Jefferson City, MO Metro Area
The Jefferson City, MO metro area is made up of 4 counties in Missouri: Cole, Callaway, Moniteau, and Osage, largest first. About 152,712 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 1.6% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 152,712 1.6% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 4: 1 central, 3 outlying
- Land area
- 2,248 sq mi (5,822 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Missouri
- Combined statistical area
- Columbia-Jefferson City-Moberly, MO
- CBSA code
- 27620
Counties in the Jefferson City, MO metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole County | Central | 77,908 | 51.0% |
| Callaway County | Outlying | 45,765 | 30.0% |
| Moniteau County | Outlying | 15,428 | 10.1% |
| Osage County | Outlying | 13,611 | 8.9% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Jefferson City42,488 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Columbia-Jefferson City-Moberly, MO combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 3 areas in this one, largest first:
- Columbia, MO Metro Area219,062 people
- Mexico, MO Micro Area24,528 people
- Moberly, MO Micro Area24,513 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Columbia, MO Metro Area27 mi north
- Mexico, MO Micro Area44 mi north
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.