List of Counties in Missouri

There are 114 counties and one independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Following the Louisiana Purchase and the admittance of Louisiana into the United States in 1812, five counties were formed out of the Missouri Territory at the first general assembly: Cape Girardeau, New Madrid, Saint Charles, Saint Louis, and Ste. Genevieve. Most subsequent counties were apportioned from these five original counties. Six more counties were added through the 1836 Platte Purchase, the acquired lands of which formed the northwest tip of the state and consisted of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, Nodaway, and Platte counties.
In Missouri, the county level of government comes between those of the city and the state. Its primary responsibilities include maintaining roads, providing security, prosecuting criminals, and collecting taxes. Elected officials at this level include a sheriff, prosecuting attorney, and assessor.
Most of the counties in Missouri are named after politicians. One such county, Cass, was originally named Van Buren County after President Martin Van Buren, and was changed to its present name in support of Van Buren's Democratic opponent Lewis Cass during the presidential election of 1848. Other counties are named after war heroes, natural resources, explorers, and former U.S. territories.
The city of St. Louis is an independent city, and is not within the limits of a county. Its residents voted to secede from St. Louis County in 1876. Throughout the United States, St. Louis is one of three independent cities outside the state of Virginia (the other two are Baltimore, Maryland and Carson City, Nevada).
Population figures are based on the 2010 United States Census. According to that census, the population of Missouri is 5,988,927, an increase of 7.0% from 2000. The average population of Missouri’s counties is 52,078  ; St. Louis County is the most populous (998,954), and Worth County is the least (2,171). The average land area is 599 sq mi (1,550 km2). The largest county is Texas County (1,179 sq mi, 3,054 km2) and the smallest is St. Louis city (61.9 sq mi, 160 km2).
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) is used by the U.S. government to uniquely identify counties, and is provided for each entry. These codes link to the United States Census Bureau's "quick facts" for each county. To distinguish from counties in other states, one must use Missouri’s FIPS code, 29. For example, Adair County's unique nationwide identifier is 29001.
== Counties ==
County 	FIPS Code	County Seat 	Established	Formed From 	Population	Area
Adair County 	001 	Kirksville 	1841 	Macon County 	25,607 	568 sq mi
(1,471 km2)
Andrew County 	003 	Savannah 	1841 	Part of the Platte Purchase 	17,291 	435 sq mi(1,127 km2)
Atchison County 	005 	Rock Port 	1843 	Holt County, part of the Platte Purchase 	5,685 	545 sq mi(1,412 km2)
Audrain County 	007 	Mexico 	1831 	Callaway, Monroe and Ralls counties 	25,529 	693 sq mi(1,795 km2)
Barry County 	009 	Cassville 	1835 	Greene County 	35,597 	779 sq mi(2,018 km2)
Barton County 	011 	Lamar 	1855 	Jasper County 	12,402 	594 sq mi(1,538 km2)
Bates County 	013 	Butler 	1841 	Van Buren (now Cass) County 	17,049 	848 sq mi(2,196 km2)
Benton County 	015 	Warsaw 	1835 	Pettis and Greene counties 	19,056 	706 sq mi(1,829 km2)
Bollinger County 	017 	Marble Hill 	1851 	Cape Girardeau, Madison, Stoddard and Wayne counties 	12,363 	621 sq mi
(1,608 km2)
Boone County 	019 	Columbia 	1821 	Howard County 	162,642 	685 sq mi
(1,774 km2)
Buchanan County 	021 	Saint Joseph 	1838 	Part of the Platte Purchase 	89,201 	410 sq mi
