Holt County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the state’s northwest border along the Missouri River. It had a population of 4,223 at the 2020 census and covers 463 square miles (1,200 km2) of land centred near 40°05′N 95°13′W.
Oregon is the county seat, and its postal code is 64473. The county has five incorporated cities, three villages and several unincorporated communities, all in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Holt County
Holt County has 5 incorporated cities, 3 villages and 8 unincorporated communities, listed below. Villages and unincorporated places have no separate municipal government; the “Unincorp.” rows are traditional community names that appear on county maps and in postal records but carry no incorporated ZIP of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | City · seat | — | 64473 |
| Mound City | City | 1,483 | 64470 |
| Maitland | City | — | 64466 |
| Craig | City | — | 64437 |
| Forest City | City | 333 | 64451 |
| Big Lake | Village | — | — |
| Bigelow | Village | — | — |
| Fortescue | Village | — | — |
| Campbell Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Corning | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curzon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forbes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Napier | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nichols Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Townships
Holt County is divided into eleven civil townships, kept mainly for historical and record-keeping purposes today: Benton, Clay, Forbes, Forest, Hickory, Lewis, Liberty, Lincoln, Minton, Nodaway and Union. Precise township-by-township population figures are not separately published by the Census Bureau for Holt County, so they are omitted here rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 64473 — Oregon (county seat)
- 64470 — Mound City
- 64466 — Maitland
- 64437 — Craig
- 64451 — Forest City
Big Lake, Bigelow, Fortescue and the county’s unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is addressed to the nearest post office town above.
Geography
Holt County sits in the far northwest corner of Missouri, bounded on the west by the Missouri River, which also forms the state line with Nebraska. The eastern half of the county rises into the rolling Loess Hills; the western river-bottom section is flat farmland protected by levees. Big Lake, an oxbow lake left behind by a shift in the Missouri River’s channel, gives the village of Big Lake its name and anchors Big Lake State Park.
Holt County borders Atchison County to the north, Nodaway County to the northeast, Andrew County to the southeast, Doniphan County, Kansas to the south, Brown County, Kansas to the southwest, and Richardson and Nemaha counties, Nebraska to the west. Of these, only Atchison County and Brown County, Kansas currently have their own Towns & Villages profile on this site; Nodaway, Andrew, Doniphan, Richardson and Nemaha counties are named without a link.
Demographics
Holt County had 4,223 residents at the 2020 census, down from 5,351 in 2000 — a long decline typical of rural northwest Missouri. Mound City, the county’s largest community at 1,483 residents, anchors the county’s north end; the county seat, Oregon, is smaller. Missouri’s statewide median household income is $68,545 (2023 ACS); Holt County, a farming county with a shrinking population, runs below that figure. Population density is roughly 9 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Holt County’s economy — corn, soybeans and cattle on the bottomland fields protected by the Missouri River levee system, with grain elevators in Oregon, Mound City and Craig. Big Lake State Park and the adjoining Big Lake, a popular fishing and boating spot, draw seasonal visitors and support a small tourism trade. The county courthouse in Oregon and the local school districts are among the county’s largest employers.
History
Holt County was organized on February 15, 1841, originally under the name Nodaway County before being renamed for David Rice Holt (1803–1840), a Missouri state legislator from Platte County. The county has long depended on the Missouri River both for its farmland and for periodic flood risk; the 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods left about 30,000 acres of the county underwater into late October of that year, one of the most severe modern flood events in the area.
Getting There
Interstate 29 runs the length of the county along the Missouri River, with U.S. Routes 59 and 159 and Missouri Routes 111, 113, 118 and 120 serving the interior towns.
- St. Joseph, Missouri — 25 miles south
- Rock Port, Missouri — 20 miles north
- Falls City, Nebraska — 20 miles west
- Hiawatha, Kansas — 25 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph; Kansas City International Airport is about 75 miles south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Holt County, Missouri?
It sits in the far northwest corner of Missouri, along the Missouri River on the Nebraska and Kansas state lines.
What is the population of Holt County?
Holt County had a population of 4,223 at the 2020 census.
How big is Holt County?
The county covers 463 square miles (1,200 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Holt County?
Oregon is the county seat.
How many towns are in Holt County?
Holt County has 5 incorporated cities, 3 villages and 8 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Holt County?
64437, 64451, 64466, 64470 and 64473.
Why was the county named Holt?
It was originally organized as Nodaway County in 1841 and soon renamed for David Rice Holt, a Missouri state legislator from Platte County.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.