Saint Francois

Formed November 16, 1820 (26^th county)

Saint Francois County (66,926), Farmington (18,221)

The masonry Art Deco structure is the 1926 courthouse in Farmington.  It is located on a square at Washington, Liberty, Jefferson, and Columbia Streets.  Missouri State Highway 32 is six blocks north of the building.  Norman B. Howard is the building architect.  The building features columns on all sides and a memorial veterans’ wall.  An annex was built across the street in 2007.  Farmington, the only county seat, was also the site for the 1885 courthouse.  The county was organized on November 16, 1820 from parts of Jefferson, Sainte Genevieve, and Washington counties as a 26^th county.  The county is named for Saint Francis of Assisi.  Farmington is a geographical name for the rich farmland. 

Saint Francois 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 Saint Francois, Madison, Sainte Genevieve, and Washington counties and Two County Court Judges and a court clerk serve Saint Francois County (judicial.)  The county is in eastern Missouri.  Saint Louis, Missouri is north and Springfield, Missouri is southwest of the county.  The county center is 4.2 miles Northeast of Farmington.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jefferson, Sainte Genevieve, Perry, Madison, Iron, and Washington counties. 

The area of the county is 450 square miles.  It is 96 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 148.7 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 115 in the state.  Saint Francois County has 63.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 67 travels north to south in the county from Jefferson County to Madison County.  The county looks like an open trash bin.  Farmington is located in the southwest third of the county.  Farmington is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 27.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SAENT FRAN-SIS.  This county is in the Farmington Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Leadwood Park Hills