Paris, MO

Paris is Monroe County’s seat, a northeastern Missouri city platted in 1831 and named for Paris, Kentucky, the home of an early settler. The Middle Fork of the Salt River forms the city’s northern edge before running toward Mark Twain Lake, while U.S. 24 bypasses the town and connects it with Monroe City and Moberly. The Little Dixie Regional Library has a Paris branch, and Paris R-II keeps the school map centered in town. Paris is a courthouse town with a river border and a name borrowed from Kentucky—Missouri’s version comes with its own county-seat business and a very Midwestern detour.