Nixa is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,124 at the 2000 census, though a recent survey suggests a population of closer to 15,000. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Nixa was named after Nicholas A. Inman, a blacksmith who lived in the Nixa area at the time of establishment. The first four letters in Nicholas' name were added to his middle initial, which is A, hence the city name: Nixa. Family descendants owned the majority of the land around Nixa out to what is now Cox Road. Many of the family members still live in this area, in towns like Billings, Republic, and Springfield. A great-great-grandnephew of Inman's was elected mayor of Billings, Missouri.Nixa is the only city bearing that name in the world.

Education

All the schools in Nixa are public. Currently, the Nixa R-2 School District operates five elementary schools for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, Matthews, Thomas, Espy, Century, and the newest, High Pointe Elementary (named so because it sits on the highest elevation in Christian County). It opened in August, 2007. There are also two elementary schools for students in the fifth and sixth grades (Inman and Main Street), one junior high school and one high school. The district is widely considered one of the best in Missouri, receiving the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Distinction in Performance award for the each of the last five years. Its Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores surpassed state averages in all 10 assessments.