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Iron County
Also known as Iron County, Missouri, Iron County, MO
county in Missouri, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Missouri
- Founded
- February 17, 1857
- Named after
- Iron ore
- Seat
- Ironton
- Largest city
- Ironton
- Total
- 552 sq mi (1,430 km )
- Land
- 550 sq mi (1,400 km )
- Water
- 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km ) 0.3%
- Estimate 2025
- 9,318
- Density
- 17/sq mi (6.7/km )
- Time zone
- UTC−6 ( Central )
- Summer dst
- UTC−5 ( CDT )
~12 min read
Article
Iron County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,537. The largest city and county seat is Ironton. Iron County was officially organized on February 17, 1857, and was named after the abundance of iron ore found within its borders.
Iron County includes the 6-mile (9.7 km)-long, 2-mile (3.2 km)-wide Arcadia Valley, the site of Pilot Knob, Ironton, and Arcadia, communities established by immigrants in the 19th Century. The valley is surrounded by the Saint Francois Mountains of the Ozarks Plateau. Iron County is also home to dozens of mountains, including the 1,772-foot (540 m) Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri.