Liberty is a city in and 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 ...

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Fl ...

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 ...

, United States and is a suburb 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 ...

, located in the Kansas City Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to

William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri ...

and the historic

Liberty Jail Liberty Jail is a historical jail in Liberty, Missouri, United States, which served as the county jail of Clay County, Missouri between December 1834 and 1853. The jail is known in Latter Day Saint movement due to the imprisonment of its founde ...

History

Liberty was settled in 1822, and shortly later became the county seat of Clay County. The city was named for the American concept of

liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. In 1830,

David Rice Atchison David Rice Atchison (August 11, 1807January 26, 1886) was a mid-19th-century Democratic United States Senator from Missouri. He served as president pro tempore of the United States Senate for six years. Atchison served as a major general in the ...

established a law office in Liberty. He was joined three years later by colleague

Alexander William Doniphan Alexander William Doniphan (July 9, 1808 – August 8, 1887) was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best known today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church ...

. The two argued cases defending the rights of Mormon settlers in Jackson County, served Northwest Missouri in Missouri's General Assembly, and labored for the addition of the

Platte Purchase The Platte Purchase was a land acquisition in 1836 by the United States government from American Indian tribes of the region. It comprised lands along the east bank of the Missouri River and added to the northwest corner of the state of Misso ...

to Missouri's boundaries. In October 1838, the two were ordered by Governor

Lilburn Boggs Lilburn Williams Boggs (December 14, 1796March 14, 1860) was the sixth Governor of Missouri, from 1836 to 1840. He is now most widely remembered for his interactions with Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell, and Missouri Executive Order 44, kno ...

to arrest Mormon founder Joseph Smith Jr. at the

Far West Far West may refer to: Places * Western Canada, or the West ** British Columbia Coast * Western United States, or Far West ** West Coast of the United States * American frontier, or Far West, Old West, or Wild West * Far West (Taixi), a term used ...

settlement in Caldwell County. Immediately after the conclusion of the Mormon War, Smith and other Mormon leaders were incarcerated at the

for the winter as Doniphan labored for a quicker trial date. Although Doniphan led a force of Missouri volunteers ordered to capture the leaders, he defended Joseph Smith in trial and won him a change in venue. While en route to their new venue, Smith and his followers escaped and left Missouri for the new Mormon settlement in

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its h ...

. The Arthur-Leonard Historic District, Clay County Savings Association Building, Clinton House, Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District, Garrison School Historic District, Frank Hughes Memorial Library, IOOF Liberty Lodge No. 49,

Jewell Hall Jewell Hall is a historic building located on the campus of William Jewell College at Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. It was built between 1850 and 1853, and is a three-story, modified "H"-plan, Classical Revival style brick and Missouri limestone ...

, Jewell-Lightburne Historic District, Major Hotel, Miller Building, Mt. Memorial Cemetery, Nebo Hill Archeological Site, Odd Fellows Home District, South Liberty Courthouse Square Historic District, and West Liberty Courthouse Square Historic District are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Geography

Liberty is located approximately six miles north 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 ...

along

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexico–Uni ...

and

Missouri Route 291 Missouri Route 291 is a State highway (US), state highway in the western part of the U.S. state of Missouri. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 49 in Missouri, I-49/U.S. Route 71 in Missouri, US 71 in Harrisonville, Missouri, Harrison ...

. 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.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 30,167 people, 10,816 households, and 7,602 families in Liberty. The population density was 1,039.2 per square mile (401.2/km). There were 11,505 housing units at an average density of 396.3 per square mile (153.0/km). The racial makeup was 84.17% (25,391)

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 ...

, 4.57% (1,378) black or African-American, 0.46% (139) Native American, 1.0% (303) Asian, 0.15% (46)

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 ...

, 1.58% (478) from other races, and 8.06% (2,432) 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 of any race was 6.1% (1,932) of the population. Of the 10,816 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18; 53.4% were married couples living together; 26.5% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 23.6% consisted of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.3. 27.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 92.7 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 $78,184 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,139) and the median family income was $90,839 (+/- $5,167). Males had a median income of $48,640 (+/- $3,513) versus $32,463 (+/- $1,897) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $40,538 (+/- $2,938). Approximately, 3.3% of families and 7.0% 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 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 4.8% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 29,149 people, 10,582 households, and 7,555 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 11,284 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.4%

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 ...

