Missouri is weird. I say that with all the love in the world for the Show-Me State, but you can’t look at a list of towns in Missouri and not do a double-take. We have a town named Peculiar. We have a town named Tightwad. There’s even a place called Humansville, which sounds like exactly what an alien trying to blend in would name a settlement.
Honestly, the sheer volume of municipalities is staggering. As of 2026, the state tracks over 1,000 distinct places, ranging from the sprawling chaos of Kansas City to tiny villages where the "city hall" is basically someone's living room. Most people just think of St. Louis or the Ozarks, but the real heart of Missouri is tucked away in the 4th Class cities and tiny villages that most maps barely acknowledge.
The sheer scale of the list of towns in Missouri
Let's get the numbers out of the way. Missouri classifies its communities by "class" based on population at the time of incorporation. You’ve got your 3rd Class cities, your 4th Class cities, and then the villages. If a place has fewer than 500 people when it starts up, it’s usually a village.
It’s a patchwork.
Some places are "constitutional charter" cities, giving them more freedom to run things their own way. Others are stuck with legislative charters from the 1800s that aren't even allowed to be created anymore. It’s a messy, historical legal web.
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The biggest hitters are obvious. Kansas City is the giant, hovering over 500,000 people. St. Louis follows, though it’s technically an "independent city," meaning it’s not part of any county. That’s a fun fact that usually wins bar trivia. After that, you've got Springfield, Columbia, and Independence holding down the fort.
Why do some towns disappear?
You’ll notice that some names on an official list of towns in Missouri are marked as "inactive." Take a place like Ashburn or Florida (yes, we have a Florida, it’s where Mark Twain was born). These aren't ghost towns in the Hollywood sense. Usually, it just means the local government stopped functioning. No more mayor, no more property taxes, no more town meetings.
They just fade back into the county.
Names that make you stop the car
If you’re driving through Henry County, you might see a sign for Tightwad. Legend says it was named because a shopkeeper cheated a postman out of 50 cents over a watermelon. The postman was so annoyed he started calling the guy a "tightwad," and the name just... stuck.
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Then there’s Peculiar. When the locals were trying to pick a name in the 1860s, the Post Office kept rejecting their suggestions because they were already taken. Finally, the frustrated settlers told the authorities to just give them a "peculiar" name.
The government took them literally.
A few more oddities you'll find on the list:
- Licking: Named after a salt lick where deer gathered.
- Cooter: Named after the French "Coutre" family, not the turtle.
- Knob Noster: "Knob" means hill, and "Noster" is Latin for "our." Basically, "Our Hill."
- Liberal: Founded as an atheist utopia with no churches allowed. Today, it’s in one of the most conservative counties in the state. Life is funny like that.
The Missouri "Big Five" and the suburbs
Most of the population lives in a handful of spots. If you look at the list of towns in Missouri by density, you’ll find the St. Louis "inner ring" suburbs like Clayton and Ladue. Ladue is consistently one of the wealthiest enclaves in the Midwest.
Contrast that with the "Bootheel" in the southeast. This is cotton country. Towns like Sikeston and Kennett feel more like the Deep South than the Midwest. They have a different rhythm, a different accent, and a whole lot of history tied to the Mississippi River.
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In the southwest, you have the Ozarks. Branson is the famous one, a neon-soaked country music mecca that somehow exists in the middle of rugged mountains. But just down the road, you’ll find Nixa and Ozark, which are currently some of the fastest-growing towns in the state. People are flocking there for the schools and the scenery.
Navigating the list for your next trip
If you’re actually looking to explore, don't just stick to the interstate. The best Missouri towns are the ones you find by accident on a lettered lettered road.
Hermann is a must if you like German heritage and wine. It looks like it was plucked out of the Rhine Valley and dropped onto the Missouri River bluffs. Ste. Genevieve is even older—it’s the oldest permanent European settlement in the state, full of vertical-log French architecture that you won't see anywhere else in North America.
Practical steps for researchers and travelers:
- Use the MoDOT maps: The Missouri Department of Transportation has the most accurate "city-by-city" map sets. They show the actual boundaries, which can be weirdly jagged.
- Check the Class: If you’re looking at moving, check if a town is 3rd or 4th class. It affects how they tax you and how the police force is structured.
- Historical Societies: Every county has one. If you want the real story behind a name like "Whoopup" or "Blue Eye," go talk to the librarians in the county seat.
The list of towns in Missouri is more than just a census document. It’s a record of stubborn settlers, weird jokes, and a whole lot of French and German influence. Whether you're looking for the bustling streets of St. Louis or the quiet, slightly confusing streets of Peculiar, there's a lot to find.
Just watch out for the watermelons in Tightwad.
Go download the official municipal directory from the Missouri Municipal League if you need the contact info for every mayor in the state. For everyone else, just grab a paper map, pick a name that sounds ridiculous, and start driving.