Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the 16th most populous city in the state, but the 9th least populous U.S. state capital. It is also the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Cole County and the principal city of the

Jefferson City Metropolitan Statistical Area The Jefferson City metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties – Cole, Callaway, Moniteau, and Osage – in central Missouri anchored by the city of Jefferso ...

, the second-most-populous metropolitan area in Mid-Missouri and the fifth-most populous in the state. It forms part of the nine-county Columbia–Jefferson City– Moberly combined statistical area, which has 415,747 residents. Most of the city is located within Cole County, with a small northern section extending into adjacent

Callaway County Callaway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 44,283. Its county seat is Fulton. With a border formed by the Missouri River, the county was organized Novemb ...

. Jefferson City is named for

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

(1743–1826), the third

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, 1801–1809, and earlier major author of the

Declaration of Independence of the United States The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

on July 4, 1776. He also served several diplomatic posts overseas in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and was the first

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

(1790–1793) in the first President's Cabinet of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, and subsequently the second

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

(1797–1801) under second chief executive

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

. Jefferson City is located on the northern edge of the

Ozark Plateau The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cov ...

on the southern side of the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

in a region known as

Mid-Missouri Mid-Missouri is a loosely-defined region comprising the central area of the U.S. state of Missouri. The region's largest city is Columbia, Missouri, Columbia (population 121,717); the Missouri state capital, Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson C ...

, that is roughly mid-way between the state's two large urban areas of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

to the west and

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

in the east (along the west bank of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

). It is south of

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...

, and sits at the western edge of the

Missouri Rhineland The Missouri Rhineland () is a German American cultural region of Missouri that extends from west of St. Louis to slightly east of Jefferson City, located mostly in the Missouri River Valley on both sides of the river. The region overlaps wit ...

, one of the major wine-producing regions of the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

. The city is dominated by the monumental domed

Missouri State Capitol The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the Executive (government), executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, ...

, which rises from a bluff overlooking the nearby Missouri River to the north;

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

with their Corps of Discovery passed the bluff here on their historic expedition upriver in 1804, eventually journeying westward to the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

region and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

, before Europeans or Americans established any settlement there. Many of Jefferson City's primary employers are in service and manufacturing industries like Hitachi. Jefferson City is also home to Lincoln University, a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

historically black Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

and federal

land-grant university A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...

founded the year after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

in 1866, by the Union Army black veterans of the First Missouri Regiment of Colored Infantry & 62nd Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops with support from the Second Missouri Regiment of Colored Infantry / 65th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops.

History

In pre-Columbian times, this region was home of an ancient people known today as the

Mound Builders Many pre-Columbian cultures in North America were collectively termed "Mound Builders", but the term has no formal meaning. It does not refer to specific people or archaeological culture but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks that in ...

, likely related to the

Mississippian Mississippian may refer to: * Mississippian (geology), a subperiod of the Carboniferous period in the geologic timescale, roughly 360 to 325 million years ago * Mississippian cultures, a network of precontact cultures across the midwest and Easte ...

societies. They were subsequently replaced by Osage Native Americans. In the late 17th century, frontiersmen began to inhabit the area, including

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac (, ; March 5, 1658October 16, 1730), born Antoine Laumet, was a French explorer and adventurer in New France, which stretched from Eastern Canada to Louisiana on the Gulf of Mexico. He rose from a modest beg ...

Louis Jolliet Louis Jolliet (; September 21, 1645after May 1700) was a French-Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America. In 1673, Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit Catholic priest and missionary, were the first non-Natives to explore ...

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette, Society of Jesus, S.J. (; June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Society of Jesus, Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Ste. M ...

, Robert de LaSalle, and

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

, with the latter having the greatest influence on the region. Famed Western explorer and settler

's son,

Daniel Morgan Boone Daniel Morgan Boone (December 23, 1769 July 13, 1839) was the son of Daniel Boone and a significant American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman in his own right. He was a particularly key player in the early American exploration and settlement ...

(1769-1839), would later lay out and

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

Jefferson City in the early 19th century. When the

Missouri Territory The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southe ...

was organized in 1812,

was Missouri's seat of government for the territorial governor and territorial legislature. Later St. Charles would serve as the next capital town of the old Territory. However, Jefferson City was chosen as the new state capital in 1821, after Missouri was admitted to the Union as the 24th

State State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

. The village on the southern banks of the Missouri River, first was called "Lohman's Landing", and when the new

state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...

decided to relocate there, they proposed the name "Missouriopolis" before settling on the city of "Jefferson" to honor former third President

(who was still living at his

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

home estate of

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...

for the next five years). Over the years, the city was most often referred to as "Jefferson City"; the common name eventually stuck. For years, this village was little more than a trading post located in the wilderness about midway between St. Louis and

. In 1825, the settlement was formally incorporated, and a year later, the

of the General Assembly of Missouri moved to Jefferson City, where they would continue to meet. Jefferson City was also chosen by the lawmakers as the site of a state

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

. This prison, named the

Missouri State Penitentiary The Missouri State Penitentiary was a prison in Jefferson City, Missouri, that operated from 1836 to 2004. Part of the Missouri Department of Corrections, it served as the state of Missouri's primary maximum security institution.Lombardi, Georg ...

