Branson Profile
The City
The City of Branson (population 10,520; with millions of visitors annually and growing) is located in southwest Missouri, 35 miles south of Springfield within the heart of the Ozark Hills. Branson serves as the job, service, and shopping center for a two-county area with 80,000 year round residents. Branson is surrounded by three prize winning fishing lakes - Lake Taneycomo, Table Rock Lake, and Bull Shoals Lake.
The city has an incorporated boundary of over 21 square miles. It has become the focus of international attention as both a major development area and an entertainment and tourism destination. The reasons are numerous and range from the scenic natural beauty to the variety of live entertainment options and family oriented entertainment offerings.
Transportation
Scenic U.S Highway 65, a north-south highway, is the main route to Branson with over 70% of motorists coming from the north through Springfield.
Airports
The Branson Airport, located less than 10 miles south of the city, has a 7,140-foot runway to accommodate all types of commercial aircraft, making Branson even more accessible. Direct commercial air service is available to many destinations. This was the first privately financed and operated commercial airport in the country, and began operations in the Branson area in the spring of 2009.
The Springfield / Branson National Airport (SGF) is located 42 miles to the north and serves all of southwest Missouri with daily flights connecting to eight international airports via six airlines.
The M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport, a general aviation airport with a 3,739-foot runway, is located one mile south of Branson.
City Road Improvements
The city has taken the lead in ensuring a pleasant visit by adding new roads in the area. Since 1991, an estimated $42 million has been spent on more than 20 miles of new and reconstructed roads.
This network of new and improved streets has been designed to work in concert with enhancements to state highways to ease the visitor’s ability to get to and around the popular Highway 76, which is the address of hundreds of theaters, hotels, restaurants, and family attractions.
Lodging & Restaurants
More than 20,000 rooms are available in Branson motels, hotels, resorts, bed and breakfast inns, and condominiums. Visitors have an endless variety of restaurants and food establishments from which to choose. There are over 125 restaurants with over 30,000 seats.
Convention Center
The Branson Convention Center makes Branson an attractive destination for meetings and business gatherings. Located next to Branson Landing, on the shores of Lake Taneycomo, the center can accommodate up to 6,500 attendees. A wide range of services includes: The 50,000 square foot exhibition hall, The 23,000 square foot ballroom, Meeting rooms, Complete onsite catering, Top-tier audio-visual services,Event management, a convenient business center.
The convention center is connected to the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, a 12-story luxury hotel with 294 rooms and suites.
Many Branson lodging properties also contain conference facilities to accommodate any group.