Ripley

Formed January 6, 1831 (34^th county)

Ripley County (10,678), Doniphan (1,782)

The remodeled Victorian courthouse was erected in 1899 and remodeled in 1929 and 1976.  The courthouse is on the square at Washington and Franklin streets.  United States Highway 160 passes five blocks west of the courthouse.  William F. Schrage is the building designer.  The county was formed on January 6, 1831 from Wayne County as the 34^th county with Doniphan as the only county seat.  The county is named for War of 1812 war hero General Eleazar Wheelock Ripley.  Doniphan is named for Mexican War hero Alexander Doniphan. 

Ripley 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 Ripley and Butler counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Ripley County (judicial.)  The county is on the southern border with Arkansas.  Springfield, Missouri is northwest and Memphis, Tennessee is southeast of the county.  The county center is 8.8 miles North of Doniphan.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Carter and Butler counties and Arkansas and Oregon County. 

The area of the county is 830 square miles.  It is 10 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 82 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 12.9 persons per square mile making it 97 out of 115 in the state.  Ripley County has 20.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 160 crosses the county east to west from Butler County to Oregon County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Doniphan is in the southern third of the county.  Doniphan is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 16.7% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced DON-I-FUN.