, 3.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1%

, 0.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population. There were 10,582 households, of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the city was 36.4 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 26,232 people, 9,511 households, and 6,943 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 9,973 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.75%

, 2.59%

, 0.40% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.06%

, 0.99% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population. There were 9,511 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $52,745, and the median income for a family was $61,273. Males had a median income of $41,713 versus $28,516 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $23,415. About 3.8% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the

, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Major employers in Liberty include the

Hallmark A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...

distribution warehouse. Liberty is also home to the operations headquarters for Ferrellgas, the 2nd largest retail provider of propane in the United States. The B&B Theatres corporate office is located in Liberty, the 5th largest theater chain in the U.S. While technically not in Liberty, the

Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant Kansas City Assembly Plant (KCAP) is a Ford Motor Company automobile assembly facility which produces the Ford F-150 and the Ford Transit. It is located in Claycomo, Missouri, United States, about northeast of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. ...

is a major employer in nearby Claycomo.

Top employers

According to the town's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Education

The Liberty 53 School District, which covers almost all of the municipality, operates ten elementary, four middle and two senior high schools. Metropolitan Community College has the Liberty school district in its taxation area. Liberty 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 ...

, a branch of the

Mid-Continent Public Library Mid-Continent Public Library, officially known as Consolidated Library District #3, is a public library system serving Clay County, Missouri, Clay, Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, and Platte County, Missouri, Platte Counties in Missouri, wit ...

. Liberty is also home to

, a private, four-year liberal arts college of more than 900 undergraduate students that was founded in 1849.

Notable people

* David Allen, former American football running back for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

and

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

Ken Boyer Kenton Lloyd Boyer (May 20, 1931 – September 7, 1982) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman, coach and manager who played with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers for 15 seaso ...

, former third baseman and manager of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

* Greg Canuteson, former mayor and state representative *

James Dewees James Matthew Dewees (born March 13, 1976) is an American musician best known for his work with The Get Up Kids, Reggie and the Full Effect and My Chemical Romance. He has also been involved in other musical projects including New Found Glory, ...

, keyboardist and back-up vocalist of

The Get Up Kids The Get Up Kids are an American emo band from Kansas City. Formed in 1995, the band was a major act in the mid-1990s Midwest emo scene, otherwise known as the " second wave" of emo music. Their second album '' Something to Write Home About'' r ...

, and started Reggie and the Full Effect *

, Mexican War general who prevented the execution of the Mormon prophet

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

* Hubert Eaton, visionary and developer of the world-famous Forest Lawn cemeteries in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

* Shea Groom, soccer player * Gatewood Lincoln, governor of

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

* George Rice, football player * Nick Robinson, former Stanford basketball player and college basketball coach * Alex Saxon, actor ('' The Fosters'', ''

Finding Carter ''Finding Carter'' is an American teen drama television series that aired on MTV for two seasons from July 8, 2014, to December 15, 2015. The first season, which consisted of 12 episodes, finished airing in September 2014. A month after its deb ...

'') * Eric Staves, actor ''

Goat (2016 film) ''Goat'' is a 2016 American drama film directed by Andrew Neel and written by David Gordon Green, Neel, and Mike Roberts; it is based on the book ''Goat: A Memoir'' by Brad Land. It stars Ben Schnetzer, Nick Jonas, Gus Halper, Daniel Flaherty, J ...

Empire (2015 TV series) ''Empire'' is an American music drama (film and television), drama television series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong that ran on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 7, 2015, to April 21, 2020. A joint production by Imagine Televis ...

'' and '' American Horror Story: 1984'' * Craig Stevens, star of the 1950s television series

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

Matt Wertz Matthew Stewart Wertz (born February 17, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. Originally from Liberty, Missouri, as of 2014 he lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Life and career Born and raised a Christian in Liberty, Missouri, Wertz's interest ...

, soft rock singer/songwriter

Cultural references

The

is now an open museum and tourist site. The Clay County Historical Society Museum features period room displays, a historic pharmacy counter, toys and dolls, model trains, tools and more.

Twin towns

Diekirch Diekirch (; ; or (locally) ; from ''Diet-Kirch'', i.e. "people's church") is a Communes of Luxembourg, commune with List of towns in Luxembourg, town status in north-eastern Luxembourg, in the Diekirch (canton), canton of Diekirch and, until its ...

, Luxembourg

References

External links

City of Liberty

Liberty Area Economic Development
* Historic maps of Liberty in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at 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 ...

{{authority control Cities in Missouri Cities in Clay County, Missouri Cities in Kansas City metropolitan area Significant places in Mormonism County seats in Missouri Populated places established in 1822 1822 establishments in Missouri