Scotland County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the Iowa state line in the northeast corner of the state. It had a population of 4,716 at the 2020 census and covers 439 square miles (1,140 km2) centred near 40°27′N 92°09′W.
Memphis is the county seat, and its postal code is 63555. The county has two cities, three villages and fourteen unincorporated communities, and sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Scotland County
Nineteen named places appear on maps of Scotland County: two incorporated cities, three villages, and fourteen unincorporated communities and crossroads settlements. Most of the unincorporated places are farm hamlets with no current population count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | City · seat | 1,731 | 63555 |
| South Gorin | City | — | 63555 |
| Arbela | Village | — | 63536 |
| Granger | Village | — | 63536 |
| Rutledge | Village | — | 63563 |
| Azen | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Bible Grove | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Crawford | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Edinburg | Unincorp. | — | 63536 |
| Energy | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Etna | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Gorin | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Hitt | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Kilwinning | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Middle Fabius | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Pleasant Retreat | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Prospect Grove | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Sand Hill | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
| Unity | Unincorp. | — | 63555 |
South Gorin, a small city on the county’s east side, is a distinct place from Gorin, an older unincorporated hamlet nearby — both names carried over from the historical record and both are kept here.
ZIP Codes
- 63555 — Memphis (also serves most of the county’s unincorporated communities)
- 63536 — Arbela (also serves Granger and Edinburg)
- 63563 — Rutledge
The remaining hamlets share Memphis’s or Arbela’s rural-route ZIP rather than carrying their own postal code.
Geography
Scotland County lies in the rolling farmland of northeast Missouri, drained by the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Fabius River. The terrain is gently rolling prairie transitioning to wooded bottomland along the Fabius drainages, with water making up roughly half of one percent of the county’s area.
Scotland County borders Davis County, Iowa to the north; Van Buren County, Iowa to the northeast; Clark County, Missouri to the east; Knox County, Missouri to the south; Adair County, Missouri to the southwest; and Schuyler County, Missouri to the west.
Demographics
Scotland County’s population was 4,716 at the 2020 census, making it one of Missouri’s least populous counties. Memphis, the county seat, accounts for more than a third of that total at 1,731 residents; South Gorin is the county’s second incorporated place. Missouri’s median household income is $68,545; Scotland County, a sparsely populated farming county, runs well below that state figure. Density works out to roughly 11 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the local economy — row-crop farming (corn and soybeans) and cattle grazing dominate the county’s land use, as in most of northeast Missouri’s glaciated plains. Memphis serves as the county’s retail, medical and government center, home to the Scotland County R-I school district and the county courthouse.
History
Scotland County was organized on January 29, 1841, carved from Clark County. Early settler Stephen W. B. Carnegy is credited with suggesting the county be named after Scotland, his native country. The first white settlement in the area dates to 1833, near what is now Sand Hill.
Getting There
Missouri Route 15 and Route 136 cross the county, linking Memphis to the surrounding region.
- Kirksville, Missouri — 30 miles southwest
- Kahoka, Missouri — 25 miles east
- Keosauqua, Iowa — 25 miles north
- Quincy, Illinois — 55 miles southeast
Kirksville Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Scotland County, Missouri?
It’s in the northeast corner of the state, on the Iowa border, about 25 miles north of Kahoka.
What is the population of Scotland County?
4,716 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Scotland County?
439 square miles (1,140 km2), of which 437 square miles is land.
What is the Scotland County seat?
Memphis is the county seat.
How many towns are in Scotland County?
Two cities (Memphis and South Gorin), three villages, and fourteen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Scotland County?
63555 (Memphis), 63536 (Arbela) and 63563 (Rutledge) cover the county.
Why is it called Scotland County?
Early settler Stephen W. B. Carnegy suggested naming the new county after Scotland, his native country, when it was organized in 1841.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.