Jefferson City, Missouri | |||
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State capital | |||
City of Jefferson | |||
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Nickname(s): Jeff | |||
Motto: Jefferson City | |||
U.S. Census Map |
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Coordinates: 38°34′36″N 92°10′25″W / 38.57667°N 92.17361°WCoordinates: 38°34′36″N 92°10′25″W / 38.57667°N 92.17361°W | |||
Country | United States | ||
State | Missouri | ||
Counties | Callaway, Cole | ||
Founded | 1821 | ||
Incorporated | 1825 | ||
Named for | Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States | ||
Government | |||
• Type | Mayor-council | ||
• Mayor | Carrie Tergin | ||
• Administrator | Steve Crowell | ||
• City Clerk | Phyllis Powell | ||
Area | |||
• State capital | 37.58 sq mi (97.33 km2) | ||
• Land | 35.95 sq mi (93.11 km2) | ||
• Water | 1.63 sq mi (4.22 km2) | ||
Elevation | 630 ft (192 m) | ||
Population (2010) | |||
• State capital | 43,079 | ||
• Estimate (2012) | 43,183 | ||
• Density | 1,198.3/sq mi (462.7/km2) | ||
• Metro | 149,807 | ||
Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
ZIP codes | 65101-65111 | ||
Area code(s) | 573 | ||
FIPS code | 29-37000 | ||
GNIS feature ID | 0758233 | ||
Website | http://www.jeffersoncitymo.gov/ |
Jefferson City is the capital of the State of Missouri and the fifteenth most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the principal city of the Jefferson City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jefferson City is named for Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Jefferson City currently holds the title of America's "Most Beautiful Small Town", given by Rand McNally.
Jefferson City is on the northern edge of the Ozark Plateau on the southern side of the Missouri River in a region known as Mid-Missouri. It is also at the western edge of one of the major wine-producing regions of the Midwest, the Missouri Rhineland. The city is dominated by the domed Capitol, which rises from a bluff overlooking the Missouri River to the north; Lewis and Clark passed the bluff on their historic expedition upriver before Europeans established any settlement there.
Often referred to as "Jeff", many of Jefferson City's primary employers fall within the service and manufacturing industries, similar to other Midwestern capital cities. Jefferson City is also home to Lincoln University, a public historically black land-grant university founded in 1866 by the 62nd Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops with additional support from the 65th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops.