacturing Solutions LLC.

[20] The Springfield/Ozark Mountain Ducks were an independent baseball team playing in the Central Baseball League from 1998 to 2003; Price Cutter Park, which was built in early 1999, was their home field.

In 2011, B&B Theatres built a cinema between Ozark and Nixa along Route 14.

[21] The Belltower Chapel, originally the Ozark Christian Church, was built in 1912 and is located off of the Historic Courthouse Square in Ozark; since its 21st-century renovation it serves as a venue for weddings and other events.