Montgomery County is a county in Missouri, United States, roughly halfway between Columbia and St. Louis along the Missouri River. It had a population of 11,322 at the 2020 census and covers 542 square miles (1,400 km2) centred near 38°56′N 91°28′W.
Montgomery City is the county seat, and its postal code is 63361. The county has 8 incorporated cities, 1 village and about a dozen unincorporated communities, no organized civil townships, and sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 8 incorporated cities and one incorporated village, plus a scatter of small unincorporated communities along the Missouri River bottoms and inland farm roads. CDP = Census-Designated Place (unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau); Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no separate municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery City | City · seat | — | 63361 |
| Bellflower | City | — | 63333 |
| High Hill | City | — | 63350 |
| Jonesburg | City | — | 63351 |
| McKittrick | City | — | — |
| Middletown | City | — | 63359 |
| New Florence | City | — | 63363 |
| Wellsville | City | — | 63384 |
| Rhineland | Village | — | 65069 |
| Americus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Big Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bluffton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Egbert | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gamma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marling | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mineola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prices Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Starkenburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
Starkenburg and Rhineland are the two river-bottom German settlements that gave the county its “Missouri Rhineland” nickname; Rhineland itself was rebuilt on higher ground after the Great Flood of 1993 pushed the Missouri River well past its banks.
ZIP Codes
- 63361 — Montgomery City
- 63333 — Bellflower
- 63350 — High Hill
- 63351 — Jonesburg
- 63359 — Middletown
- 63363 — New Florence
- 63384 — Wellsville
- 65069 — Rhineland
McKittrick and the unincorporated communities have no post office of their own; mail there is addressed through the nearest listed town.
Geography
Montgomery County straddles the line between the rolling till plains north of the Missouri River and the wooded river-breaks country along it. The Missouri River forms much of the county’s southern edge, running past Rhineland, McKittrick and Starkenburg, and the Katy Trail State Park — a rail-trail built on the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad bed — follows the river through the same stretch. The rest of the county is rolling farmland drained by Loutre Creek and its tributaries.
Montgomery County borders Audrain County to the northwest, Pike County to the northeast, Lincoln County to the east, Warren County to the southeast, Gasconade County to the south, Callaway County to the west, and Osage County to the southwest.
Demographics
Montgomery County had 11,322 residents at the 2020 census, spread across 536 square miles of land for a density of roughly 21 people per square mile — a rural county even by Missouri standards. Montgomery City and New Florence are the two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below the Missouri median of $68,545, typical of the state’s smaller agricultural counties.
Economy & Local Life
Row-crop and cattle farming anchor the county’s economy, supplemented by trucking and logistics businesses drawn by the Interstate 70 corridor through New Florence and Jonesburg. The Missouri Rhineland stretch along the river — Rhineland and Starkenburg — carries the county’s German winemaking heritage, with small wineries drawing weekend visitors off the Katy Trail. Montgomery City serves as the county’s retail and government center.
History
Montgomery County was organized on December 14, 1818, while Missouri was still a territory, and named for Richard Montgomery, the American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while leading an assault on Quebec. German immigrants settled the Missouri River bottoms at Rhineland and Starkenburg in the mid-1800s, planting the vineyards that later gave the area its Rhineland name. The Great Flood of 1993 inundated Rhineland and several other river towns; Rhineland’s residents subsequently relocated much of the town to higher ground nearby rather than rebuild in the floodplain.
Getting There
Interstate 70 crosses the county west to east through Jonesburg, High Hill and New Florence, with U.S. Route 40 running parallel through the same towns. Missouri Routes 19, 94 and 161 connect the outlying communities to Montgomery City.
- Columbia — about 45 miles west
- Jefferson City — about 40 miles south
- St. Charles — about 55 miles east
- St. Louis — about 80 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Columbia Regional Airport (COU), roughly 50 miles west; St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the nearest major hub, about 80 miles east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Montgomery County, Missouri?
It sits in east-central Missouri along the Missouri River, roughly halfway between Columbia and St. Louis.
What is the population of Montgomery County?
11,322 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Montgomery County?
542 square miles (1,400 km2) total, of which 536 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Montgomery County?
Montgomery City is the county seat.
How many towns are in Montgomery County?
Eight incorporated cities and one incorporated village, plus about ten unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Montgomery County?
Eight ZIP codes serve the county, from 63333 (Bellflower) to 65069 (Rhineland); see the ZIP Codes section above.
What trail runs through Montgomery County?
The Katy Trail State Park, a rail-trail on the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad bed, follows the Missouri River through Rhineland and McKittrick.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.