Liberal, Missouri

Liberal, Missouri
Railroad sign for Liberal
Railroad sign for Liberal
Location of Liberal, Missouri
Location of Liberal, Missouri
Coordinates: 37°33′33″N 94°30′59″W / 37.55917°N 94.51639°W / 37.55917; -94.51639
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountyBarton
Area
 • Total0.85 sq mi (2.20 km2)
 • Land0.84 sq mi (2.18 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation886 ft (270 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total629
 • Density745.26/sq mi (287.90/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
64762
Area code417
FIPS code29-41906[3]
GNIS feature ID2395699[2]

Liberal is a city in Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census.[4]

Liberal was founded as an atheist utopia in 1880 by lawyer George Walser, who named it after the Liberal League in nearby Lamar. The city had restrictions on both religious buildings and saloons, instead offering intellectual pursuits. A contingent of Christian residents moved to the town and began holding religious services against Walser's wishes, and eventually took hold of the settlement.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Liberal, Missouri
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2022.