Putnam County is a county in Missouri, United States, hard against the Iowa border in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 4,681 at the 2020 census and covers 520 square miles (1,300 km2) centred near 40°29′N 93°01′W.
Unionville is the county seat; its postal code is 63565. The county has one incorporated city, four incorporated villages, and more than twenty unincorporated communities. It observes Central Time.
Towns & Villages in Putnam County
Putnam County has 28 named places in this list: one city (the county seat), four incorporated villages, and 23 unincorporated communities and crossroads settlements, most of them former post-office stops now reduced to a church, a cemetery, or a scatter of farmsteads. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unionville | City · seat | 1,507 | 63565 |
| Livonia | Village | — | 63551 |
| Lucerne | Village | — | 64655 |
| Powersville | Village | — | 64672 |
| Worthington | Village | — | 63567 |
| Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chariton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elko | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Esper | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Galesburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glendale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Graysville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hartford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Howland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lemons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lickskillet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lowground | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martinstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mendota | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Omaha | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pearl City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quinn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint John | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sidney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Terre Haute | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wyreka | Unincorp. | — | — |
Most of the unincorporated names on this list are 19th-century post-office or rail-siding settlements that never incorporated and have since shrunk to a handful of houses; several, such as Lowground and Lickskillet, survive only as place names on county maps.
ZIP Codes
- 63565 — Unionville (also serves most of the county’s unincorporated interior)
- 63551 — Livonia
- 64655 — Lucerne
- 64672 — Powersville
- 63567 — Worthington
The unincorporated communities in the table above have no ZIP code of their own and use whichever of these five post offices is closest.
Geography
Putnam County sits on gently rolling glaciated plain typical of north Missouri, drained by the Chariton River and its tributary creeks, which flow south toward the Missouri River. Farmland and pasture cover most of the county, with wooded stream bottoms along the Chariton.
Putnam County borders Schuyler County to the east, Sullivan County and Adair County to the south, Mercer County to the west, and Wayne County and Appanoose County, both in Iowa, to the north.
Demographics
Putnam County had 4,681 residents at the 2020 census, working out to roughly 9 people per square mile of land, one of the lower densities in northern Missouri. Unionville and Livonia are the county’s two largest communities. Household income in the county runs well below the Missouri median of $68,545, in line with the rest of the sparsely populated Chariton River counties.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the local economy, with cattle grazing and row crops of corn and soybeans covering most of the county’s farmland. Putnam County Memorial Hospital and the Putnam County R-I School District, both based in Unionville, are among the county’s larger employers. The county fairgrounds in Unionville host an annual county fair each summer.
History
Putnam County was organized on February 28, 1845, from parts of Adair and Sullivan counties. It was named for Israel Putnam, a Continental Army general who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Like much of rural north Missouri, the county lost more than two-thirds of its population between 1900 and 2000 as farming mechanized and residents moved to towns and cities.
Getting There
U.S. Route 136 runs east-west through Unionville, and Missouri Routes 5, 129, 139, and 149 cross the county north-south, connecting it to Iowa.
- Kirksville, Missouri — about 35 miles south
- Milan, Missouri — about 20 miles south
- Princeton, Missouri — about 25 miles west
- Centerville, Iowa — about 25 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Kirksville Regional Airport, about 35 miles to the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Putnam County, Missouri?
It is in the north-central part of the state, on the Iowa border, roughly 35 miles south of Centerville, Iowa and 35 miles north of Kirksville, Missouri.
What is the population of Putnam County?
4,681 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Putnam County?
520 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 517 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Putnam County?
Unionville is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Putnam County?
One city and four incorporated villages, plus about 23 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Putnam County?
63565 (Unionville), 63551 (Livonia), 64655 (Lucerne), 64672 (Powersville), and 63567 (Worthington).
Who was Putnam County named after?
Israel Putnam, a Continental Army general who served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.