McDonald County is a county in Missouri, United States, in the southwestern corner of the state. It had a population of 23,303 at the 2020 census and covers 539.6 square miles (1,398 km2) centred near 36°38′N 94°21′W.
Pineville is the county seat; its postal code is 64856. McDonald County has eight incorporated cities and villages, plus more than thirty unincorporated communities, and lies in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in McDonald County
McDonald County’s population is spread across eight incorporated municipalities and a large number of small unincorporated crossroads and river communities, many of them named for the low-water fords and mills that once served Ozark farm traffic. The table below covers every named place carried over from the county’s official gazetteer; population and ZIP are shown only where independently verified.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pineville | City · seat | — | 64856 |
| Anderson | City | — | 64831 |
| Goodman | City | — | 64843 |
| Noel | City | — | 64854 |
| Lanagan | Village | — | 64847 |
| Powell | Village | — | 65730 |
| Rocky Comfort | Village | — | 64861 |
| South West City | Village | — | 64863 |
| Tiff City | Unincorp. | — | 64868 |
| Armstrong Quarry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arnett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethlehem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethpage | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bosky Dell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caverna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crag O Lea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cyclone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deep Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elk Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elliff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Erie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ginger Blue | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Griffin Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Havenhurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jacket | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kelley Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| May | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McCullough Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McNatt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meadors Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Shira | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pack | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plainview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poole Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverside Inn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saratoga | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simcoe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Splitlog | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Beach | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wylie | Unincorp. | — | — |
Most of the unincorporated names on this list are river landings, fords, or former mill sites along the Elk River and Big Sugar Creek rather than platted towns, so the U.S. Census Bureau does not report separate population figures for them.
ZIP Codes
- 64856 — Pineville (county seat)
- 64831 — Anderson
- 64843 — Goodman
- 64854 — Noel
- 64847 — Lanagan
- 65730 — Powell
- 64861 — Rocky Comfort
- 64863 — South West City
- 64868 — Tiff City (post office box delivery only)
Smaller communities without their own ZIP code use the delivery address of the nearest post office town listed above.
Geography
McDonald County sits at the southwestern tip of Missouri’s Ozark plateau, a hilly, spring-fed landscape drained by the Elk River and Big Sugar Creek. Land makes up nearly all of the county’s area, with only a small fraction covered by water. The terrain of narrow river valleys and wooded ridges historically limited farming to bottomland tobacco, corn, and today cattle and poultry operations.
The county borders Newton County to the north, Barry County to the east, Benton County, Arkansas to the south, Delaware County, Oklahoma to the west, and Ottawa County, Oklahoma to the northwest — making it the only Missouri county that touches both Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Demographics
McDonald County had 23,303 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 43 people per square mile. Noel is the county’s largest city; Anderson, home to the McDonald County R-I School District’s headquarters, and the county seat of Pineville are the next-largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below the Missouri median of $68,545, reflecting the county’s rural, agriculture- and food-processing-based economy.
Economy & Local Life
Poultry processing is the county’s largest employer sector; a Tyson Foods plant in Noel has anchored the local economy for decades and drawn a significant Latino and Marshallese immigrant workforce to the area. Cattle farming and timber round out the rural economy. The Elk River, which runs through Noel and Pineville, draws canoeists, kayakers, and tubers in summer, and Big Sugar Creek State Park near Cyclone protects one of the county’s remaining stands of old-growth Ozark forest.
History
McDonald County was organized on March 3, 1849, and named for Sergeant Alexander McDonald, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War. The county’s isolated hill country made it a haven for irregular fighters and bushwhackers during the Civil War. The Old McDonald County Courthouse in Pineville and the Powell Bridge are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Getting There
Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 71 run north-south through the county, connecting it to Joplin and the Kansas City–bound interstate network; Missouri Routes 43, 59, 76, and 90 serve the smaller towns.
- Joplin, Missouri — 25 miles north
- Bentonville, Arkansas — 30 miles south
- Bella Vista, Arkansas — 20 miles south
- Grove, Oklahoma — 25 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in Bentonville, roughly 35 miles south of Pineville.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is McDonald County?
It is in the extreme southwestern corner of Missouri, bordering both Arkansas and Oklahoma.
What is the population of McDonald County?
23,303 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is McDonald County?
539.6 square miles (1,398 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of McDonald County?
Pineville is the county seat.
How many towns are in McDonald County?
Eight incorporated cities and villages, along with dozens of small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in McDonald County?
Nine ZIP codes serve the county, from 64831 (Anderson) to 65730 (Powell); see the ZIP Codes section above.
What river runs through McDonald County?
The Elk River, a popular summer float and tubing destination, flows through Noel and Pineville on its way to Grand Lake in Oklahoma.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.