Audrain

Formed December 13, 1836 (51st county)

Audrain County (24,964), Mexico (11,464)

A red/black brick Modern facility was built in 1950.  The courthouse is on a square at Jackson, Jefferson, Monroe, and Washington streets.  Missouri State Highway 22 is Monroe Street in the city.  The building architects were Bonsock and Pearce.  There were also 1837, 1840 and 1868 courthouses.  The courthouse features a rotunda inside and a replica of the Statue of Liberty on the grounds.  The county was formed on December 13, 1836 from Ralls County as the 51st county with Mexico as the only county seat.  It is named for Missouri State Legislator James H. Audrain.  The county seat is named for the country. 

Audrain County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Audrain, Montgomery, and Warren counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Audrain County (judicial.) The county is in eastern Missouri.  Saint Louis, Missouri is southeast and Kansas City, Missouri is west of the county.  The county center is 6.9 miles Northeast of Mexico nearer Rush Hill.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Monroe, Ralls, Pike, Montgomery, Callaway, Boone, and Randolph counties. 

The area of the county is 693 square miles.  It is 31 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 42 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 36.0 persons per square mile making it 50 out of 115 in the state.  Audrain County has 65.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 54 crosses from the northeast to the south in the county from Ralls County to Callaway County.  The county looks like a flattened capital letter T.  Mexico is in the southern third of the county.  Mexico is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 45.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced A-DRAEN.  This county is in the Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area.