The United States acquired the area of Missouri from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Missouri Territory was organized on June 4, 1812, from Louisiana Territory, and included all of the present-day states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma and parts of Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The territory was reduced by conclusion of a treaty with Spain in 1819 that removed the portion of Texas that was in the territory and part of present-day Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming. That same year, Missouri Territory was further reduced by the organization of Arkansas Territory. Missouri was admitted to the Union on March 2, 1821, as the 24^th state from a small part of Missouri Territory. With the Platte Purchase of 1836, Missouri added territory in the northwest, west to the Missouri River, to assume generally the same boundary as the present state. (Missouri Territory—the portion not included in the state of Missouri—continued to exist as a separate area until the organization of Nebraska Territory in 1854, although reduced after a large part of the northern area was annexed to Michigan Territory in 1834. Some statutes refer to this Missouri Territory as Indian Country or Indian Territory.)

Although the territory had not yet been legally established, census data for Missouri are available beginning with the 1810 census. The 1810 and 1820 populations are for the present-day area of the state of Missouri. The population of the entire legally established Louisiana Territory (of which the area of Missouri was a part) in 1810 was 20,845. The 1820 census enumeration apparently did not include area in Missouri Territory beyond what is now the state of Missouri.

Data for the legally established state of Missouri are available beginning with the 1830 census.

Metropolitan And Micropolitan Statistical Areas And Related Statistical Areas

Missouri has 9 metropolitan statistical areas, 19 micropolitan statistical areas, and 3 combined statistical areas.

Counties

There are 115 counties and equivalent in Missouri.   The 114 counties are functioning governmental units, each governed by a county commission with the exception of Jackson and St. Louis Counties which are each governed by a county executive and a county legislature. St. Louis city is an independent city outside of any county and is considered a county equivalent.  St. Louis city is has an active government at the place level.  St. Louis city should not be confused with St. Louis County as they are separate entities. 

County Subdivisions

Missouri has 1,395 county subdivisions known as minor civil divisions (MCDs).  There are 311 townships in 22 counties with active, functioning governments, each governed by a trustee and board of directors. City township in Barton County has consolidated its government with Lamar city; the remaining 1,082 townships are nonfunctioning nongovernmental entities.   St. Louis city is independent of any township and serves as a county subdivision.

Counties with active, functioning MCDs:

• Barton
• Bates
• Caldwell
• Carroll
• Chariton
• Dade
• Daviess
• DeKalb
• Dunklin
• Gentry
• Grundy
• Harrison
• Henry
• Linn
• Livingston
• Mercer
• Nodaway
• Putnam
• Stoddard
• Sullivan
• Texas
• Vernon

Places

Missouri has 1,032 places; 959 incorporated places and 73 census designated places (CDPs).  The incorporated places consist of 637 cities, 110 towns, and 212 villages.  Eight of the incorporated places are inactive – Ashburn town, Baker village, Florida village, La Due village, Lakeside city, Lambert village, Lithium village, and Tarrants village.  Incorporated places are dependent within county subdivision except St. Louis city which is independent of any county and MCD.  Arnold city, Edina city, Kimberling City city, Lamar city, New Haven city, and Washington city are coextensive with a single township.  Springfield city is coextensive with Springfield township in Greene County and is also located in part of Northview township in Christian County.  All incorporated places in Franklin County can only legally exist in a single township; however, Berger city, Gerald city, Leslie village, Miramiguoa Park village, New Haven city, Oak Grove Village village, Pacific city, Parkway village, St. Clair city, Sullivan city, and Union city are not coextensive with their respective MCDs.

Census Tracts/Block Groups/Blocks

Missouri has 1,393 census tracts, 4,506 block groups, and 343,565 census blocks.

Congressional Districts

For the 111^th Congress (January 2009-January 2011), Missouri had nine congressional districts.  For the 113^th Congress (January 2013-January 2015), Missouri has eight congressional districts as a result of reapportionment based on the 2010 Census.

School Districts

Missouri has 73 elementary school districts and 449 unified school districts.

State Legislative Districts

There are 34 state senate districts and 163 state house districts in Missouri.

Urban Areas

Missouri has 119 urban areas; 11 urbanized areas and 108 urban clusters.

Zip Code Tabulation Areas

There are 1,029 ZIP Code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) in Missouri.

Other Information Of General Geographic Interest

The mean center of the United States population is currently in Missouri near Plato village in Texas County.

¹  Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1923
²  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, recomputation for historical county level data which relied upon aggregate county level population data with an estimated county centroid resulting in a possible error of up to one mile.
³  Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Centers of Population for States and Counties, 1974
⁴  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, recomputation from archived national block group/enumeration area data resulting in a possible error of up to 1,000 feet.
⁵  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, recomputation from archived national block group data resulting in a possible error of up to 1,000 feet.
⁶  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, computation from national block-level data