Meta, MO

Tucked into the rolling hills of Osage County, about thirty minutes south of Jefferson City, Meta is a tiny, quiet community with an unexpected claim to fame. It serves as the global headquarters for Diamond Pet Foods, which started right here in the 1970s and remains a major anchor for local jobs. For residents, day-to-day life is relaxed and rural, with families served by the Osage County R-III schools in nearby Westphalia. With easy access to fishing and floating along nearby rivers, Meta offers a peaceful slice of mid-Missouri countryside while keeping the capital city close at hand.