Bonne Terre, Missouri

Bonne Terre, Missouri
City
Bonne Terre, Missouri, May 2019
Motto(s):  Good Earth, Good People
Location of Bonne Terre, Missouri
Coordinates: 37°55′15″N 90°32′33″W / 37.92083°N 90.54250°W / 37.92083; -90.54250
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	St. Francois
Government
• Mayor	Erik Schonhardt
Area [1]
• Total	4.10 sq mi (10.63 km2)
• Land	4.07 sq mi (10.54 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Elevation [2]	824 ft (251 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,903
• Density	1,696.90/sq mi (655.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	63628[3]
Area code	573
FIPS code	29-07102[4]
GNIS feature ID	2394219[2]
Website	City of Bonne Terre, Missouri

Bonne Terre (/bɒnˈtɛər/ bon-TAIR) is a city in St. Francois County, Missouri, United States with a population of 6,864 at the 2010 census. Situated in the Southeast Missouri Lead District, lead mining shaped the history and character of the area from the earliest French settlers in the 1720s until today, even though Bonne Terre Mine established by St. Joseph lead mining company in 1864 closed in 1962. Mine tailing piles eroded, and contaminated the area as dust, posing residential hazards or were washed into the Big River. Only in 1992, the Bonne Terre Mine Tailings Site was listed as a Superfund site; as of 2022 remediation is still ongoing.

The Bonne Terre Depot from 1909, the St. Joe Lead Company Administration Building and the Bonne Terre Mine, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The latter is spring water filled and has become a scuba diving attraction.

Bonne Terre is also home to the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, a 3000 bed prison of adult males who may have substance abuse issues or are mentally disabled, where Missouri has conducted all of its executions since April 2005.