Parcel Chartplaces Open the free map

County · code 29031

Cape Girardeau CountyMissouri

Cape Girardeau County is a county in Missouri, with its seat in Jackson. The county was formed on October 1, 1812.

  • Founded1812
  • County seatJackson
  • Named forJean Baptiste de Girardot and Cape Girardeau
  • Land area579 sq mi + 7.8 sq mi water
  • Population81,710 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped39,388 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Cape Girardeau County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

BollingerScottPerryAlexander, ILUnion, ILStoddard Jackson Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Cape Girardeau on the map of Missouri

Missouri has 115 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adair CountyAndrew CountyAtchison CountyAudrain CountyBarry CountyBarton CountyBates CountyBenton CountyBollinger CountyBoone CountyBuchanan CountyButler CountyCaldwell CountyCallaway CountyCamden CountyCarroll CountyCarter CountyCass CountyCedar CountyChariton CountyChristian CountyClark CountyClay CountyClinton CountyCole CountyCooper CountyCrawford CountyDade CountyDallas CountyDaviess CountyDeKalb CountyDent CountyDouglas CountyDunklin CountyFranklin CountyGasconade CountyGentry CountyGreene CountyGrundy CountyHarrison CountyHenry CountyHickory CountyHolt CountyHoward CountyHowell CountyIron CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJefferson CountyJohnson CountyKnox CountyLaclede CountyLafayette CountyLawrence CountyLewis CountyLincoln CountyLinn CountyLivingston CountyMcDonald CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMaries CountyMarion CountyMercer CountyMiller CountyMississippi CountyMoniteau CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyNew Madrid CountyNewton CountyNodaway CountyOregon CountyOsage CountyOzark CountyPemiscot CountyPerry CountyPettis CountyPhelps CountyPike CountyPlatte CountyPolk CountyPulaski CountyPutnam CountyRalls CountyRandolph CountyRay CountyReynolds CountyRipley CountySt. Charles CountySt. Clair CountySte. Genevieve CountySt. Francois CountySt. Louis CountySaline CountySchuyler CountyScotland CountyScott CountyShannon CountyShelby CountyStoddard CountyStone CountySullivan CountyTaney CountyTexas CountyVernon CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWorth CountyWright CountySt. Louis cityCape Girardeau County Cape Girardeau
Counties of Missouri · Cape Girardeau highlighted

