City of Ellington

Ellington City Hall

     The City of Ellington is located in the south central portion of Reynolds County, with city offices at Tubbs and Main Street. Nearby Clearwater Lake attracts local visitors as well as tourists from all over the State of Missouri. The Chamber of Commerce, a local development office, and the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission oversee economic development for Ellington.

     According to the 2000 census, Mayor Ron Wakefield and the four-member city council administer a municipality with a population of 1,045, up 5.1 percent from the 1990 count of 994. Ellington has four full-time policemen and a volunteer Fire Department staff of 21.

     In 1999, Reynolds County reported a per capita income of $16,395. The unemployment rate of Reynolds County in February, 2001, was 9.9 percent, with an available workforce of 2,586. Only 239 people in Reynolds County are unemployed, with 2,347 having gainful employment. The average hourly wage for the county, as of March, 2000, is $8.88 per hour in the manufacturing sector and $13.06 in non-manufacturing. The county's major employers are Baker Enterprises, a lumber mill equipment manufacturer, with 120 employees;Doe Run Mining Company, a hard rock mining company with approximately 550 employees; the Southern Reynolds County R-II School system; Reynolds County Memorial Hospital, with 65 workers; and Brent B. Tinnin Manor, a residential care facility, and Brawley & Flowers, a lumber wholesaler, both with 50 employees.

     Black River Electric Cooperative in Ellington provides electric power for the city. The city provides both water and sewer services to its residents. Telephone service is provided by Ellington Telephone. Internet service is available to Ellington residents from local providers in Ellington and Poplar Bluff.

     Residents of Ellington receive medical services from physicians whose offices are located in the city. There is a 29-bed hospital situated just outside the Ellington city limits.

     Ellington children attend public school in their hometown. The nearest public community college, Three Rivers Community College, is located in Poplar Bluff and boasts an enrollment of 2,824 (fall, 2001). Mineral Area College, a public four-year college located in Park Hills, MO, is the nearest higher learning facility. Fall, 2001, enrollment for the college was 2,913 students.

     Residents in Reynolds County travel Missouri Highways 106, 72, and 21. It is 30 miles to the nearest four-lane thoroughfare and 60 miles to the interstate interchange.

     The Van Buren Airport, located 30 miles away, is the nearest public airport. It has a 2,600-foot paved and lighted runway. The nearest commercial airport is Rolla/Vichy National Airport in Rolla, MO, a distance of 90 miles.

     Residents in Ellington have a choice of three financial institutions. Sun Security Bank of America, People's Community State Bank, and First Community Bank have branches within the city limits.

     Ellington citizens get their local news from the weekly newspaper. There are five Protestant churches to serve the community's spiritual needs. Ellington also has a motel, a shopping center, a public library, two public parks, and a tennis court.

     The nearest public access lake is Clearwater Lake. Activities on or around the lake include camping, fishing, hiking/fitness/nature trails, motor boating, swimming, and water skiing.

     Average temperatures for Ellington range from 20 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 88 degrees Fahrenheit in July. The average annual precipitation is 46 inches.

     The city is represented by 152nd District State Representative J.C. Kuessner (D) and 3rd District State Senator Kevin Engler (R).  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R) represents Ellington in the Eighth Congressional District.