DeKalb

Formed February 25, 1845 (87^th county)

DeKalb County (11,039), Maysville (1,094)

A red brick and masonry Classical courthouse built in 1939 replaced a classic 1885 courthouse.  It is located on a square at Polk, Main, Washington, and Jackson streets.  Missouri State Highway 6 is Main Street in the town.  Eckel and Aldrich are the building architects.  The courthouse is on a hill with all the military services’ flags flying at the veterans’ area on the grounds.  There were 1848 and 1852 courthouses earlier all in Maysville, the only county seat.  The county was formed on February 25, 1845 from Native American Territory as the 87^th county.  It is named for Revolutionary War General Johann de Kalb.  The county seat is named for Maysville, Kentucky.  DeKalb County was the birthplace for 1 Missouri Governor, James T. Blair, Jr. 

DeKalb 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 DeKalb, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, and Livingston counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve DeKalb County (judicial.) DeKalb County is in northwest Missouri.  Kansas City, Missouri is southwest and Saint Louis, Missouri is east of the county.  The county center is 6.2 miles Southwest of Maysville nearer Amity.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Gentry, Daviess, Caldwell, Clinton, Buchanan, and Andrew counties. 

The area of the county is 424 square miles.  It is 103 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 80 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.0 persons per square mile making it 67 out of 115 in the state.  DeKalb County has 56.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 clips the southeast tip of the county from Daviess County, east, to Clinton County, south.  United States Highway 36 crosses east to west from Caldwell County to Buchanan County.  United States Highway 69 parallels Interstate Highway 35 from Daviess to Clinton counties.  United States Highway 169 cuts the northwest corner from Gentry County, north, to Andrew County, west.  The county is a square.  Maysville is slightly east of center in the county.  Maysville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 9.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced DEE KALB.  This county is in the Saint Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area.