Ralls County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the west bank of the Mississippi River northwest of the Hannibal urban area. It had a population of 10,355 at the 2020 census and covers 484 square miles (1,250 km2) centred near 39°32′N 91°32′W.
New London is the county seat, and its postal code is 63459. The county has 5 cities (3 shared with neighboring counties), 1 village, 1 census-designated place and 13 unincorporated communities. Ralls County is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Ralls County
Ralls County’s list runs from riverfront cities that spill across the county line into a scatter of crossroads hamlets set among the Mississippi River bluffs. Three of its five cities — Hannibal, Monroe City and Vandalia — are mostly located in adjoining counties, with only a small edge of each inside Ralls. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| New London | City · seat | 1,046 | 63459 |
| Center | City | 485 | 63436 |
| Perry | City | 656 | 63462 |
| Hannibal | City (mostly Marion Co.) | — | 63401 |
| Monroe City | City (mostly Monroe/Marion Co.) | — | 63456 |
| Vandalia | City (mostly Audrain Co.) | — | 63382 |
| Rensselaer | Village | 108 | 63456 |
| Saverton | CDP | 108 | 63462 |
| Cincinnati | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| Flint Hill | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| Greenlawn | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| Hassard | Unincorp. | — | 63436 |
| Hatch | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| Huntington | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| Hutchison | Unincorp. | — | 63462 |
| Ilasco | Unincorp. | — | 63401 |
| Madisonville | Unincorp. | — | 63436 |
| Salt River | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| Sheil | Unincorp. | — | 63456 |
| Spalding | Unincorp. | — | 63459 |
| West Hartford | Unincorp. | — | 63382 |
Hannibal, best known as Mark Twain’s boyhood home, sits mainly in Marion County; only its southern edge crosses into Ralls. Monroe City straddles Monroe and Marion counties with a small slice in Ralls, and Vandalia is centered in Audrain County with just an edge here. Treat the pop.-and-ZIP figures on those three as belonging chiefly to the neighboring county’s data, not Ralls County’s own count.
ZIP Codes
- 63459 — New London (also serves Cincinnati, Flint Hill, Greenlawn, Hatch, Huntington, Salt River, Spalding)
- 63436 — Center (also serves Hassard, Madisonville)
- 63462 — Perry (also serves Saverton, Hutchison)
- 63456 — Monroe City (also serves Rensselaer, Sheil)
- 63401 — Hannibal (also serves Ilasco)
- 63382 — Vandalia (also serves West Hartford)
Most unincorporated communities share the ZIP of the nearest post-office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Ralls County sits on the bluffs and bottomland along the west bank of the Mississippi River, in the northeastern part of Missouri. The Salt River crosses the county before joining the Mississippi near Saverton, and the terrain rises from riverside lowland in the east to rolling farmland further west. Marion County borders it to the north, Pike County, Illinois lies across the Mississippi to the northeast, Pike County borders it to the southeast, Audrain County borders it to the south, and Monroe County borders it to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 10,355 residents in Ralls County, with a median age of 45.5. New London and the Ralls County edge of Hannibal are the county’s two largest population centers. Median household income runs below the Missouri median of $68,545 in most of the county’s smaller communities, reflecting its largely rural, agricultural tax base. Density works out to roughly 22 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the county’s economy, with corn, soybeans and cattle the leading commodities on the rolling land west of the river. The Hannibal micropolitan area, anchored just north in Marion County, supplies much of the county’s retail, healthcare and manufacturing employment. Ilasco, on the Mississippi bluffs, grew up around cement production tied to the limestone deposits there. New London’s county courthouse and schools are the seat’s main civic anchors.
History
Ralls County was organized on November 16, 1820, and named for Daniel Ralls, a Missouri territorial legislator who, according to local tradition, was carried into the legislature on his deathbed to cast a deciding vote on statehood. Early settlers came chiefly from Kentucky and Tennessee, bringing hemp and tobacco cultivation and antebellum plantation traditions with them — placing Ralls in the outer ring of Missouri’s “Little Dixie” region. The county’s river towns later grew around milling, shipping and, at Ilasco, cement manufacturing.
Getting There
US Route 24, US Route 36 and US Route 61 cross the county, linking New London to the wider region; a future Interstate 72 designation is planned along the US 36 corridor.
- Hannibal — 6 miles northeast
- Quincy, Illinois — 20 miles northeast
- Mexico, Missouri — 30 miles southwest
- Columbia, Missouri — 55 miles southwest
The nearest commercial air service is Quincy Regional Airport in Quincy, Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ralls County, Missouri?
It is in northeastern Missouri, on the Mississippi River just southwest of Hannibal.
What is the population of Ralls County?
10,355 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Ralls County?
484 square miles (1,250 km2), of which 14 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Ralls County?
New London is the county seat.
How many towns are in Ralls County?
The county has 5 cities (3 shared with neighboring counties), 1 village, 1 census-designated place and 13 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Ralls County?
Main ZIPs include 63459 (New London), 63436 (Center), 63462 (Perry), 63456 (Monroe City), 63401 (Hannibal) and 63382 (Vandalia).
Is Hannibal, Missouri in Ralls County?
Only a small southern edge of Hannibal lies in Ralls County; most of the city is in Marion County.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.