Pemiscot County is a county in Missouri, United States, at the southeastern tip of the Bootheel where the Mississippi River forms the state line. It had a population of 15,661 at the 2020 census and covers 513 square miles (1,330 km2) centred near 36°13′N 89°47′W.
Caruthersville is the county seat and its postal code is 63830. The county has 1 city functioning as seat, several smaller cities and villages, and a number of unincorporated communities. Pemiscot County is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Pemiscot County
Pemiscot County has roughly a dozen incorporated cities and villages plus dozens of small unincorporated crossroads and farm communities scattered across the flat Bootheel cotton and rice country. The table below marks incorporated places as City or Village and everything else as Unincorp.; population figures are the 2020 census count where verified.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caruthersville | City · seat | 5,562 | 63830 |
| Hayti | City | — | 63851 |
| Hayti Heights | City | — | 63851 |
| Steele | City | — | 63877 |
| Wardell | Village | — | 63879 |
| North Wardell | Unincorp. | — | 63879 |
| Holland | Village | — | 63853 |
| Cooter | Village | — | 63839 |
| Bragg City | Village | — | 63827 |
| Braggadocio | Unincorp. | — | 63826 |
| Gobler | Unincorp. | — | 63849 |
| Deering | Unincorp. | — | 63840 |
| Pascola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gayoso | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cottonwood Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peach Orchard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Concord | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Denton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Homestown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Mound | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vicksburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
Deering appears twice and Denton appears twice in the old county list; both are single communities and are listed once here. A handful of very small crossroads named in older gazetteers — Acorn Corner, Bakerville, Blazer, Brent, Carlston, Channel, Covington, Cunningham, De Lisle, Deco, Douglas, Faris, Garver, Gibson, Gidson, Gill, Hayward, Hermondale, Holbert Corner, Ingram Ridge, Kennedy, Kinfolks Ridge, McCarty, Micola, Mid City, Netherlands, New Survey, Oakville, Samford, Schult, Shade, Stancil, Stanley, Stewart, Stubtown, Swift, Temples Corner, Terry, Tinkerville, Tyler, West Hermondale and Yama — could not be independently confirmed against a current source in this pass and are omitted rather than published unverified; see notes.md.
ZIP Codes
- 63830 — Caruthersville
- 63851 — Hayti (also serves Hayti Heights)
- 63877 — Steele
- 63879 — Wardell (also serves North Wardell)
- 63827 — Bragg City
- 63849 — Gobler
- 63839 — Cooter (PO Box only)
- 63826 — Braggadocio (PO Box only)
- 63853 — Holland (PO Box only)
- 63840 — Deering (PO Box only)
Smaller unincorporated places such as Pascola, Gayoso and Cottonwood Point are served by the nearest post office town above rather than carrying their own ZIP code.
Geography
Pemiscot County sits in the Missouri Bootheel, a flat alluvial plain built by the Mississippi River, which forms the county’s entire eastern border. The land is intensively farmed, with drainage ditches cut through former swampland to support row-crop agriculture. New Madrid County lies to the north, Dunklin County to the west, Mississippi County, Arkansas to the south across the state line, and Lake County, Tennessee sits across the Mississippi River to the east.
Bordering counties: New Madrid County (north), Dunklin County (west), Mississippi County, Arkansas (south), and Lake County, Tennessee (east, across the Mississippi River).
Demographics
Pemiscot County had a population of 15,661 at the 2020 census, a decline from prior decades and well below its 1940 peak of 46,857. Caruthersville, the county seat, is by far the largest community with 5,562 residents; Hayti is the second-largest incorporated city. Median household income in the county runs well below the Missouri median of $68,545, reflecting a rural, agriculture-dependent economy. Population density is roughly 32 people per square mile of land area.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy, with cotton historically dominant and rice and soybeans now major commodity crops grown on the flat Bootheel farmland. Caruthersville’s river frontage supports Mississippi River barge and transport commerce, and a riverboat casino in Caruthersville is a significant local employer and visitor draw. Farming, agribusiness and related trucking and processing work remain the backbone of employment across the smaller towns.
History
Pemiscot County was organized on February 19, 1851. Its name comes from a Meskwaki word, rendered as pem-eskaw, meaning roughly “liquid mud,” a reference to the swampy bayou terrain the first settlers found. The county’s largest prehistoric feature, Murphy Mound near Caruthersville, is one of Missouri’s largest surviving Mississippian-culture platform mounds. Caruthersville was heavily damaged by a tornado on April 2, 2006, which struck roughly 60% of the city.
Getting There
Interstate 55 and Interstate 155 cross the county, along with US Routes 61 and 412 and Missouri Routes 84, 153 and 164.
- Caruthersville — on I-55/US 412, county seat
- Steele — 12 miles south of Caruthersville via US 61
- Hayti — 10 miles northwest of Caruthersville via I-155
- Kennett (Dunklin County) — 25 miles west via US 412
The nearest commercial airport is Memphis International Airport, about 65 miles south via I-55.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pemiscot County?
It is in the southeastern tip of Missouri’s Bootheel, bordered by the Mississippi River on the east.
What is the population of Pemiscot County?
15,661 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Pemiscot County?
513 square miles (1,330 km2), including 21 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Pemiscot County?
Caruthersville, also the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Pemiscot County?
About a dozen incorporated cities and villages, plus a number of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Pemiscot County?
Ten ZIP codes, anchored by 63830 (Caruthersville), 63851 (Hayti) and 63877 (Steele).
What is Pemiscot County’s economy based on?
Row-crop farming — cotton historically, now rice and soybeans — plus Mississippi River barge trade and a riverboat casino at Caruthersville.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.