Cole

Formed November 16, 1820 (19^th county)

Cole County (77,284), Jefferson City (43,240)                

The outstanding 1896 stone Romanesque Revival building sits on High Street at Monroe Street.  United States Highway 50 is four blocks south of the site.  This structure was designed by Frank B. Miller.  A beautiful clock tower tops the courthouse.  It was repaired in 1918 after a fire and a modern Annex was built recently to augment the courthouse.  The county was formed on November 16, 1820 from Cooper County as the 19^th county.  Marion was the first county seat until Jefferson City assumed the role in 1831.  There were 1825 and 1837 versions of the courthouse previously.  The county is named for settler Stephen Cole.  The county seat is named for United States President Thomas Jefferson.  He is also the namesake of Jefferson County. 

The area of the county is 392 square miles.  It is 112 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 197.2 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 115 in the state.  Cole County has 62.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 passes east to west through the county from Osage County to Moniteau County.  United States Highway 54 goes north to south from Callaway County to Miller County.  United States Highway 63 enters joined with United States Highway 54 from Callaway County, splits and joins United States Highway 50 into Osage County.  Cole County looks like a Christmas tree slanting toward the west.  The Missouri state capitol is located in this county. 

Cole 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.)  Three Circuit Court Judges, One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Cole County (judicial.) Cole County is in central Missouri.  Kansas City, Missouri is northwest and Saint Louis, Missouri is east of the county.  The county center is 7.6 miles Southwest of Jefferson City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Boone, Callaway, Osage, Miller, and Moniteau counties.  Jefferson City is on the Missouri River northern border of the county and extends into Callaway County.  Jefferson City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 56.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Jefferson City Metropolitan Statistical Area.