Nodaway

Formed February 25, 1845 (92^nd county)

Nodaway County (21,240), Maryville (10,631)                

The classic red brick Romanesque Revival building was constructed in 1881 on a square surrounded by Market, 3^rd, Main, and 4th streets.  United States Highway 71 Business is Main Street in the town.  The courthouse features a working clock tower and a veterans’ memorial on the exterior and wooden stairs in the interior.  The building was remodeled in 1932.  Edmund J. Eckel and George R. Mann are the architects.  There were 1847 and 1855 courthouses earlier in Maryville, the only county seat.  The county was founded on February 25, 1845 from Native American Territory as the 92^nd county.  It is named for the Nodaway River whose name is Native American for “snake” or “enemy.”  The county seat is named for Mary Graham, wife of a prominent politician.  Nodaway County was the birthplace for 1 Missouri Governor, Forrest C. Donnell. 

Nodaway County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge serves Nodaway, Atchison, Gentry, Holt, and Worth counties and One County Court Judge serves Nodaway County.  The county is on the northwest border with Iowa.  Kansas City, Missouri is south and Omaha, Nebraska is northwest of the county.  The county center is in Maryville 1.2 miles North-Northwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Iowa and Worth, Gentry, Andrew, Holt, and Atchison counties. 

The area of the county is 877 square miles.  It is 5 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 52 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 24.2 persons per square mile making it 70 out of 115 in the state.  Nodaway County has 63.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 71 travels north to south from Iowa to Andrew County.  United States Highway 136 goes east to west from Gentry County to Atchison County.  The county is an overall rectangle with the southwest corner cut away.  Maryville is located near the center of the county.  Maryville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 50.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Maryville Micropolitan Statistical Area.