(1,062 km2)
Butler County 	023 	Poplar Bluff 	1849 	Wayne County 	42,794 	698 sq mi
(1,808 km2)
Caldwell County 	025 	Kingston 	1836 	Ray County 	9,424 	429 sq mi(1,111 km2)
Callaway County 	027 	Fulton 	1821 	Boone, Howard and Montgomery counties 	44,332 	839 sq mi
(2,173 km2)
Camden County 	029 	Camdenton 	1841 	Benton, Morgan and Pulaski counties 	44,002 	655 sq mi
(1,696 km2)
Cape Girardeau County	031 	Jackson 	1812 	One of the five original counties 	75,674 	579 sq mi
(1,500 km2)
Carroll County 	033 	Carrollton 	1833 	Ray County 	9,295 	695 sq mi
(1,800 km2)
Carter County 	035 	Van Buren 	1859 	Oregon, Reynolds, Ripley and Shannon counties 	6,265 	508 sq mi
(1,316 km2)
Cass County 	037 	Harrisonville 	1833 	Jackson County 	99,478 	699 sq mi(1,810 km2)
Cedar County 	039 	Stockton 	1845 	Dade and St. Clair counties 	13,982 	476 sq mi
(1,233 km2)
Chariton County 	041 	Keytesville 	1821 	Howard County 	7,831 	756 sq mi
(1,958 km2)
Christian County 	043 	Ozark 	1859 	Greene, Taney and Webster counties 	77,422 	563 sq mi(1,458 km2)
Clark County 	045 	Kahoka 	1836 	Lewis County 	7,139 	507 sq mi
(1,313 km2)
Clay County 	047 	Liberty 	1822 	Ray County 	221,939 	396 sq mi
(1,026 km2)
Clinton County 	049 	Plattsburg 	1833 	Clay County 	20,743 	419 sq mi(1,085 km2)
Cole County 	051 	Jefferson City 	1820 	Cooper County 	75,990 	392 sq mi
(1,015 km2)
Cooper County 	053 	Boonville 	1818 	Howard County 	17,601 	565 sq mi
(1,463 km2)
Crawford County 	055 	Steelville 	1829 	Gasconade County 	24,696 	743 sq mi(1,924 km2)
Dade County 	057 	Greenfield 	1841 	Barry and Polk counties 	7,883 	490 sq mi
(1,269 km2)
Dallas County 	059 	Buffalo 	1841 	Polk County 	16,777 	542 sq mi
(1,404 km2)
Daviess County 	061 	Gallatin 	1836 	Ray County 	8,433 	567 sq mi
(1,469 km2)
DeKalb County 	063 	Maysville 	1843 	Clinton County 	12,892 	424 sq mi
(1,098 km2)
Dent County 	065 	Salem 	1851 	Crawford and Shannon counties 	15,657 	754 sq mi
(1,953 km2)
Douglas County 	067 	Ava 	1857 	Ozark County 	13,684 	815 sq mi
(2,111 km2)
Dunklin County 	069 	Kennett 	1843 	Stoddard County 	31,953 	546 sq mi
(1,414 km2)
Franklin County 	071 	Union 	1818 	St. Louis County 	101,492 	922 sq mi
(2,388 km2)
Gasconade County 	073 	Hermann 	1821 	Franklin County 	15,222 	520 sq mi
(1,347 km2)
Gentry County 	075 	Albany 	1841 	Clinton County 	6,738 	492 sq mi
(1,274 km2)
Greene County 	077 	Springfield 	1833 	Crawford and Wayne counties 	275,174 	675 sq mi
(1,748 km2)
Grundy County 	079 	Trenton 	1839 	Livingston County 	10,261 	436 sq mi
(1,129 km2)
Harrison County 	081 	Bethany 	1843 	Daviess County 	8,957 	725 sq mi
(1,878 km2)
Henry County 	083 	Clinton 	1834 	Lillard (now Lafayette) County 	22,272 	702 sq mi
(1,818 km2)
Hickory County 	085 	Hermitage 	1845 	Benton and Polk counties 	9,627 	399 sq mi
(1,033 km2)
Holt County 	087 	Oregon 	1841 	Part of the Platte Purchase 	4,912 	462 sq mi
(1,197 km2)
Howard County 	089 	Fayette 	1816 	St. Charles and St. Louis counties 	10,144 	466 sq mi
(1,207 km2)
Howell County 	091 	West Plains 	1857 	Oregon County 	40,400 	928 sq mi
(2,404 km2)
Iron County 	093 	Ironton 	1857 	Madison, Reynolds, St. Francois, Washington and Wayne counties 	10,630 	551 sq mi
(1,427 km2)
Jackson County 	095 	Kansas City,
Independence	1826 	Lillard (now Lafayette) County 	674,158 	605 sq mi
(1,567 km2)
Jasper County 	097 	Carthage 	1841 	Barry County 	117,404 	640 sq mi
(1,658 km2)
Jefferson County 	099 	Hillsboro 	1841 	St. Louis and Sainte Genevieve counties 	218,733 	657 sq mi
(1,702 km2)
Johnson County 	101 	Warrensburg 	1834 	Lillard (now Lafayette) County 	52,595 	831 sq mi
(2,152 km2)
