Perry

Formed November 16, 1820 (22^nd county)

Perry County (18,954), Perryville (8,551)

The classic red brick Romanesque Revival structure, located in a square at Ste. Maries, Jackson, St. Joseph and Main streets, was built in 1904.  United States Highway 61 is five blocks to the northeast of the site.  A working clock tower tops the building.  Memorial veterans’ slabs adorn the courthouse grounds.  J. W. Gaddis is the structure’s architect.  There were 1825 and 1859 earlier versions all in Perryville, the only county seat.  The county was organized on November 16, 1820 and taken from Sainte Genevieve County as the 22^nd county.  The county and county seat are named for War of 1812 hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. 

Perry 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.)  Two Circuit Court Judges serve Perry, Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Perry County (judicial.)  The county is in eastern Missouri on the Mississippi River border with Illinois.  Saint Louis, Missouri is north and Springfield, Missouri is southwest of the county.  The county center is 6.1 miles East of Perryville nearer Longtown.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Illinois and Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, Saint Francois, and Sainte Genevieve counties. 

The area of the county is 475 square miles.  It is 90 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 57 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 39.9 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 115 in the state.  Perry County has 48.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 55 travels north to south in the county from Sainte Genevieve County to Cape Girardeau County.  United States Highway 61 parallels Interstate Highway 55 from Sainte Genevieve to Cape Girardeau counties.  The county is shaped like a hill.  Perryville is in the western third of the county.  Perryville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 45.1% of the county population.