Cedar County is a county in Missouri, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 14,188 at the 2020 census and covers 499 square miles (1,290 km2) centred near 37°43′N 93°52′W.
Stockton is the county seat, and its postal code is 65785. The county has 2 cities, 2 villages and two dozen unincorporated communities. Cedar County observes the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Cedar County
Cedar County contains 28 named places: 2 incorporated cities (one the county seat), 2 incorporated villages, and 24 unincorporated communities without their own local government. Most of the unincorporated places are crossroads hamlets or former rail stops with no current population count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton | City · seat | — | 65785 |
| El Dorado Springs | City | — | 64744 |
| Jerico Springs | Village | — | 64756 |
| Umber View Heights | Village | — | — |
| Arnica | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bearcreek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cane Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caplinger Mills | Unincorp. | — | 65607 |
| Cedar Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claud | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coal Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Filley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Graceland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hackleman Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamlet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ivy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lebeck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Masters | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Needmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olympia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Osiris | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pacetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rowland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tingley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Umber | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Virgil City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wagoner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willowville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Umber and Umber View Heights are separate places despite the shared name — Umber is an unincorporated hamlet and Umber View Heights is a small incorporated village nearby it.
ZIP Codes
- 65785 — Stockton (also serves the surrounding rural county seat area)
- 64744 — El Dorado Springs (also serves the southwest corner of the county)
- 64756 — Jerico Springs
- 65607 — Caplinger Mills (post office box service only, no home delivery)
The remaining unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own and use whichever of the four above is nearest by mail route.
Geography
Cedar County sits on the edge of the Springfield Plateau, part of the Ozark region, with rolling pasture and timbered ridges cut by the Sac River and its tributary Cedar Creek. Stockton Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Sac River, covers much of the county’s water area and is the dominant recreational feature. Of the county’s 499 square miles, 474 square miles are land and 24 square miles are water.
Cedar County borders Saint Clair County to the north, Polk County to the east, Dade County to the south, Barton County to the southwest, and Vernon County to the west. Live sibling pages: Saint Clair County, Polk County, Dade County and Barton County.
Demographics
Cedar County had 14,188 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 30 people per square mile of land. El Dorado Springs and Stockton are the county’s two largest communities, together holding a majority of the county’s population; most other residents live on rural acreages or in the smaller unincorporated places. Median household income in Cedar County runs well below the Missouri median of $68,545, consistent with the county’s largely agricultural, low-density economy.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — cattle grazing, hay and poultry production — anchors the county’s economy alongside health care and retail centred in El Dorado Springs, historically known as a mineral-springs resort town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Stockton Lake supports a seasonal tourism trade of boating, fishing and lakeside cabins that brings visitors from the wider Springfield metro area each summer.
History
Cedar County was organized on February 14, 1845, carved from neighboring counties as Missouri’s settlement pushed into the southwestern Ozarks. It takes its name from Cedar Creek, a Sac River tributary lined with Eastern red cedar trees. El Dorado Springs grew rapidly after the 1881 discovery of mineral springs there, briefly drawing thousands of visitors a year to its bottling works and bathhouses before the resort trade faded in the early 20th century.
Getting There
U.S. Route 54 crosses the county through Stockton, with Missouri Routes 32, 39, 97 and 215 connecting the smaller communities.
- Springfield — about 50 miles east
- Nevada — about 30 miles northwest
- Joplin — about 55 miles southwest
- Bolivar — about 25 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Springfield-Branson National Airport, roughly an hour’s drive east on US-54 and US-60.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cedar County, Missouri?
It is in southwestern Missouri, centred near 37°43′N 93°52′W, between Springfield and the Kansas state line.
What is the population of Cedar County?
Cedar County had a population of 14,188 at the 2020 census.
How big is Cedar County?
The county covers 499 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 474 square miles are land and 24 square miles are water, most of it Stockton Lake.
What is the county seat of Cedar County?
Stockton is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Cedar County?
The county has 2 incorporated cities, 2 incorporated villages and 24 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Cedar County?
The main ZIP codes are 65785 (Stockton), 64744 (El Dorado Springs), 64756 (Jerico Springs) and 65607 (Caplinger Mills, PO box only).
What is Cedar County known for?
Stockton Lake and its boating and fishing trade, and El Dorado Springs’ history as a 19th-century mineral-springs resort town.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.