, opened in 1836. This prison was the unfortunate home to multiple infamous Americans, including former heavyweight boxing champion

Sonny Liston Charles L. "Sonny" Liston ( – December 30, 1970), nicknamed "the Big Bear", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1962 after k ...

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

assassin

James Earl Ray James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive who was convicted of the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. After the assassination, Ray fled to London and ...

, and infamous 1930s bank robber

Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...

. During the

(1861-1865), Jefferson City was occupied by Union / Federal troops and the elected state legislature of the General Assembly were driven from Jefferson City by Union Army General

Nathaniel Lyon Nathaniel Lyon (July 14, 1818 – August 10, 1861) was a United States Army officer who was the first Union Army, Union General officer, general to be killed in the American Civil War. He is noted for his actions in Missouri in 1861, at the beginn ...

(1818-1861). Some of the rebelling legislators later reconvened in nearby Neosho and passed an

ordinance of secession An Ordinance of Secession was the name given to multiple resolutions drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861, at or near the beginning of the American Civil War, by which each seceding slave-holding Southern state or territory formally Secession in ...

from the Federal Union. Missouri was claimed by both the

southern Confederacy The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

and the

Federal Union A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing status of the co ...

of the remaining

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, as was neighboring border state of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

to the east, also split by the impending conflict of

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Missourians were strongly divided and many people in the state—especially in St. Louis—supported the Union, while other areas of the state (such as Missouri's Little Dixie) were strongly pro-

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

further west along the

between Jefferson City and Kansas City.

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

immigrants created vineyards in small towns on either side of the Missouri River, especially on the north from the city east to Marthasville, located outside of St. Louis. Known as the "

" for its vineyards and first established by German immigrants in the mid-1800s, this region has become part of Missouri's agricultural and tourist economy.

2019 tornado

Approximately 15 minutes before midnight on May 22, 2019, a tornado emergency was issued for the Jefferson City area. Minutes later, a destructive EF-3 tornado caused extensive damage on the southwest side of the city. At least 20 people were injured, but none were killed due to this tornado. The tornado originally touched down west of Eldon before heading its way to Jefferson City.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Jefferson City has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfa'') with hot, rainy summers and cold winters. The city borders on having a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

but falls just short due to January having a mean temperature of which is below the isotherm.

Thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...

s are common in both the spring and summer. Light snow is common during the winter, although about half of wintertime precipitation falls as rain.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 43,228 people, 16,882 households, and 9,327 families in Jefferson City. The population density was . There were 18,942 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 74.33% (32,130)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 15.83% (6,841) black or African-American, 0.3% (131) Native American, 1.82% (786) Asian, 0.1% (43)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.31% (566) from other races, and 6.32% (2,731) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino individuals of any race made up 3.6% (1,523) of the population. Of the 16,882 households, 25.7% had children under the age of 18; 40.2% were married couples living together; 34.4% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 39.6% consisted of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 3.0. 20.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 106.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 110.9 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $54,003 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,176) and the median family income was $75,490 (+/- $7,940). Males had a median income of $35,561 (+/- $4,299) versus $31,226 (+/- $1,953) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,642 (+/- $2,031). Approximately, 8.8% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.9% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 43,079 people in 17,278 households, including 9,969 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 18,852 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.0% White, 16.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.6%. Of the 17,278 households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.3% were non-families. 36.2% of households were one person and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.89. The age distribution was 20.9% of residents under the age of 18, 10.3% between the ages of 18 and 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% 65 or older. The median age was 37.5 years. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 39,636 people in 15,794 households, including 9,207 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 16,987 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.5% White, 14.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population were

or Latino of any race. Of the 15,794 households 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 36.1% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.90. The age distribution was 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.6 males. The median household income was $39,628 and the median family income was $52,627. Males had a median income of $35,050 versus $25,521 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,268. About 7.3% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the

, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Jefferson City's economy is driven by its residents, citizens of surrounding communities, and tourists.

