Defining A Region: The Great River Road In Missouri

The Great River Road (GRR) is an established roadway along both the east and west banks of the Mississippi River that serves to connect people to the geography of this area. In this study, the socioeconomic characteristics present in Missouri are analyzed to determine if a more formal GRR region exists in Missouri. County-level data from a five-year estimate (2014–2018) conducted by the United States Census Bureau are used to give greater insight on any unifying characteristics the GRR may have in Missouri. Social, economic, housing, and demographic information combined with spatial pattern analysis help identify evidence of a “region” based around the GRR in Missouri. This spatial data analysis provides information to confirm the presence of a more accurate GRR regional border with a subsequent proposal of subregions.