Pike County, Missouri

Pike County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the Mississippi River bluffs east of the state, roughly midway between Hannibal and St. Louis. It had a population of 17,587 at the 2020 census and covers 685 square miles (1,770 km2), of which 670 square miles (1,700 km2) are land and 14 square miles (36 km2) are water, centred near 39°20′N 91°10′W.

Bowling Green is the county seat, and its postal code is 63334. The county holds two cities, six villages, and more than two dozen smaller unincorporated communities. Pike County runs on Central time and lies within the Hannibal micropolitan trade area.

Towns & Villages in Pike County

Pike County has 33 named places in local use: two incorporated cities (Bowling Green and Louisiana), six recognised villages, and the rest unincorporated crossroads and river landings. Population figures below are the 2020 census count where confirmed; unlisted figures are marked with a dash rather than guessed. “CDP” denotes a census-designated place with no municipal government; “Unincorp.” denotes a named community with no incorporated status at all.

Clarksville, on the river bluff at the county’s northeast corner, sits closest to the Illinois state line and is easily confused with Clarksville in nearby Ralls County to the south — the two are separate places roughly 20 miles apart.

ZIP Codes

• 63334 — Bowling Green (also serves the county’s central townships)
• 63353 — Louisiana (also serves the river bluff communities south of Clarksville)
• 63336 — Clarksville
• 63339 — Curryville
• 63441 — Frankford
• 63344 — Eolia
• 63330 — Annada
• 63433 — Ashburn

Smaller unincorporated communities such as Busch, Calumet, Cyrene, and Stark share the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than having one of their own.

Geography

Pike County occupies the bluff-and-bottomland country of northeastern Missouri, bounded on its entire eastern edge by the Mississippi River, which also forms the state line with Illinois. Inland, the terrain rolls from river bluffs into open farmland drained by Peno Creek, Salt River, and Spencer Creek. The county borders Lincoln and Montgomery counties to the south, Audrain County to the west, Ralls County to the northwest, and, across the Mississippi, Pike County and Calhoun County in Illinois to the east.

Of its Missouri neighbors, only Lincoln County and Montgomery County currently have live directory pages on this site; Ralls and Audrain counties are named here without a link. Across the river, Pike County, Illinois and Calhoun County, Illinois both have live pages — the two Pike Counties face each other across the Mississippi and are frequently confused in search results.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 17,587 residents in Pike County. Bowling Green (5,338) and Louisiana (3,282) are the two largest communities, together holding roughly half the county’s population. Missouri’s 2023 median household income is $68,545; Pike County’s rural, agriculture- and manufacturing-based economy runs below that figure, in line with most of the state’s non-metro counties. Overall density works out to about 26 people per square mile, concentrated along the US 54 and US 61 corridors and the river towns.

Economy & Local Life

Row-crop and livestock farming anchors the county’s economy outside its two cities, with corn, soybeans, and cattle the dominant operations. Bowling Green is home to Pike County R-III schools and the county courthouse and government offices; Louisiana’s river-town economy has long centred on shoe manufacturing and, more recently, on Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards, a mail-order nursery business headquartered there since the 19th century. Clarksville, the smallest of the incorporated places, draws visitors for its river views, antique shops, and bald-eagle watching along the Mississippi flyway each winter.

History

Pike County was organized on December 14, 1818, one of Missouri’s original counties, and was named for U.S. Army explorer Zebulon Pike. Early settlers came heavily from Pike County, Kentucky, which is one account for the county’s name recurring across several states. The county’s river towns grew on steamboat trade in the 19th century; Louisiana in particular developed into a regional shipping and manufacturing point on the Mississippi. Like much of Missouri, the county’s history includes documented racial violence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a record local historians and the county itself have worked to acknowledge in recent years.

Getting There

US Highway 54 and US Highway 61 cross the county, with Missouri Routes 79, 154, and 161 connecting the smaller towns and river landings.

• Hannibal, Missouri — 25 miles north via US 61
• St. Louis, Missouri — 85 miles southeast via US 61 and I-70
• Columbia, Missouri — 65 miles west via US 54
• Jefferson City, Missouri — 90 miles southwest via US 54

The nearest commercial air service is Columbia Regional Airport (COU), about 70 miles west.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Pike County, Missouri?
It is in northeastern Missouri, on the Mississippi River between Hannibal and St. Louis.

What is the population of Pike County?
17,587 residents at the 2020 census.

How big is Pike County?
685 square miles (1,770 km2), including 14 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Pike County?
Bowling Green is the county seat.

How many towns are in Pike County?
Two incorporated cities, six villages, and about two dozen unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Pike County?
Eight ZIP codes serve the county, led by 63334 (Bowling Green) and 63353 (Louisiana).

Why is it called Pike County?
It is named for explorer Zebulon Pike, and many early settlers came from Pike County, Kentucky.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.