The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of Missouri:

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

–

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

named for the Missouri River, which was named after the

Siouan Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the enti ...

-language tribe. The Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology states that Missouri means ''town of the large canoes''. Other authorities say the original native American syllables (from which the word came) mean ''wooden canoe people'', ''he of the big canoe'', or ''river of the big canoes''. Located in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

, the state lies on the

Mississippi river The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

, which defines its eastern border. The land that is now Missouri was acquired from France as part of the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

and became known as the

Missouri Territory The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southea ...

. Part of this Territory was admitted into the union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821.

General reference

* Names ** Common name:

*** , and by many residents ** Official name:

State of Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to t ...

** Abbreviations and name codes *** Postal symbol: MO *** ISO 3166-2 code: US-MO ***

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

second-level domain In the Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy, a second-level domain (SLD or 2LD) is a domain that is directly below a top-level domain (TLD). For example, in , is the second-level domain of the TLD. Second-level domains commonly refer to the organ ...

: .mo.us ** Nicknames *** Bullion State ***

Cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

State *** Gateway State ***

Bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Ret ...

State *** Lead State ***

Ozark The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

State *** Puke State (reported in 1881)Barry Popik
Smoky City
barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005 *** Sleepy State *** Show-Me State (currently used on

license plates A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificat ...

) * Adjectival:

* Demonym: Missourian

Geography of Missouri

Geography of Missouri * Missouri is: a

, a

federal state A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

of the United States of America * Location ** Northern hemisphere **

Western hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...

***

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

**** North America *****

Anglo America Anglo-America most often refers to a region in the Americas in which English is the main language and British culture and the British Empire have had significant historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural impact."Anglo-America", vol. 1, Micro ...

*****

Northern America Northern America is the northernmost subregion of North America. The boundaries may be drawn slightly differently. In one definition, it lies directly north of Middle America (including the Caribbean and Central America).Gonzalez, Joseph. 2 ...

******

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

******* Contiguous United States ********

Central United States The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern and Western as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the U.S. Census' definition of the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions o ...

*********

West North Central States The West North Central states form one of the nine geographic subdivisions within the United States that are officially recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau. Seven states compose the division: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North ...

********

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...

*********

* Population of Missouri: 5,988,927 (2010 U.S. Census) * Area of Missouri: * Atlas of Missouri

Places in Missouri

* Historic places in Missouri **

National Historic Landmarks in Missouri The National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the U.S. state of Missouri represent Missouri's history from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, through the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Space Age. There are 37 National Historic La ...

National Register of Historic Places listings in Missouri This is a list of properties and historic districts in Missouri on the National Register of Historic Places. There are NRHP listings in all of Missouri's 114 counties and the one independent city of St. Louis. __NOTOC__ Current listings by ...

*** Bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri * National Natural Landmarks in Missouri * National parks in Missouri: none. ''See also List of National Parks of the United States and

List of the United States National Park System official units The Official Units of the National Park System of the United States is the collection of physical properties owned or administered by the National Park Service. As of December 2020, there are official units of the National Park System; however, ...

'' * State parks in Missouri

Environment of Missouri

* Climate of Missouri * Protected areas in Missouri ** State forests of Missouri * Superfund sites in Missouri * Wildlife of Missouri ** Fauna of Missouri *** Birds of Missouri *** Mammals of Missouri *** Reptiles **** Snakes of Missouri * Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Natural geographic features of Missouri

* Caves of Missouri * Islands of Missouri ** Howell Island **

Tower Rock Tower Rock, also known as Grand Tower, is a rock formation and landmark island in the Mississippi River, in Brazeau Township, Perry County, Missouri, near the town of Wittenberg, Missouri, and across the river from Grand Tower, Illinois. It ...

* Lakes of Missouri ** Big Lake ** Mud Lake **

Norfork Lake Norfork Dam is a large dam in northern Arkansas southeast of Mountain Home. It dams North Fork River and creates Norfork Lake. The top of the dam supports a 2-lane roadway, part of AR 177. History In the late 1930s, before construction of t ...

* Mountains of Missouri **

The Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

** St. Francois Mountains *

Rivers of Missouri List of rivers in Missouri (U.S. state). By drainage basin This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. Mississippi River Arkansas River *Mississippi River **Arkansas River (AR ...

** Missouri river

Regions of Missouri

* Central Missouri

Administrative divisions of Missouri

* The 114 Counties of the State of Missouri * Cities in Missouri **

State capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals * List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population * List of national capitals by area * List of capital c ...

of Missouri:

Jefferson City Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the principa ...

