Missouri has 114 counties plus the independent City of St. Louis, 115 county-level areas in all, per Census Bureau files. Read on October 30, 2026.
By the It’s Missouri editorial team. Last reviewed October 30, 2026.
Why 115
The Census Bureau’s 2020 county code file lists 115 Missouri entries, one of them St. Louis city. An earlier Census state guide also prints 115 counties and equivalents, made of 114 counties plus St. Louis city.
What We Could Not Verify
The 2020 file count was made by a tool reading the file, not a human recount; the two Census sources agree.
More Missouri Guides
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/answers/how-many-counties-does-missouri-have/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.