MISSOURI (KSNF/KODE) — We all know how populated major cities are throughout Missouri, but a lot of people are unaware of the small towns surrounding those metropolitan areas — especially when the total population of these “towns,” can be counted on one hand.
If you aren’t aware of the smallest towns in the Show-Me State, a website called Only In Your State discovered the tiniest towns in Missouri. They claim their data comes from Missouri Demographics, which lists all of the towns, villages, and cities in the state — and then ranks them by population. Here’s a look their top ten list, which includes facts and historical information gathered from Wikipedia, for each town listed below:
10. Triplett, Missouri — Population 9
- You’ll find the tiny, North Central Missouri town of Triplett in Chariton County.
- The small town has a total area of 0.23 square miles.
- Triplett was founded in 1870, when the railroad was extended to where the small town is located today.
- The community is named after John Eddins Marshall (J.E.M.) Triplett, one of the first settlers in that location.
- The town’s post office, called “Triplett,” was established in 1875, and remained in operation until 2001.
9. Metz, Missouri — Population 6
- The southwest Missouri village of Metz is located in Vernon County.
- The village has a total area of 0.13 square miles.
- Metz was moved to its present location during the 1800s, when railroad construction bypassed the original town site.
- The village’s name commemorates the Siege of Metz.
8. Plevna, Missouri — Population 5
- Plevna is an unincorporated community in Knox County.
- It’s located on Missouri Route 15, roughly 20 miles southeast of Edina.
- The small community of Plevna was officially named in 1877.
- According to Robert Ramsay, a historian and author of a Missouri placename dictionary, this tiny community in northeast Missouri is named after the European city of Plevna, in the country of Bulgaria.
7. Champ, Missouri — Population 5
- Champ is a village in St. Louis County.
- The village has a total area of 0.81 square miles.
- Champ was founded in 1959 by Bill Bangert, a former track and field athlete who was once mayor of Berkeley, Missouri.
- The majority of the land area of Champ is currently a landfill.
6. Corning, Missouri — Population 5
- Corning is a village in Holt County.
- Located in far northwest Missouri, it has a total area of 0.11 square miles.
- The village is named after Erastus Corning who owned large shares of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad.
5. Three Creeks, Missouri — Population 4
- Three Creeks (also known as Three Creeks Village) is located just west of St. Louis, in Warren County.
- The village has a total area of 4.89 square miles. Land consumes 4.78 square miles, while the remaining 0.11 is water.
- Three Creeks was incorporated on November 4th, 2008.
4. Harwood, Missouri — Population 4
- Located in southwest Missouri, Harwood is a village in Vernon County.
- The village of Harwood is situated 13 miles northeast of Nevada, and approximately 4.5 miles south-southeast of Schell City.
- The village has a total area of 0.11 square miles.
- Harwood got it’s official start as a village when the railroad was extended to that point.
- In 1882, the village was officially named after a local landowner at the time, whose last name was Harwood.
3. Iatan, Missouri — Population 4
- Iatan is a village in Platte County, and is located within the Kansas City metropolitan area.
- The village has a total area of 0.12 square miles.
- Iatan was first settled by John Dougherty in 1837. The village was officially named in 1842.
- It was one of the first communities to be established after the Platte Purchase, which allowed white settlement on former Native American land.
2. Bigelow, Missouri — Population 3
- Located in far Northwest Missouri, Bigelow is a village in Holt County.
- The village has a total area of 0.09 square miles.
- A post office called “Bigelow” was established in 1869, and remained in operation until 1992.
- The village was named after a railroad promoter.
1. South Lineville, Missouri — Population 2
- South Lineville is a village in Mercer County, located in far northern Missouri.
- It has a total area of 0.06 square miles.
- Lineville, Iowa is considered to be the village’s twin city for two reasons: The tiny Missouri town lies near the Missouri-Iowa state line — and it’s located directly south of Lineville, Iowa.
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Only In Your State claims that, “…populations will sometimes fluctuate, but these are the smallest places in Missouri that people still call home.” The travel-based website says the population data listed for the small towns above, “…is from the 2022 Population Estimates Program and the 2021 American Community Survey.”
There is some discrepancy when it comes to the least populated Missouri town. The 2010 Census lists the inactive incorporated village of Baker, Missouri as having the smallest population in the state. Located near the bootheel of Missouri in Stoddard County, the 0.21 square mile village is home to 3 residents.
According to City-Data, results from the 2010 U.S. Census showed that Baker, Missouri had two males and one female living in the tiny village. They claim the median age there is 60-years-old. Fun fact: Google Maps has never bothered to photograph the small village for their Street View feature, despite it being Missouri’s smallest incorporated place.