Knox County 	103 	Edina 	1843 	Scotland County 	4,131 	506 sq mi
(1,311 km2)
Laclede County 	105 	Lebanon 	1849 	Camden, Pulaski and Wright counties 	35,571 	766 sq mi
(1,984 km2)
Lafayette County 	107 	Lexington 	1821 	Cooper County 	33,381 	629 sq mi
(1,629 km2)
Lawrence County 	109 	Mount Vernon 	1843 	Barry and Dade counties 	38,634 	613 sq mi
(1,588 km2)
Lewis County 	111 	Monticello 	1833 	Marion County 	10,211 	505 sq mi
(1,308 km2)
Lincoln County 	113 	Troy 	1818 	St. Charles County 	52,566 	630 sq mi
(1,632 km2)
Linn County 	115 	Linneus 	1837 	Chariton County 	12,761 	620 sq mi
(1,606 km2)
Livingston County 	117 	Chillicothe 	1837 	Carroll County 	15,195 	535 sq mi
(1,386 km2)
Macon County 	121 	Macon 	1837 	Chariton and Randolph counties 	15,566 	804 sq mi
(2,082 km2)
Madison County 	123 	Fredericktown 	1818 	Cape Girardeau and Sainte Genevieve counties 	12,226 	497 sq mi
(1,287 km2)
Maries County 	125 	Vienna 	1855 	Osage and Pulaski counties 	9,176 	528 sq mi
(1,368 km2)
Marion County 	127 	Palmyra 	1826 	Ralls County 	28,781 	438 sq mi
(1,134 km2)
McDonald County 	119 	Pineville 	1847 	Newton County 	23,083 	540 sq mi
(1,399 km2)
Mercer County 	129 	Princeton 	1845 	Grundy County 	3,785 	454 sq mi
(1,176 km2)
Miller County 	131 	Tuscumbia 	1837 	Cole and Pulaski counties 	24,748 	592 sq mi
(1,533 km2)
Mississippi County 	133 	Charleston 	1842 	Scott County 	14,358 	413 sq mi
(1,070 km2)
Moniteau County 	135 	California 	1845 	Cole and Morgan counties 	15,607 	417 sq mi
(1,080 km2)
Monroe County 	137 	Paris 	1831 	Ralls County 	8,840 	646 sq mi
(1,673 km2)
Montgomery County 	139 	Montgomery City	1818 	St. Charles County 	12,236 	539 sq mi
(1,396 km2)
Morgan County 	141 	Versailles 	1833 	Cooper County 	20,565 	598 sq mi
(1,549 km2)
New Madrid County 	143 	New Madrid 	1812 	One of the five original counties 	18,956 	678 sq mi
(1,756 km2)
Newton County 	145 	Neosho 	1838 	Barry County 	58,114 	626 sq mi
(1,621 km2)
Nodaway County 	147 	Maryville 	1843 	Andrew County, the Platte Purchase 	23,370 	877 sq mi
(2,271 km2)
Oregon County 	149 	Alton 	1841 	Ripley County 	10,881 	792 sq mi
(2,051 km2)
Osage County 	151 	Linn 	1841 	Gasconade County 	13,878 	606 sq mi
(1,570 km2)
Ozark County 	153 	Gainesville 	1841 	Taney County 	9,723 	747 sq mi
(1,935 km2)
Pemiscot County 	155 	Caruthersville 	1851 	New Madrid County 	18,296 	493 sq mi
(1,277 km2)
Perry County 	157 	Perryville 	1821 	Sainte Genevieve County 	18,971 	475 sq mi
(1,230 km2)
Pettis County 	159 	Sedalia 	1833 	Cooper and Saline counties 	42,201 	685 sq mi
(1,774 km2)
Phelps County 	161 	Rolla 	1857 	Crawford County 	45,156 	673 sq mi
(1,743 km2)
Pike County 	163 	Bowling Green 	1818 	St. Charles County 	18,516 	673 sq mi
(1,743 km2)
Platte County 	165 	Platte City 	1838 	Part of the Platte Purchase 	89,322 	420 sq mi
(1,088 km2)
Polk County 	167 	Bolivar 	1835 	Greene County 	31,137 	637 sq mi
(1,650 km2)
Pulaski County 	169 	Waynesville 	1833 	Crawford County 	52,274 	547 sq mi
(1,417 km2)
Putnam County 	171 	Unionville 	1843 	Adair and Sullivan counties 	4,979 	518 sq mi
(1,342 km2)
Ralls County 	173 	New London 	1821 	Pike County 	10,167 	471 sq mi
(1,220 km2)
Randolph County 	175 	Huntsville 	1829 	Chariton and Ralls counties 	25,414 	482 sq mi
(1,248 km2)
Ray County 	177 	Richmond 	1820 	Howard County 	23,494 	570 sq mi
(1,476 km2)
Reynolds County 	179 	Centerville 	1845 	Shannon County 	6,696 	811 sq mi
(2,100 km2)
Ripley County 	181 	Doniphan 	1831 	Wayne County 	14,100 	630 sq mi
(1,632 km2)
Saint Charles County 	183 	Saint Charles 	1812 	One of the five original counties 	360,485 	561 sq mi
(1,453 km2)
Saint Clair County 	185 	Osceola 	1841 	Rives (now Henry) County 	9,805 	677 sq mi
