New Madrid

Formed October 1, 1812 (2^nd county)

New Madrid County (16,435), New Madrid (2,785), Portageville (2,939)

The 1915 white brick Greek Revival facility is located Main Street and Ward Street.  United States Highway 61 by passes the town six blocks to the west of the site.  Marble stairs are the building feature.  H. G. Clymer is the building designer.  The county was founded on October 1, 1812 as an original county (2^nd county.)  Big Prairie (1814), Rossville (1814), Winchester (1819), and New Madrid (1812 & 1822) have all served as the county seat.  There were 1822 and 1854 courthouses previously.  The county and county seat are named for Madrid, Spain. 

New Madrid County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge serves New Madrid and Pemiscot counties and One County Court Judge serves New Madrid County.  The county is in the southeast part of the state on the Mississippi River border with Kentucky and Tennessee.  Saint Louis, Missouri is northwest and Memphis, Tennessee is south of the county.  The county center is 16.7 miles West-Northwest of New Madrid nearer Risco.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Scott and Mississippi counties and Kentucky and Tennessee and Pemiscot, Dunklin, and Stoddard counties. 

The area of the county is 678 square miles.  It is 35 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 64 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 24.2 persons per square mile making it 69 out of 115 in the state.  New Madrid County has 77.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 55 goes north to south through the county from Scott County to Pemiscot County.  Interstate Highway 57 comes from Mississippi County, east, and terminates.  United States Highway 60 enters from Mississippi County, east, and exits to Stoddard County, west.  United States Highway 61 parallels Interstate Highway 55 from Scott to Pemiscot counties.  United States Highway 62 enters joined with United States Highway 60 from Mississippi County, splits and exits west into Dunklin County.  The county could be described as a squared headed man face down.  The City of New Madrid is in the southeast border of the county.  Portageville is on the northern border and extends into Pemiscot County.  New Madrid is the county seat and Portageville is the largest city.  New Madrid is 17.0% of the county population while Portageville is 17.9% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced NU MAD-RID.