PERRY COUNTY, Mo. — Perryville practically doubled in size and the whole area benefited from a six figure economic boost during the 2017 solar eclipse. Officials say they expect higher numbers as the city is on the path of totality for this year’s solar eclipse.

With a population of 19,000, Perry County welcomed more than 17,800 visitors in 2017, according to Perry County Tourism Director Trish Erzfeld.

She anticipates more visitors on April 8 because Perryville is on the path of totality.

During the last solar eclipse, the area’s amenities, services, regional airport, museums and natural areas were showcased.

“I think the eclipse had a lot to do with people realizing who we were and where we were and the opportunities that we had there,” Erzfeld said.

The hotels were all booked, restaurants were full, people patronized convenient stores and gas stations in 2017, said Crystal Jones, economic director for Perry County.

There were visitors from 36 states and 17 countries, including Hawaii, Portugal, Japan and more.

“We go to those places for vacation. We don’t typically see folks from those locations come to Perryville for a ‘vacation,’ so we used the eclipse as a springboard to get them more engaged in our community,” Erzfeld said.

This year is no different as all 240 hotel rooms in Perryville have been booked up for weeks ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, in addition to the approximate 200 campsites in the area.

Visitors will be traveling from at least 15 states and four countries, according to Erzfeld.

Residents with farmland throughout the county have been turning their properties into makeshift campsites to host visitors.

For those who still need a hotel, Erzfeld recommended traveling to Festus or Arnold for a room and then hop on Interstate 55 for eclipse day. Arnold is about a 40-minute drive from west St. Louis County and Festus is about an hour. 

Guests also can see if any Airbnbs are still available.

In 2017, on average, people spent $40-50 or more if they spent the night in Perryville and ate out, which equaled roughly $600,000 for the local economy, according to Jones.

“That’s quite a bit of extra dollars injected into our economy,” she said. “With more visitors this year, we can expect a greater impact.”

There will be many out-of-town travelers coming to Perryville, which will experience about four minutes of totality during the solar eclipse.

The Perryville Regional Airport experienced 147 planes flying in for the 2017 solar eclipse, which was the biggest event since World War II, according to Erzfeld.

The airport currently has about 25 reservations for this year and they are still being accepted.

“What’s really special about this type of event is all of these people converge on our community and we'd love to see them back for another event or even just a visit,” Jones said.

“What I'm most excited about is just getting some more people familiar with Perry County and all we have to offer, and then getting those folks back in our community to visit other attractions.”

With being one of the few locations to experience both the 2017 and 2024 solar eclipse, officials have been serving on the National Eclipse Taskforce.

“We’ve been going around helping other cities throughout the path (to) kind of mimic what Perryville had done in 2017 because it is a huge opportunity for small communities to showcase what they have,” Erzfeld said.

While Poplar Bluff did not experience a significant number of visitors during the 2017 eclipse, the city is expected to receive approximately 20,000 visitors on April 8.

That’s according to Matt Winters, city manager for Poplar Bluff. Just like Perryville, hotels, Airbnbs and campgrounds are already booked up ahead of the big day.

“Between our tourism tax and just our regular sales tax, we expect the economic impact to our community to be pretty substantial,” Winters said.

He mentioned visitors will be coming to Poplar Bluff from other states and other countries. The Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport also is taking reservations.

Winters said visitors should expect longer wait times at restaurants and an increase in traffic.

“We just ask everybody to enjoy themselves. Be patient and appreciate those that are working that day in customer service-related fields,” Winters said.

The city will have a weekend of events, including an outdoor music festival, an arts festival, a visit from the Kansas City Chiefs mascot and more.

“The thing that we’re most looking forward to is showing off what Poplar Bluff has to offer,” Winters said.

“We’re known as the gateway to the Ozarks. We have an abundance of outdoor activities that are available, so come and see what we’ve got going on and then come back again sometime.”

For a full list of events, click here.

A three-day solar fest will take place April 6-8. Events range from hot air balloon tether rides, a warehouse eclipse foam party, to live music, a balloon glow, a 5K glow walk/run, a silent disco and more.

Erzfeld said to allow for plenty of driving time, and to come early and stay late.

For a full list of events, click here.

All of the sites listed below will have concession stands or food trucks.

• Perryville City Park- Takes Group Reservations 
• Bank of Missouri Soccer Complex- 1.5 miles off­ I-55. Very Easy Access 
• Perryville Regional Airport- Geared to pilots 
• Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum- Altenburg, Missouri 
• Hemman Winery- Brazeau, Missouri

• Poplar Bluff High School Football Field 
• Margaret Harwell Art Museum 
• Ray Clinton Park 
• Poplar Bluff Junior High School 
• Bricks Off Road Park

For a full list of viewing sites, click here.