
- U.S. State: Missouri
- Abbreviation: MO
- Joined the USA: August 10th, 1821 (24th State)
- Located: Midwestern United States
- Capital City: Jefferson City, MO
- Most Populated City: Kansas City, MO
35 Missouri Facts for Kids
- Missouri is a state in the United States of America.
- Missouri became a U.S. State on Friday, August 10th, 1821.
- Missouri was the 24th state to join the United States.
- The U.S. state of Missouri covers 69,715 square miles.
- Missouri is the 21st largest state by area in the United States.
- In 2019, the population of Missouri was estimated to be 6,137,000 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
- In 2019, Missouri was the 18th most populated state in the United States.
- A person who is from or lives in Missouri is called a Missourian.
- The capital city of Missouri is Jefferson City.
- The five most populated cities in Missouri are Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia and Independence.
- The largest city by population in Missouri is Kansas City.
- The largest metropolitan area in Missouri is the Greater St. Louis area.
- The U.S. state of Missouri has 114 counties.
- The most populated county in Missouri is Saint Louis County with 998,985 residents (2019, U.S. Census Bureau).
- The largest county by area in Missouri is Texas County with 1,179 square miles.
- The highest elevation point in Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain at 1,772 feet above sea level.
- The lowest elevation point in Missouri is the St. Francis River at 230 feet above sea level.
- The average precipitation (rain and snow) in Missouri is 42.5 inches.
- Missouri is the 26th wettest state by precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States.
- The average temperature in Missouri is 54.7 °F.
- Missouri is the 18th warmest state in the United States.
- The warmest temperature ever recorded in Missouri was 118 °F on July 14th, 1954.
- The coldest temperature ever recorded in Missouri was -40 °F on February 13th, 1905.
- A few natural disasters that can affect Missouri are blizzards, earthquakes, hail, heat waves, ice storms, river flooding and thunderstorms.
- Missouri is in one time zone, Central Time Zone (CT).
- The USPS abbreviation for Missouri is MO.
- Missouri is also known as the Show Me State, the Cave State and the Mother of the West.
- The official motto of the U.S. state of Missouri in English is “Let the good of the people be the supreme law”.
- There are four professional sports teams in Missouri, the Kansas City Royals (MLB), the St. Louis Cardinals (MLB), Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) and the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
- The official state insect of Missouri is the honeybee (Apis).
- The official state fish of Missouri is the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).
- The official state bird of Missouri is the bluebird (Sialia).
- The official state animal of Missouri is the mule (Equus asinus × Equus caballus).
- The official state flower of Missouri is the hawthorn (Crataegus).
- The official state tree of Missouri is the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida).
Pictures of Missouri

A picture of the flag of the U.S. state of Missouri.

A picture of Jefferson City, the capital city of Missouri.

A picture of Kansas City, the largest city in Missouri.
Additional Resources on Missouri
- About Missouri – Discover more about the U.S. state of Missouri on the Info Please website.
- History of Missouri – Learn about the history of Missouri on the Missouri Secretary of State website.
- Facts About Missouri – Find more facts about Missouri on the 50 States website.
- Missouri – Britannica – Read this detailed article about the U.S. state of Missouri on the Britannica website.