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is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,375 at the 2000 census. The town was organized in 1857 and is named for the explorer Hernando De Soto, who claimed the Louisiana Territory for Spain. De Soto was the city closest to the mean center of U.S. population in 1980. The city features a Wal-Mart Supercenter, one of De Soto's largest employers. The city celebrated its Bicentenial in 2003. The city made national news on and after May 6, 2003, when straightline winds/tornado struck.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.9 km