Ray County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the north bank of the Missouri River northeast of Kansas City. It had a population of 23,158 at the 2020 census and covers 569 square miles (1,470 km2) of land centred near 39°21′N 93°59′W.
Richmond is the county seat, and its postal code is 64085. The county has ten incorporated cities and villages, two census-designated places, about 19 unincorporated communities, and eight civil townships. Ray County sits in the Central Time zone.
Towns & Villages in Ray County
Ray County’s settlements split between the incorporated cities and villages along Missouri Routes 10 and 13, and a scatter of crossroads communities and rail sidings across its eight townships. Richmond and Excelsior Springs (which also reaches into Clay County) are the only two places of any size; everything else is a village, a CDP, or an unincorporated hamlet. “CDP” below marks a Census Bureau statistical place with no city government; “Unincorp.” marks a crossroads or rail-siding community with no place-level census count.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | City · seat | Richmond | 6,013 | 64085 |
| Excelsior Springs | City | Fishing River | 10,553 (Clay & Ray) | 64024 |
| Lawson | City | Fishing River | — | 64062 |
| Orrick | City | Orrick | — | 64077 |
| Hardin | City | Crooked River | — | 64035 |
| Henrietta | City | Crooked River | — | 64036 |
| Camden | City | Camden | — | 64017 |
| Fleming | City | Grape Grove | — | — |
| Wood Heights | City | Fishing River | — | 64024 |
| Crystal Lakes | City | Fishing River | — | 64024 |
| Elmira | Village | Polk | — | — |
| Excelsior Estates | Village | Fishing River | — | 64024 |
| Homestead | Village | Camden | — | — |
| Rayville | CDP | Grape Grove | — | 64084 |
| Vibbard | CDP | Knoxville | — | — |
| Albany | Unincorp. | Camden | — | — |
| Dockery | Unincorp. | Polk | — | — |
| Elkhorn | Unincorp. | Crooked River | — | — |
| Floyd | Unincorp. | Grape Grove | — | — |
| Georgeville | Unincorp. | Knoxville | — | — |
| Knoxville | Unincorp. | Knoxville | — | — |
| Lakeview | Unincorp. | Fishing River | — | — |
| Millville | Unincorp. | Richmond | — | — |
| Morton | Unincorp. | Crooked River | — | — |
| New Garden | Unincorp. | Polk | — | — |
| Regal | Unincorp. | Orrick | — | — |
| Rockingham | Unincorp. | Richmond | — | — |
| Russellville | Unincorp. | Grape Grove | — | — |
| Sandals | Unincorp. | Richmond | — | — |
| St. Cloud | Unincorp. | Camden | — | — |
| Stet | Unincorp. | Orrick | — | — |
| Swanwick | Unincorp. | Orrick | — | — |
| Taitsville | Unincorp. | Crooked River | — | — |
| Tinney Grove | Unincorp. | Richmond | — | — |
Excelsior Springs straddles the Clay–Ray county line; its 2020 population of 10,553 covers both counties, not Ray County alone. Wood Heights and Crystal Lakes are small residential cities that grew up around Excelsior Springs as lake and resort subdivisions.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing River | — | Excelsior Springs (part), Lawson, Crystal Lakes, Wood Heights |
| Richmond | — | Richmond, Rockingham, Millville, Tinney Grove, Sandals |
| Camden | — | Camden, Homestead, Albany, St. Cloud |
| Crooked River | — | Hardin, Henrietta, Elkhorn, Morton |
| Grape Grove | — | Rayville, Fleming, Floyd, Russellville |
| Knoxville | — | Knoxville, Vibbard, Georgeville |
| Orrick | — | Orrick, Stet, Swanwick, Regal |
| Polk | — | Elmira, Dockery, New Garden |
The Census Bureau does not publish separate 2020 population counts for Ray County’s townships, only for the incorporated places and CDPs within them.
ZIP Codes
- 64085 — Richmond (also serves Tinney Grove, Sandals)
- 64024 — Excelsior Springs (also serves Wood Heights, Crystal Lakes, Excelsior Estates)
- 64062 — Lawson
- 64077 — Orrick (also serves Stet, Swanwick, Regal)
- 64035 — Hardin
- 64036 — Henrietta
- 64017 — Camden (also serves Homestead, Albany)
- 64084 — Rayville
Fleming, Elmira, Vibbard, and the county’s smaller unincorporated crossroads share a neighboring town’s ZIP code rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Ray County lies in the Dissected Till Plains of northwestern Missouri, cut by the Missouri River along its southern edge and by Crooked River and Fishing River through the interior. The Missouri River bottoms give way to rolling upland prairie and timbered creek valleys further north; a portion of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge sits along the river in the county’s south.
Ray County borders Caldwell County to the north, Carroll County to the east, Lafayette County to the south across the Missouri River, Jackson County to the southwest, Clay County to the west, and Clinton County to the northwest.
Demographics
Ray County had 23,158 residents at the 2020 census. Its two largest communities are Excelsior Springs (10,553, shared with Clay County) and Richmond (6,013), which together hold roughly two-thirds of the county’s population. Density works out to about 41 people per square mile. Local household income runs below the Missouri median of $68,545, typical of a rural county anchored by two small cities rather than a metro-scale job base.
Economy & Local Life
Row-crop and livestock agriculture — corn, soybeans, and cattle on the upland farms outside the river bottoms — remains the backbone of the county economy outside Richmond and Excelsior Springs. Richmond’s economy centers on Ray County government, the Ray County R-III school district, and small manufacturing and retail along US routes serving the surrounding farm trade. Excelsior Springs still trades on its mineral-spring heritage, with the restored Hall of Waters and Elms Hotel drawing visitors, alongside light industry near its Clay County side.
History
Ray County was organized on November 16, 1820, one of Missouri’s original counties, and named for John Ray, a state legislator and delegate to Missouri’s first constitutional convention. It was the site of the Battle of Crooked River in October 1838, a clash between Missouri militia and Latter Day Saint settlers that helped trigger Governor Lilburn Boggs’s Mormon Extermination Order later that month — one of the pivotal episodes of the 1838 Mormon War. Richmond, founded in 1828 and named for Richmond, Virginia, has served as county seat since the county’s organization.
Getting There
Missouri Routes 10, 13, and 210 cross the county, linking Richmond and Excelsior Springs to the Kansas City area.
- Kansas City — 35 miles southwest
- Liberty — 20 miles west
- Lexington — 8 miles south (across the Missouri River)
- Chillicothe — 35 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Kansas City International Airport (MCI), about 45 miles from Richmond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ray County?
It is in northwestern Missouri, on the north bank of the Missouri River northeast of Kansas City.
What is the population of Ray County?
23,158 at the 2020 census.
How big is Ray County?
569 square miles (1,470 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Ray County?
Richmond, population 6,013 at the 2020 census.
How many towns and villages are in Ray County?
Ten incorporated cities and villages, two census-designated places (Rayville and Vibbard), and about 19 unincorporated communities across eight townships.
What ZIP codes are in Ray County?
Richmond is 64085; Excelsior Springs is 64024; other towns include Lawson (64062), Orrick (64077), Hardin (64035), Henrietta (64036), Camden (64017), and Rayville (64084).
Does Excelsior Springs count as part of Ray County?
Only partly — the city straddles the Clay–Ray county line, and most of its population and its city hall (the Hall of Waters) sit on the Clay County side.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.