Business

Jefferson City's economy relies on government,

health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholes ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

, and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. In 2016, Jefferson City's gross metropolitan product was $7.366 billion and Missouri's real total

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

was $260.309 billion; therefore, Jefferson City's economy accounted for 2.829% of the state's total gross domestic product. Central Bancompany, Hawthorn Bancshares, Capital Region Medical Center, and Arris Pizza all have their

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

in Jefferson City. Jefferson City is also home to Central Dairy, whose products are shipped statewide.

Tourism

Tourists are drawn to the

, St. Peter Church (adjacent to the capitol),

, Missouri Governor's Mansion, and

Missouri State Museum The Missouri State Museum is Missouri's showpiece museum. It was founded in 1919 and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri, inside the state capitol A capitol, or seat of government, is the building or complex of buildings from which a g ...

. Lincoln University, ranked by '' U.S. News & World Report'' in 2007 as a top educational institution for international students, also helps draw students and tourists from other states and countries.

Government

State government

The

State Capitol A capitol, or seat of government, is the building or complex of buildings from which a government such as that of a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or the organized territories of the United States, exercises its authority. Although m ...

is located in Jefferson City. In addition, state agencies are headquartered in Jefferson City. The Missouri State Archives is located in Jefferson City. The

Missouri Department of Corrections The Missouri Department of Corrections is the state law enforcement agency that operates state prisons in the U.S. state of Missouri. It has its headquarters in Missouri's capital of Jefferson City. The Missouri Department of Corrections has ...

(MDOC) operates the Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC) and the Algoa Correctional Center (ACC) in Jefferson City.

. May 7, 2006. Retrieved on September 18, 2010. JCCC replaced the

on September 15, 2004, which until its closure was the oldest operating penal facility west of the

. It served as the State of Missouri's primary maximum security institution,Lombardi, George, Richard D. Sluder, and Donald Wallace.
The Management of Death-Sentenced Inmates: Issues, Realities, and Innovative Strategies
." Missouri Department of Corrections. 8. Retrieved on September 18, 2010. and it housed male

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting executio ...

prisoners until April 1989, when they were moved to the

Potosi Correctional Center Potosi Correctional Center (PCC) is a Missouri Department of Corrections prison located in unincorporated Washington County, Missouri, near Mineral Point. The facility houses 897 inmates as of the 2020 U.S. census. It is a Level 5 maximum secu ...

Federal government

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates several postal facilities. The Jefferson City Main Post Office building previously shared occupancy with the U.S. District Court from its dedication in November 1934 until September 27, 2011, when it moved into the Christopher S. Bond Court House. The 118,000-square-foot

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

is named for the former Governor and United States Senator from Missouri. The courthouse, which is occupied by the Central Division of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri The United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri (in case citations, W.D. Mo.) is the federal judicial district encompassing 66 counties in the western half of the State of Missouri. The Court is based in the Charles Evans ...

and under the appellate jurisdiction of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: * Eastern District of Arkansas * Western ...

, was designed to achieve the

U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), founded in 1993, is a private 501(c)(3), membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. USGBC is best known for its development of t ...

LEED Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...

rating.

Sustainable design Environmentally sustainable design (also called environmentally conscious design, eco-design, etc.) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability ...

features include reducing water use by 44 percent, using 13 percent recycled content, and diverting 80 percent of construction waste materials from landfills. The building is 36 percent more efficient than current energy standards.

Education

Schools

Jefferson City Public School District Jefferson City School District is a school district based in Jefferson City, Missouri (USA). Boundary The district covers northern portions of Cole County as well as southern portions of Callaway County. Within Cole County, it includes that ...

currently operates

Jefferson City High School Jefferson City High School (JCHS) is a public secondary school in Jefferson City, Missouri. It is one of the five public high schools in Cole County and is one of two in Jefferson City. History The Jefferson City Public School District was e ...

and Capital City High School, two middle schools, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and Lewis and Clark Middle School, and eleven elementary schools. In addition to public education, there are also five private elementary schools and three private high schools, including Helias High School and Calvary Lutheran High School in the city.

Colleges and universities

Lincoln University is a public

historically black university Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

with open enrollment and certificate, associate, bachelor, and graduate programs. Columbia College,

William Woods University William Woods University is a private university in Fulton, Missouri. Founded in 1870, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Expanding its mission to address the need for graduate and adult-oriented programs, the instit ...

, Metro Business College, and Merrell University also have campuses in the city with varying degree levels and options. The

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

, the state's flagship university, is 30 miles to the north in Columbia.

Public library

Jefferson City has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, the Missouri River Regional Library.

Media

Print

The major daily English-language newspaper in the area is the ''

Jefferson City News Tribune The ''News Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. ...

