Hannibal MO (Missouri)

Hannibal MO is a Mississippi River cruise port and town in Missouri USA (counties Marion and Ralls). It is located approx 160 km (100 ml) northwest of St Louis and has population around 10,000.

The city is best-known as the home of Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910 / US writer, publisher, lecturer) and as the setting of his fictional town St Petersburg in the novels "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (published 1876) and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (published 1884). There are numerous historical sites related to the writer and many sites depicted in his novels. This draws many tousands of both US and international tourists. In 2012, "Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum" marked its 100th anniversary, hosting visitors from all the US states plus from around 60 foreign countries.

Due to its low taxes, Hannibal MO emerges as a business destination, together with the town's close proximity to major US highways (Interstate 72, Routes 24, 36, 61). As Certified Local Government, Hannibal's residents and businesses take advantage of both federal and state tax credits, as well as grants and other sources of funding. Among city's main sources of revenue are also the Hannibal Regional Hospital and the Hannibal Clinic. Other major businesses are BASF Chemical Corporation, the General Mills plant, Watlow Electric, Swiss Colony (data call center).

In mid-January 2019 was announced that Hannibal's city council approved a 20-year cruise terminal lease deal with Viking Cruises as the company plans to start Mississippi River cruise shipping operations in 2021. By the agreement, Viking pays USD 1 per passenger to the town in exchange for preferential berth rights. The newbuild riverboat (yet to be named) will have max passenger capacity 338.