Osage

Formed January 29, 1841 (75^th county)

Osage County (13,281), Linn (1,350)

The columns add to the overall dark red brick Renaissance Revival design on the 1923 building.  It is located at Main Street between 1^st and 2^nd streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 50 in the town.  Henry H. Hohenschild is the building designer.  There was previously an 1874 courthouse.  A veterans’ memorial is across the street.  The county was founded on January 29, 1841 from Gasconade County as the 75^th county.  Linn has always been the county seat.  It is named for the Osage River.  The county seat is named for Senator Lewis F. Linn.  He is also the namesake for Linn County and its county seat. 

Osage County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges serve Osage, Franklin, and Gasconade counties and One County Court Judge serves Osage County.  Osage County is in central Missouri.  Saint Louis, Missouri is east and Springfield, Missouri is southwest of the county.  The Missouri River is its northern border.  The county center is 10 miles Southwest of Linn nearer Freeburg.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Callaway, Montgomery, Gasconade, Maries, Miller, and Cole counties. 

The area of the county is 606 square miles.  It is 53 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 73 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 21.9 persons per square mile making it 74 out of 115 in the state.  Osage County has 22.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 crosses the county east to west from Gasconade County to Cole County.  United States Highway 63 is joined with United States Highway 50 from Cole County, splits, and goes south into Maries County.  The county is a triangle.  Linn is slightly east of center in the county.  Linn is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Jefferson City Metropolitan Statistical Area.