Howard County | |
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![]() The Howard County Courthouse in Fayette | |
Nickname: Mother of Counties | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Missouri | |
![]() Missouri's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 39°08′N 92°42′W / 39.14°N 92.7°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | January 23, 1816 |
Named for | Benjamin Howard |
Seat | Fayette |
Largest city | Fayette |
Area | |
• Total | 472 sq mi (1,220 km2) |
• Land | 464 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
• Water | 7.7 sq mi (20 km2) 1.6% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,151 |
• Density | 22/sq mi (8.3/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 4th |
Howard County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri, with its southern border formed by the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,151.[1] Its county seat is Fayette.[2] The county was organized January 23, 1816, and named for Benjamin Howard, the first Governor of the Missouri Territory.[3] Settled originally by migrants from the Upper South, it is part of the region historically known as Little Dixie. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri, metropolitan area.