Carter

Formed March 10, 1859 (112^th county)

Carter County (5,201), Van Buren (752)                

The stone Federalist building was constructed in 1871 at the corner of Main and John streets.  The site is three blocks west of United States Highway 60.  The courthouse was remodeled in 1936.  Peter Ake is the building architect.  The first county courthouse was built in 1837.  The county was founded on March 10, 1859 from parts of Reynolds, Ripley, and Shannon counties as the 112^th county with Van Buren as the only county seat.  The county is named for settler Zimri A. Carter.  The county seat is named for United States President Martin Van Buren. 

Carter 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 Carter, Howell, Oregon, and Shannon counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Carter County (judicial.) Carter County is in southeast Missouri.  Springfield, Missouri is west and Saint Louis, Missouri is north of the county.  The county center is 10.6 miles Southeast of Van Buren nearer Hunter.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Reynolds, Wayne, Butler, Ripley, Oregon, and Shannon counties. 

The area of the county is 508 square miles.  It is 77 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 108 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 10.2 persons per square mile making it 105 out of 115 in the state.  Carter County has 26.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 60 crosses east to west from Butler County to Shannon County.  The county’s shape resembles a locomotive heading east.  Van Buren is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Van Buren is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 14.5% of the county population.