Jackson

Formed December 15, 1826 (29^th county)

Jackson County (717,206), Independence (123,004), Kansas City (507,971)                

The striking red brick and masonry Neo-Classical facility was built in 1837 on the town square surrounded by Lexington, Main, Maple and Liberty streets.  Missouri State Highway 7 is 1 block north of the site.  The building was designed to look like Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  Henry Chiles provided the original designs after which the building was enlarged in 1846, 1853, 1872, and 1887 and renovated in 1907 and 1933.  A statue of President Harry S. Truman is on the courthouse grounds.  A major second courthouse for the county is located in Kansas City on a city square at 12^th, Oak, 13^th, and Locust streets.  This 1934 Art Deco courthouse is 3 blocks west of Interstate Highway 70.  This skyscraper structure is built of masonry and concrete.  It is directly across 12^th Street from the city hall.  A large statue of Andrew Jackson and internal marble floors and walls are the building’s features.  A combined architectural effort of Keene & Simpson, Wight & Wight, and Frederick C. Gunn provided the designs.  Independence has had 1828 and 1831 courthouses and Kansas City has had 1872 and 1892 courthouses.  Independence has always been the county seat and Kansas City has had augmenting courthouses since 1872. 

Jackson County government consists of a sheriff and 9 Legislators.  Eighteen Circuit Court Judges and Seven County Court Judges serve Jackson County.  The county is located in western Missouri on the border with Kansas.  Saint Louis, Missouri is east of the county.  The Missouri River forms its northern border.  The county center is 11.1 miles Southeast of Independence nearer Blue Springs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clay, Ray, Lafayette, Johnson, and Cass counties and Kansas.  Jackson County was created on December 15, 1826 from Lafayette County as the 29^th county.  The county is named for United States President Andrew Jackson.  It is also the namesake of Hickory County and the county seat of Cape Girardeau County.  The county seat is named for the Declaration of Independence.  Jackson County was the birthplace for 2 Missouri Governors, Joseph P. Teasdale and Robert L. Holden, Jr. 

The area of the county is 605 square miles.  It is 54 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 2 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1185.5 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 115 in the state.  Jackson County has 96.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 29 enters the county from the north, Clay County, and terminates.  Interstate Highway 35 is joined with Interstate Highway 29 from Clay County, splits and goes west into Kansas.  Interstate 49 originates and travels south into Cass County.  Interstate Highway 70 travels east to west from Lafayette County to Kansas.  United States Highway 24 crosses east to west from Lafayette County to Kansas.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Lafayette County to Kansas.  United States Highway 50 travels east to west from Johnson County to Kansas.  United States Highway 56 originates and exits west into Kansas.  United States Highway 71 enters joined with Interstate Highways 29/35, splits and joins Interstate 49 south into Cass County.  United States Highway 169 clips the northwest corner from Clay County, north, to Kansas, west.  The county looks like a bowl of ice cream.  Harry S. Truman, the 32^nd President, is buried in this county.  Independence is located near the northern border of the county and extends into Clay County.  Kansas City occupies the entire western part of the county and extends into Cass, Clay and Platte counties.  Independence is one of the county seats.  Kansas City is the other county seat and the largest city.  Independence is 17.2% of the county population while Kansas City is 70.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area.