Blank Missouri map

What the outline shows

The map shows only Missouri's border. The whole east edge is the Mississippi River, facing Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. The north edge with Iowa is nearly straight, with a small jog at the Des Moines River. The west edge is the Missouri River against Nebraska and northern Kansas, then a straight line south against Kansas and Oklahoma. The south edge with Arkansas is straight until the southeast corner, where the Bootheel drops south between the St. Francis and Mississippi rivers. No county lines, rivers or cities are drawn inside. Capital marks Jefferson City on the Missouri River in the centre of the state, not Kansas City or St. Louis, and Abbreviation writes "MO".

Portrait or landscape

Missouri is about 300 miles from north to south including the Bootheel and about 280 miles east to west, close to square. Either orientation works; portrait is slightly better because the Bootheel adds height and because the river meanders on the east side are then a little larger. Landscape leaves a strip of space at the bottom that can hold a list of the eight bordering states. Missouri ties with Tennessee for the most neighbouring states, which makes a good exercise on the wide print.

Five classroom exercises

1. Draw the Missouri River entering at the northwest corner, forming the Nebraska and Kansas border to Kansas City, then crossing the state east through Jefferson City to the Mississippi above St. Louis.
2. Trace the Mississippi along the full east edge and label the three states across it, plus the point where the Ohio joins near Cairo.
3. Shade the Bootheel and mark the St. Francis River on its west side; then draw the Ozark Plateau across the southern half of the state.
4. Name all eight neighbouring states around the outline in clockwise order starting with Iowa.
5. Place Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia and Jefferson City, and note that the two largest cities are on opposite borders.

How to recognise the Missouri outline

• A roughly square shape with a small rectangular tab, the Bootheel, at the bottom right.
• A wavy right edge (the Mississippi) and a wavy upper-left edge (the Missouri).
• A straight lower-left edge and a straight bottom edge apart from the Bootheel.
• Eight states around it, the joint record with Tennessee.

Answer key and related maps

• Missouri map — the labeled version with capital, cities and borders; use it as the answer key.
• Printable Missouri map — the same outline with cities, county lines and the capital printed on.
• Missouri county map — all 115 counties with their seats.
• Jefferson City — the capital, on the Missouri River.
• Neighbours: Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska.
• Missouri River, Mississippi River and the Ozarks.
• All blank state maps and the printable US maps index.