Lewis County is a county in Missouri, United States, in the northeastern corner of the state along the Mississippi River. It had a population of 10,032 at the 2020 census and covers 511 square miles (1,320 km2), of which 505 square miles are land, centred near 40°05′N 91°44′W.
Monticello is the county seat, and its postal code is 63457. The county has 6 incorporated cities and villages, one census-designated place, and a scatter of unincorporated communities. Lewis County sits in the Central time zone and is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Lewis County
Lewis County’s population centers stretch from the Mississippi River bluffs at Canton to the farmland around Monticello in the county’s interior. The table below covers the six incorporated municipalities, the county’s one census-designated place, and the unincorporated communities carried down from the county’s original settlement pattern — most of the latter are crossroads hamlets with no current population count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | City | 2,774 | 63435 |
| Monticello | City · seat | — | 63457 |
| La Grange | City | — | 63448 |
| La Belle | City | — | 63447 |
| Ewing | Village | — | 63440 |
| Lewistown | Village | — | 63452 |
| Williamstown | CDP | — | 63473 |
| Durham | Unincorp. | — | 63438 |
| Argola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benjamin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deer Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Derrahs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dover | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Durgen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gilead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laura | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maywood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Court Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Santuzza | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sellers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steffenville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ten Mile | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tolona | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tully | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weber | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list repeated Williamstown twice; the duplicate has been dropped here. Everything else from the original list is a genuine Lewis County place name and is kept, though population figures for the small unincorporated communities are not separately tabulated by the Census Bureau.
ZIP Codes
- 63435 — Canton
- 63438 — Durham
- 63440 — Ewing
- 63447 — La Belle
- 63448 — La Grange
- 63452 — Lewistown
- 63457 — Monticello
- 63473 — Williamstown
The small unincorporated communities scattered through the county share the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Lewis County lies where the Mississippi River bluffs give way to the rolling farmland of northeastern Missouri, with the North Fabius and South Fabius rivers draining the county’s interior toward the Mississippi. The county borders Clark County to the north, Hancock County, Illinois, and Adams County, Illinois, across the Mississippi to the east, Marion County to the south, Shelby County to the southwest, and Knox County to the west.
Demographics
Lewis County had a population of 10,032 at the 2020 census, a density of about 20 people per square mile. Canton, home to Culver-Stockton College, is the county’s largest community at 2,774 residents; Monticello, the seat, is far smaller. Median household income in the county runs below the Missouri median of $68,545, consistent with the county’s agricultural economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Row-crop and livestock farming anchor Lewis County’s economy, alongside river-related trade along the Mississippi at Canton and La Grange. Canton is also a college town, home to Culver-Stockton College, a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1853.
History
Lewis County was organized on January 2, 1833, and named for Meriwether Lewis, the explorer and former governor of the Louisiana Territory. Early settlers came largely from Virginia and Kentucky and established the county’s farming economy. Mark Twain lived in the county briefly in his youth, and the Mississippi River scenery of the area is often cited as an influence on his later writing.
Getting There
U.S. Route 61 runs north–south through the county, with Missouri Routes 6, 16, 81, and 156 connecting the smaller towns.
- Quincy, Illinois — 15 miles east
- Hannibal, Missouri — 25 miles south
- Kirksville, Missouri — 45 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Quincy Regional Airport in Illinois, just across the Mississippi River.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lewis County, Missouri?
It is in the northeastern corner of Missouri, on the Mississippi River across from Illinois.
What is the population of Lewis County?
10,032, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Lewis County?
511 square miles (1,320 km2), of which 505 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Lewis County?
Monticello is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lewis County?
Six incorporated cities and villages — Canton, Monticello, La Grange, La Belle, Ewing, and Lewistown — plus the Williamstown census-designated place and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lewis County?
63435, 63438, 63440, 63447, 63448, 63452, 63457, and 63473.
What is Lewis County’s largest town?
Canton, with 2,774 residents at the 2020 census, home to Culver-Stockton College.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.