Lawrence County, Missouri

Lawrence County
County
The Lawrence County Courthouse in Mt. Vernon
The Lawrence County Courthouse in Mt. Vernon
Map of Missouri highlighting Lawrence County
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°07′N 93°50′W / 37.11°N 93.83°W / 37.11; -93.83
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedFebruary 14, 1845
Named forJames Lawrence
SeatMount Vernon
Largest cityMonett
Area
 • Total
613 sq mi (1,590 km2)
 • Land612 sq mi (1,590 km2)
 • Water1.6 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
38,001
 • Density62/sq mi (24/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district7th
Websitewww.lawrencecountymo.org

Lawrence County is located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, in the area of the Ozarks. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,001.[1] Its county seat is Mount Vernon.[2] The county was organized in 1845 and named for James Lawrence, a naval officer from the War of 1812 known for his battle cry, "Don't give up the ship!"[3]

A previous Lawrence County, established in 1815 with its county seat at what is now Davidsonville Historic State Park in Arkansas, covered much of what is now southern Missouri and the northern third of Arkansas. When the Arkansas Territory was created from Missouri Territory in 1819, some of that earlier county became organized as Lawrence County, Arkansas.[4]

Just before that, in 1818, Missouri divided its part of the old Lawrence County into Wayne County and Madison County; with population increases, those counties were later divided into others, including the present Lawrence County.

  1. ^ "Lawrence County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 184.
  4. ^ "1815 city got off to fine start". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (behind paywall). November 1, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.