(1,753 km2)
Saint Francois County	187 	Farmington 	1821 	Jefferson, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties 	65,359 	450 sq mi
(1,165 km2)
Saint Louis County 	189 	Clayton 	1812 	One of the five original counties 	1,000,438 	508 sq mi
(1,316 km2)
Saint Louis City 	510 	St. Louis 	1876 	Created in 1876 when city residents voted to secede from St. Louis County	319,294 	61.9 sq mi
(160 km2)
Ste. Genevieve County	186 	Ste. Genevieve 	1812 	One of the five original counties 	18,145 	502 sq mi
(1,300 km2)
Saline County 	195 	Marshall 	1820 	Cooper County 	23,370 	756 sq mi
(1,958 km2)
Schuyler County 	197 	Lancaster 	1843 	Adair County 	4,431 	308 sq mi
(798 km2)
Scotland County 	199 	Memphis 	1841 	Clark, Lewis, and Shelby counties 	4,843 	438 sq mi
(1,134 km2)
Scott County 	201 	Benton 	1822 	New Madrid County 	39,191 	421 sq mi
(1,090 km2)
Shannon County 	203 	Eminence 	1837 	Ripley County 	8,441 	1,004 sq mi
(2,600 km2)
Shelby County 	205 	Shelbyville 	1835 	Marion County 	6,373 	501 sq mi
(1,298 km2)
Stoddard County 	207 	Bloomfield 	1835 	New Madrid County 	29,968 	827 sq mi
(2,142 km2)
Stone County 	209 	Galena 	1851 	Taney County 	32,202 	463 sq mi
(1,199 km2)
Sullivan County 	211 	Milan 	1843 	Linn County 	6,714 	651 sq mi
(1,686 km2)
Taney County 	213 	Forsyth 	1837 	Greene County 	51,675 	632 sq mi
(1,637 km2)
Texas County 	215 	Houston 	1843 	Shannon and Wright counties 	26,008 	1,179 sq mi
(3,054 km2)
Vernon County 	217 	Nevada 	1851 	Bates County 	21,159 	834 sq mi
(2,160 km2)
Warren County 	219 	Warrenton 	1833 	Montgomery County 	32,513 	432 sq mi
(1,119 km2)
Washington County 	221 	Potosi 	1813 	Sainte Genevieve County 	25,195 	760 sq mi
(1,968 km2)
Wayne County 	223 	Greenville 	1818 	Cape Girardeau and Lawrence counties 	13,521 	761 sq mi
(1,971 km2)
Webster County 	225 	Marshfield 	1855 	Greene County 	36,202 	593 sq mi
(1,536 km2)
Worth County 	227 	Grant City 	1861 	Gentry County 	2,171 	266 sq mi
(689 km2)
Wright County 	229 	Hartville 	1841 	Pulaski County 	18,815 	682 sq mi
(1,766 km2)
== Former County Names ==
County 	Etymology 	Changed to
Allen County 	Unknown 	Atchison County in 1845
Ashley County 	William Henry Ashley (1778–1838), early settler 	Texas County in 1845 upon organization
Decatur County 	Stephen Decatur (1779–1820), American naval officer 	Ozark County in 1845
Highland County 	Unknown 	Sullivan County in 1845 upon organization
Kinderhook County	Kinderhook, New York, birthplace of Martin Van Buren 	Camden County in 1843
Lillard County 	James Lillard of Tennessee, who served in the first state legislature of Missouri 	Lafayette County in 1825
Niangua County 	Niangua River, a tributary of the Osage River – "niangua" comes from the Native American word nehemgar, which means "a river of numerous springs or sources"	Dallas County in 1844 because of the difficulty in pronouncing and spelling Niangua
Seneca County 	Seneca Nation, a group of Native Americans from New York 	McDonald County in 1847 upon organization
Van Buren County 	Martin Van Buren (1782–1862), eighth President of the United States and also Vice President under Andrew Jackson 	Cass County in 1849 in honor of Van Buren's opponent in the presidential election of 1848
== In the Timeline ==
=== The Oregon Trail (1971) ===
In The Oregon Trail a family of pioneers attempts to brave the Oregon Trail in order to start a new life in Oregon City. Jackson County contained the town of Independence, which was used as a starting point for pioneers.
== Notes ==
* This page was originally taken from Wikipedia. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Missouri