Jackson County, County in western Missouri, United States.
Jackson County is a county in western Missouri that stretches from the Missouri River in the north to rural areas in the south. The Kansas City metropolitan area occupies the western portion, while the Independence area sits in the east.
The county formed in 1826 and took its name from Andrew Jackson, a military hero of the War of 1812. During the following decades it became a hub for trade with the West and migration across the plains.
The eastern part of the county served as a departure point for thousands of settlers traveling west by wagon during the 19th century. Museums and reconstructed buildings now preserve the memory of this continental migration.
The administration splits across two sites: Independence in the east serves as the original seat, and Kansas City in the west houses additional offices. Roads connect both parts and pass through residential and commercial districts as well as farmland.
Fort Osage on the Missouri River was built in 1808 as one of the first military installations of the United States in this territory. The reconstructed fort now shows how soldiers and traders lived on the edge of settled land at that time.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
