Ray

Formed November 16, 1820 (24^th county)

Ray County (23,160), Richmond (6,018)

The masonry and concrete Art Deco facility was built in 1914.  There was an 1856 courthouse earlier.  It is sited on a square at North Main, Thornton, South Main, and College streets.  R. Warren Roberts designed this facility.  Missouri State Highway 10 Business is South Main Street.  The courthouse features a hill location and the original courthouse’s columns on the grounds.  There was an 1856 courthouse in Richmond.  The county was organized on November 16, 1820 from Howard County as the 24^th county.  Ray County is named for Legislator John Ray.  The county seat is name for Richmond, Virginia.  Bluffton was the first county seat.  Ray County was the birthplace for 1 Missouri Governor, Forrest Smith. 

Ray 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 Ray and Carroll counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Ray County (judicial.)  The county is in western Missouri.  Kansas City, Missouri is west and Saint Louis, Missouri is east of the county.  The Missouri River forms its southern border.  The county center is 4.4 miles North of Richmond.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Caldwell, Carroll, Lafayette, Jackson, Clay, and Clinton counties. 

The area of the county is 570 square miles.  It is 60 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 49 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 40.6 persons per square mile making it 46 out of 115 in the state.  Ray County has 52.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  Ray County looks like a mask facing south.  Richmond is located in the southern quarter of the county.  Richmond is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 26.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area.