Newton

Formed December 31, 1838 (62^nd county)

Newton County (58,644), Neosho (12,579)

The 1936 concrete masonry Art Deco courthouse replaced a classic 1877 facility.  It is on a square at Wood, Spruce, Washington, and Main streets.  United States Highway 60 Business is five blocks to the northwest of the courthouse.  Neal C. Davis provided the designs for the current structure.  The building was renovated in 1998.  Marble floors and walls are on the inside of the courthouse.  Newton County was created on December 31, 1838 from Native American Territory as the 62^nd county.  It is named for Revolutionary War hero John Newton.  The county seat name is Native American for “clear, cold water.”  Neosho has always been the county seat. 

Newton 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 Newton and McDonald counties and Two County Court Judges and a court clerk serve Newton County (judicial.)  The county is in southwest Missouri on the border with Kansas and Oklahoma.  Springfield, Missouri is northeast and Tulsa, Oklahoma is southwest of the county.  The county center is 8.7 miles Northeast of Neosho nearer Diamond.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jasper, Lawrence, Barry, and McDonald counties and Oklahoma and Kansas. 

The area of the county is 626 square miles.  It is 49 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 93.7 persons per square mile making it 20 out of 115 in the state.  Newton County has 48.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 44 clips the northwest corner of the county from Jasper County to Oklahoma.  Interstate Highway 49 travels north to south from Jasper County to McDonald County.  United States Highway 60 passes east to west from Barry County to Oklahoma.  United States Highway 71 parallels or is joined with Interstate 49 from Jasper County to McDonald County.  Newton County is a rectangle.  Neosho is in the southern third in the county.  Neosho is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 21.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Joplin Metropolitan Statistical Area.