** City nicknames in Missouri * List of townships in Missouri

Demography of Missouri

Demographics of Missouri

Government and politics of Missouri

Law and government of Missouri * Form of government: U.S. state government *

United States congressional delegations from Missouri United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

* Missouri State Capitol * Elections in Missouri *

Political party strength in Missouri The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Missouri: *List of governors of Missouri, Governor *List of lieutenant governors of Missouri, Lieutenant Governor *List of Missouri secretaries of state, Secretary ...

Branches of the government of Missouri

Government of Missouri The government of the U.S. state of Missouri is organized into the state government and local government, including county government, and city and municipal government. State government Constitution The fourth and last Constitution of Missouri ...

Executive branch of the government of Missouri

Governor of Missouri A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

** Lieutenant Governor of Missouri ** Secretary of State of Missouri ** State Treasurer of Missouri * State departments ** Missouri Department of Transportation

Legislative branch of the government of Missouri

Missouri General Assembly The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are ...

( bicameral) **

Upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...

Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two ye ...

** Lower house:

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

Judicial branch of the government of Missouri

Courts of Missouri *

Supreme Court of Missouri The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820 and is located at 207 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to gi ...

Law and order in Missouri

Law of Missouri *

Cannabis in Missouri Cannabis in Missouri is legal for recreational use. A ballot initiative to legalize recreational use passed by a 53–47 margin on November 8, 2022. Possession for adults 21 and over became legal on December 8, 2022, with the first licensed sale ...

* Capital punishment in Missouri ** Individuals executed in Missouri *

Constitution of Missouri The Missouri Constitution is the state constitution of the U.S. State of Missouri. It is the supreme law formulating the law and government of Missouri, subject only to the federal Constitution, and the people. The fourth and current Missouri ...

Crime in Missouri This article refers to crime in the U.S. state of Missouri. Statistics In 2016 there were 202,193 crimes reported in Missouri, including 537 murders. Capital punishment laws Capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the deat ...

* Gun laws in Missouri * Law enforcement in Missouri ** Law enforcement agencies in Missouri *** Missouri State Police

Military in Missouri

Missouri Air National Guard The Missouri Air National Guard (MO ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Missouri, United States of America. It is, along with the Missouri Army National Guard, an element of the Missouri National Guard. As state militia units, the units i ...

Missouri Army National Guard The Missouri National Guard (MONG), commonly known as the Missouri Guard, is a component of the Army National Guard and Missouri State Department of the National Guard. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard units. The Department office i ...

History of Missouri

History of Missouri The history of Missouri begins with settlement of the region by indigenous people during the Paleo-Indian period beginning in about 12,000 BC. Subsequent periods of native life emerged until the 17th century. New France set up small settlements, ...

List of battles fought in Missouri This is an incomplete list of all military confrontations that have occurred within the boundaries of the modern U.S. state of Missouri since European contact. Gallery File:St-louis-attack.jpg, Battle of St. Louis, St. Louis (1780) File:Haun's ...

History of Missouri, by period

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

** Mississippian culture * French colony of Louisiane, 1699–1764 **

Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1762 The Treaty of Fontainebleau was a secret agreement of 1762 in which the Kingdom of France ceded Louisiana to Spain. The treaty followed the last battle in the French and Indian War in North America, the Battle of Signal Hill in September 1762, whic ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

(though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Luisiana, 1764–1803 **

Third Treaty of San Ildefonso The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso was a secret agreement signed on 1 October 1800 between the Spanish Empire and the French Republic by which Spain agreed in principle to exchange its North American colony of Louisiana for territories in Tuscany ...

of 1800 * French district of Haute-Louisiane, 1803 **

of 1803 * Unorganized U.S. territory created by the

, 1803–1804 **

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

, 1804–1806 *

District of Louisiana The District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official and temporary United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Territory of Orleans or "Orleans Territory" (the p ...

, 1804–1805 *

Territory of Louisiana The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory. The territory was formed out of the ...

, 1805–1812 **

Pike Expedition The Pike Expedition (July 15, 1806 – July 1, 1807) was a military party sent out by President Thomas Jefferson and authorized by the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States ( ...

, 1806–1807 *

Territory of Missouri The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southea ...

