Missouri Counties
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Missouri Counties

Missouri has one hundred and fourteen counties and one independent city. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County and is referred to as a "city not within a county." 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. Most subsequent counties were apportioned from these five original counties.
 

Cole County, Missouri

Cole County Education, Geography, and HistoryCole County, Missouri Courthouse

Cole County is a county located in the central portion of the state of Missouri. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 75,990. Its county seat is Jefferson City, the state capital. The county was organized November 16, 1820 and named after pioneer Captain Stephen Cole, an Indian fighter and pioneer settler, who built Cole's Fort in Boonville.

Cole County is included in the Jefferson City, MO Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located south of the Missouri River.

Etymology - Origin of Cole County Name

Named for Stephen Cole, pioneer settler and Indian fighter.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

History of Cole County

Cole County was organized November 16, 1820, and named in honor of Captain Stephen Cole, "an Indian fighter and pioneer settler, who built Cole's Fort near Booneville." (Eaton, p. 278; Campbell, p. 165; Parker, p. 233; Gannett, p. 87)

Source: Pace, Nadine. "Place Names In The Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1928.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 402 square miles (1,040 km2), of which 394 square miles (1,020 km2) is land and 8.2 square miles (21 km2) (2.0%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Missouri by area.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

  • Boone County (north)
  • Callaway County (northeast)
  • Osage County (southeast)
  • Miller County (southwest)
  • Moniteau County (northwest)

Education

Public schools

Blair Oaks R-II School District - Jefferson City
Cole County R-I School District - Russellville
Cole County R-V School District - Eugene
Jefferson City Public School District - Jefferson City

Private schools

Central Baptist Christian Academy - Jefferson City (K-12) - Baptist (Emphasis on Special Education)
Concord Christian School - Jefferson City (K-06) - Baptist
Immaculate Conception School - Jefferson City (K-09) - Roman Catholic
Immanuel Lutheran School - Jefferson City (K-09) - Lutheran
Kids in Montessori School - Jefferson City (K-02) - Nonsectarian
Lighthouse Preparatory Academy - Jefferson City (06-12) - Nonsectarian
Moreau Montessori School - Jefferson City (PK-05) - Nonsectarian
St. Francis Xavier School - Taos (K-09) - Roman Catholic
St. Joseph Cathedral School - Jefferson City (PK-08) - Roman Catholic
St. Martin School - St. Martins (K-09) - Roman Catholic
St. Peter Interparish School - Jefferson City (K-09) - Roman Catholic
St. Stanislaus Catholic School - Wardsville (K-09) - Roman Catholic
Trinity Lutheran School - Jefferson City (PK-09) - Lutheran
St. Thomas The Apostle School - Saint Thomas (K-09) - Roman Catholic
Calvary Lutheran High School - Jefferson City (09-12) - Lutheran
Helias Catholic High School - Jefferson City (09-12) - Roman Catholic

Post-secondary education

Lincoln University - Jefferson City - A public, four-year historically black university.



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