The Region

Regional Population Trends

The Boonslick Region is centered on Interstate 70 and lies immediately west of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Neighboring jurisdictions are Audrain and Pike counties on the north, Audrain and Callaway counties on the west, St. Charles County on the southeast, the Mississippi River to the northeast and the Missouri River on the south.

The area encompasses 1,645 square miles, 27 municipal governments and 3 county governments. Lincoln County covers 630 square miles and has 12 municipalities: Chain of Rocks, Elsberry, Foley, Fountain N Lakes, Hawk Point, Moscow Mills, Old Monroe, Silex, Troy, Truxton, Whiteside, and Winfield. Troy serves as Lincoln County’s county seat. Montgomery County consists of 584 square miles and 9 cities: Bellflower, High Hill, Jonesburg, Middletown, Montgomery City, McKittrick, New Florence, Rhineland and Wellsville. Montgomery City is the county seat of Montgomery County. The remaining 6 incorporated communities are in Warren County. These cities include Innsbrook, Pendleton, Marthasville, Truesdale, Warrenton, and Wright City. Warrenton serves as the county seat. Warren County is the smallest county in the Boonslick Region consisting of 432 square miles.

The Boonslick counties -- Lincoln, Montgomery and Warren -- lay directly in the path of the growth wave that, for the past several years, has been moving westward from the St. Louis metropolitan area. The number of persons per square mile in the Region has grown from a density of 19.9 persons in 1950 to a 2004 density of 51.6 persons per square mile. The region’s population growth rate spiked sharply at 22.4% in 1980. Newly released population estimates for 2005 rank two of the three Boonslick counties in the top three Missouri counties for growth: Lincoln County ranked #2, and Warren County ranked #3. Future projections indicate the population increase for 2010 will rise to 23.5%. Per capita income is $17,310 with 8.95% in poverty status.

Boonslick Region Population Trends, 1950-2005*