History

Founded in 1812

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

The area was created as Cape Girardeau District within the District of Louisiana on October 1, 1804, as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1805, the District of Louisiana was renamed Louisiana Territory and Cape Girardeau became a district (county) within it. The county gained and lost territory several times in 1806 through exchanges with New Madrid District. By 1812, Cape Girardeau District was eliminated from what is now Colorado and Kansas, and the county was formally established in its current location on October 1, 1812.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1804
    Cape Girardeau County created Cape Girardeau District (now Cape Girardeau) created within the District of Louisiana. · Terr. Papers U.S., 13: 51-52; U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 38 [1804]/pp. 283-289; Violette, 46-47
  2. 1805
    Renamed Cape Girardeau (Missouri) became a district (county) in Louisiana Territory when the District of Louisiana was renamed Louisiana Territory.
    formerly Cape Girardeau Became A District In Louisiana Territory When the District of Louisiana Was
    · U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 31[1805]/pp. 331-332
  3. 1806
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau District (now Cape Girardeau) lost to New Madrid District (now New Madrid).
    to New Madrid
    · Terr. Papers U.S., 13:541-542; Gov. Proc. 7 June 1806
  4. 1806
    Gained territory Cape Girardeau District (now Cape Girardeau) gained from New Madrid District (now New Madrid).
    from New Madrid
    · Ford, 5-6
  5. 1812
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau District became Cape Girardeau County; Cape Girardeau lost to creation of Non-County Area 1 when its western boundary was redefined as the boundary of the "Osage Purchase". · Terr. Papers U.S., 14:599-601; U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 95[1812]/pp. 743-747; Royce, 676-677, pls. 112, 144
Show all 18 changes (13 more)
  1. 1804
    Cape Girardeau County created Cape Girardeau District (now Cape Girardeau) created within the District of Louisiana. · Terr. Papers U.S., 13: 51-52; U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 38 [1804]/pp. 283-289; Violette, 46-47
  2. 1805
    Renamed Cape Girardeau (Missouri) became a district (county) in Louisiana Territory when the District of Louisiana was renamed Louisiana Territory.
    formerly Cape Girardeau Became A District In Louisiana Territory When the District of Louisiana Was
    · U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 31[1805]/pp. 331-332
  3. 1806
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau District (now Cape Girardeau) lost to New Madrid District (now New Madrid).
    to New Madrid
    · Terr. Papers U.S., 13:541-542; Gov. Proc. 7 June 1806
  4. 1806
    Gained territory Cape Girardeau District (now Cape Girardeau) gained from New Madrid District (now New Madrid).
    from New Madrid
    · Ford, 5-6
  5. 1812
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau District became Cape Girardeau County; Cape Girardeau lost to creation of Non-County Area 1 when its western boundary was redefined as the boundary of the "Osage Purchase". · Terr. Papers U.S., 14:599-601; U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 95[1812]/pp. 743-747; Royce, 676-677, pls. 112, 144
  6. 1813
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to New Madrid, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington.
    to New Madridto Ste. Genevieveto Washington
    · Mo. Terr. Laws 1813-1814, ch. 99, sec. 1/pp. 293-295
  7. 1819
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to creation of Madison.
    to Madison
    · Mo. Terr. Laws 1818-1819, ch. 229, secs. 1, 8/pp. 576-580
  8. 1819
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to creation of Wayne.
    to Wayne
    · Mo. Terr. Laws 1818-1819, ch. 226, secs. 1, 10/pp. 567-571
  9. 1824
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to Scott.
    to Scott
    · Mo. Laws 1824-1825, pub., ch. 9, secs. 1-2/p. 11
  10. 1825
    Gained territory Cape Girardeau gained from Scott.
    from Scott
    · Mo. Laws Rev., 1825, ch. 1, sec. 4/p. 232
  11. 1829
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to creation of Stoddard; Stoddard not fully organized, attached to Cape Girardeau "for all civil and military purposes."
    to Stoddard
    · Mo. Laws 1828-1829, ch. 59, secs. 1-3/pp. 71-72
  12. 1835
    Exchanged territory Cape Girardeau exchanged with Stoddard; Stoddard fully organized, detached from Cape Girardeau.
    with Stoddard
    · Mo. Laws 1834-1835, priv. and loc., pp. 39-40
  13. 1845
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to Scott.
    to Scott
    · Mo. Rev. Stat. 1845, secs. 28, 84/pp. 137, 145-146
  14. 1847
    Exchanged territory Cape Girardeau exchanged with Perry.
    with Perry
    · Mo. Laws 1846-1847, pub., p. 18
  15. 1849
    Exchanged territory Cape Girardeau exchanged with Perry.
    with Perry
    · Mo. Laws 1848-1849, pub., p. 33
  16. 1851
    Lost territory Cape Girardeau lost to creation of Bollinger.
    to Bollinger
    · Mo. Laws 1850-1851, pub., pp. 193-194
  17. 1853
    Gained territory Cape Girardeau gained from Stoddard.
    from Stoddard
    · Mo. Laws 1852-1853, pub., p. 72; Mo. Laws 1856-1857, loc., pp. 329-330
  18. 1865
    Exchanged territory Cape Girardeau exchanged with Scott.
    with Scott
    · Mo. Laws 1864-1865, adj. sess., spec., pp. 310-311

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Cape Girardeau

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Cape Girardeau by the Census

Population
81,710 2020 Census count
Housing units
35,696 2020 Census count
Land area
579 square miles
Water area
7.8 square miles
People per sq mi
141 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Cape Girardeau County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Cape Girardeau County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Cape Girardeau County

When was Cape Girardeau County founded?
Cape Girardeau County was founded in 1812, and named after Jean Baptiste de Girardot and Cape Girardeau.
What is the county seat of Cape Girardeau County?
The county seat of Cape Girardeau County is Jackson.
Is there an online parcel map for Cape Girardeau County?
Yes. Cape Girardeau County publishes a parcel map of 39,388 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Cape Girardeau County's boundary or name changed?
Cape Girardeau County was created in 1804. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 17 later changes, chiefly involving Scott County, New Madrid County and Stoddard County. It was formerly called Cape Girardeau Became A District In Louisiana Territory When the District of Louisiana Was.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Cape Girardeau County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door