City population went up from the 2000 census at 16988 to 17,505 an increase of 517.
(The city limits signs show a population of 17,304 because of the annexation that happened after the 2000 census).
One other interesting thing to note is that our minority population has increased and that is where we actually are seeing the largest increase.
Complete data available here.
Great news: The first full calendar month of Cape Air serving Kirksville – October – saw 706 passengers. It exceeded the DOT’s threshold of 593 passengers by 113 passengers – or 19%. The subsidy per passenger was $177, well clear of the DOT’s $200/passenger cap.
As long as we can keep these numbers up, Kirksville should be flying the friendly skies well into the foreseeable future. In addition to the lower prices, I think there are some noticeable differences in marketing strategy that are keeping these numbers up – the ticket office downtown, the signage around the city and beyond. I particularly enjoy the billboard south on 63 that says: “If you flew to St. Louis, you’d be there by now.”
If you haven’t tried flying Cape Air out of Kirksville Regional Airport, please do! Did you know you can book your flight through an online ticketing service with ONE TICKET to your destination, and without having to re-check your baggage at the airport or go through security? You can also get American Airlines frequent flyer miles. Everyone I’ve talked to who’s taken a flight says it’s a fun, pleasant experience.