''. Several monthly magazines cover Jefferson City and/or the surrounding areas: ''Jefferson City Magazine'', ''Her Magazine'', ''Capital Lifestyles'', and ''Professional Day''.

Television

Jefferson City, along with Columbia, is part of the

television market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

KRCG KRCG (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Jefferson City, Missouri, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Columbia–Jefferson City market. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios and transmi ...

, the region's

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

affiliate, and KFDR, a station owned by the

Christian Television Network Christian Television Network, Inc. (CTN) is an American non-profit broadcast television network of small owned-and-operated stations (O&O) that broadcasts religious programming. It is based in Largo, Florida (with a mailing address of Clearwa ...

(CTN), are both licensed to the city.

Radio

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

Federal highways are U.S. Routes 50, 54, and 63. Missouri Routes 179 and 94 also run through the city. Jefferson City is one of the four state capitals that is not served by an

Interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

(the others are

Dover, Delaware Dover ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and the List of municipalities in Delaware, second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, Delaware, Kent County and the princ ...

;

Juneau, Alaska Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Southeast Alaska, Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the ...

; and

Pierre, South Dakota Pierre ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,091. Pierre is the eleventh-most populous city of South Dakota, and the second-least populo ...

). However,

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...

passes by the city to the north in Columbia.

Airports

The city is served by

Columbia Regional Airport Columbia Regional Airport is a commercial passenger airport serving Columbia, Missouri. Located about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Columbia in Boone County, Missouri, it is the only commercial airport in Mid-Missouri and also serves the ...

and nearby

Jefferson City Memorial Airport Jefferson City Memorial Airport is two miles (3 km) northeast of Jefferson City, in Callaway County, Missouri. It is owned by the City of Jefferson City. Ozark DC-3s and M404s stopped there from 1954 until Columbia Regional Airport opened ...

Public transportation

=Local transit

JeffTran JeffTran is a public transit agency in Jefferson City, Missouri. It operates six regular fixed bus routesKRCG http://krcgtv.com/news/local/free-jefftran-app-provides-up-to-the-minute-bus-location-information with two transport hubs and on call c ...

, the city operated public transit system, provides year-round bus service during traditional weekday business hours, but is currently considering the extension of service hours to include evenings and weekends.

=Intercity transit

= The

Jefferson City station Jefferson City is an Amtrak train station in Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson City, Missouri, United States. The station is located on the ground floor of the former Union Hotel, which was built in 1855 and is part of the Jefferson Landing Sta ...

, located in the former Union Hotel at

Jefferson Landing State Historic Site Jefferson Landing State Historic Site is a historic district maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources encompassing several state-owned properties in Jefferson City, Missouri, United States. The historic site includes the Chris ...

, is one of the ''

Missouri River Runner The ''Missouri River Runner'' is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak in Missouri between Gateway Transportation Center in St. Louis and Union Station in Kansas City. The eastern half of the route runs largely along the right bank of ...

'' train stops between

and

, provided by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

. A

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

bus stop near the Eastland Drive Convenient Food Mart also provides intercity transit.

, which is located in the Jefferson City limits of

Callaway County, Missouri Callaway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 44,283. Its county seat is Fulton. With a border formed by the Missouri River, the county was organized Nove ...

, serves

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

but has no scheduled commercial airline service.

Healthcare

Jefferson City is home to

SSM Health SSM Health (an initialism of Sisters of Saint Mary) is a Catholic, non-profit United States health care system. It has 11,000 providers and nearly 39,000 employees in four states: Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Based in St. Louis ...

St. Mary's Hospital, which has 154 beds. Capital Region Medical Center, an affiliate of

University of Missouri Health Care University of Missouri Health Care is an American Academic medical center, academic health system located in Columbia, Missouri. It's owned by the University of Missouri System. University of Missouri Health System includes five hospitals: Unive ...

, is also located in the city.

Notable people

Cedric The Entertainer

Sister city

Jefferson City is the sister city to the German city of

Münchberg Münchberg is a small town in Upper Franconia (Bavaria), Germany. It is sometimes referred to as the ''Textile Town of Bavaria''. Its sister city is Jefferson City, Missouri, United States. Geography The town districts History The first set ...

. Around 200 years ago, settlers from Münchberg founded a neighborhood south of downtown Jefferson City, which is still known as "Old Munichburg".

References

External links

City of Jefferson government websiteJefferson City Convention and Visitor's Bureau
* Historic maps of Jefferson City in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

{{Authority control 1821 establishments in Missouri Cities in Callaway County, Missouri Cities in Cole County, Missouri Jefferson City metropolitan area Cities in Missouri County seats in Missouri Missouri populated places on the Missouri River Missouri Rhineland Populated places established in 1821 State capitals in the United States