, 1812–1821 **

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, June 18, 1812 – March 23, 1815 ***

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

, December 24, 1814 **

Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise was a federal legislation of the United States that balanced desires of northern states to prevent expansion of slavery in the country with those of southern states to expand it. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and ...

of 1820 *

becomes 24th State admitted to the

on August 10, 1821 **

Platte Purchase The Platte Purchase was a land acquisition in 1836 by the United States government from American Indian tribes of the region. It comprised lands along the east bank of the Missouri River and added to the northwest corner of the state of Miss ...

, 1836–1837 **

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, April 25, 1846 – February 2, 1848 **

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pi ...

, 1860–1861 **

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, April 12, 1861 – May 13, 1865 ***

Missouri in the American Civil War During the American Civil War, Missouri was a hotly contested border state populated by both Union and Confederate sympathizers. It sent armies, generals, and supplies to both sides, maintained dual governments, and endured a bloody ...

**** Border state, 1861–1865 ****

Battle of Wilson's Creek The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, Springfield, Missou ...

, August 10, 1861 ****

Price's Raid Price's Missouri Expedition (August 29 – December 2, 1864), also known as Price's Raid or Price's Missouri Raid, was an unsuccessful Confederate cavalry raid through Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Am ...

, September 27 – December 2, 1864 **

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

becomes 33rd

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

on April 12, 1945

History of Missouri, by region

History of Columbia, Missouri The history of Columbia, Missouri as an American city spans two hundred years. Founded by pioneers from Kentucky in 1821 to be the county seat of Boone County. Its position astride the Boone's Lick Road led to early growth as settlers flooded int ...

History of the Kansas City metropolitan area The history of the Kansas City metropolitan area has records starting in the 19th century, as Frenchmen from St. Louis, Missouri moved up the Missouri River to trap for furs and trade with the Native Americans. The Kansas City metropolitan ar ...

* History of St. Louis, Missouri ** History of the Jews in St. Louis, Missouri

History of Missouri, by subject

* History of education in Missouri **

History of the University of Missouri The University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, was established in 1839. This later expanded to the statewide University of Missouri System. Founding and early years MU was founded in 1839 as part of the Geyer Act to establish a state land-g ...

History of slavery in Missouri The history of large-scale slavery in the region which later became the State of Missouri began in 1720, when a French merchant named Philippe François Renault brought about 500 slaves of African descent from Saint-Domingue up the Mississippi ...

Culture of Missouri

* Museums in Missouri * Religion in Missouri ** The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missouri **

Episcopal Diocese of Missouri The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over 54 counties in eastern Missouri. It has 42 congregations and is in Province 5. Its cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral ...

Scouting in Missouri Scouting in Missouri has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day. Early history (1910-1950) According to William D. Murray, a charter member of the Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) when it incorporated on February 8 ...

* State symbols of Missouri ** Flag of the State of Missouri ** Great Seal of the State of Missouri Seal of Missouri

The Arts in Missouri

Music of Missouri The U.S. state of Missouri has a storied musical history. It has been the scene of major developments in several popular music genres as well as the birthplace of many notable musicians. St. Louis was an important venue for early blues and jazz, ...

Sports in Missouri

* Sports in Missouri

Economy and infrastructure of Missouri

Economy of Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to t ...

* Communications in Missouri ** Newspapers in Missouri **

Radio stations in Missouri The following is a list of FCC-licensed radio stations in the U.S. state of Missouri, which can be sorted by their call signs, frequencies, cities of license, licensees, and programming formats. List of radio stations Defunct * KADI * ...

Television stations in Missouri Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...

* Health care in Missouri ** Hospitals in Missouri *

Transportation in Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to th ...

** Airports in Missouri

Education in Missouri

Education in Missouri Education in Missouri is provided by both public and private schools, colleges, and universities, and a variety of public library systems. All public education in the state is governed by the Missouri State Board of Education, which is made up of ...

* Schools in Missouri **

School districts in Missouri A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

***

High schools in Missouri High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...

** Colleges and universities in Missouri ***

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

*** Missouri State University

References

External links

Missouri GovernmentMissouri Digital HeritageState Historical Society of Missouri, ColumbiaMissouri's African American HistoryMissouri State Tourism OfficeEnergy & Environmental Data for MissouriUSGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Missouri
*

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

Missouri QuickFacts
Geographic and demographic information. **
USDA Missouri State FactsList of searchable databases produced by Missouri state agencies
hosted by th
American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable.
*
Missouri History, Geology, CultureHistoric Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Missouri1930 Platbooks of Missouri Counties
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