Pike County, Missouri

Pike County
County
The Pike County Courthouse in Bowling Green
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°20′N 91°10′W / 39.34°N 91.17°W / 39.34; -91.17
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Founded	December 14, 1818
Named for	Zebulon M. Pike
Seat	Bowling Green
Largest city	Bowling Green
Area
• Total	685 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Land	670 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  2.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,587
• Density	26/sq mi (9.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.pikecountymo.net

Pike County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Missouri, bounded by the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,587.^[1] Its county seat is Bowling Green.^[2] Its namesake was a city in middle Kentucky, a region from where many early migrants came. The county was organized December 14, 1818, and named for explorer Zebulon Pike. The folksong "Sweet Betsy from Pike" is generally thought to be associated with Pike County, Missouri.^{[citation needed]}

Pike County is said to be the home of Momo (The Missouri Monster). The first reported sightings in the 1970s were traced to various locations throughout the county.