Stone

Formed March 1, 1851 (103^rd county)

Stone County (31,077), Galena (453), Kimberling City (2,341)

The red brick Federalist structure was built in 1920 and renovated in 1984.  The courthouse is on a square surrounded by Maple, 4^th, Main and 5^th Streets.  Missouri State Highway 248 is one block to the north of the facility.  A Judicial Center, built in 1998, is across the street.  There was an 1870 courthouse earlier in Galena, the only county seat.  Charles H. Sudhoelter designed the courthouse.  The county was formed on March 1, 1851 from Taney County as the 103^rd county.  Stone County is named for Judge William Stone.  The county seat is named for the local lead ore. 

Stone County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge serves Stone, Barry, and Lawrence counties and Two County Court Judges serve Stone County.  The county is on the southwest border with Arkansas.  Springfield, Missouri is north and Little Rock, Arkansas is southeast of the county.  The county center is 2 miles South of Galena.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Christina and Taney counties and Arkansas and Barry and Lawrence counties. 

The area of the county is 463 square miles.  It is 93 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 37 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 67.1 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 115 in the state.  Stone County has 23.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 160 enters the county from the north, Christian County, and exits to the east, Taney County.  The county is a rectangle with the top quarter shifted west.  Galena is in the northern third of the county.  Kimberling City is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Galena is the county seat and Kimberling City is the largest city.  Galena is 1.5% of the county population while Kimberling City is 7.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced GA-LEEN-A.  This county is in the Branson Micropolitan Statistical Area.