Perryville, Missouri

Overview

• Location: Perry County, Missouri
• Legal status: Fourth-class city
• Population: 7,667 (Change since 1990: +10.6%)
• Founded: Aug. 7, 1821
• Name origin: Oliver Perry
• Previously known as: The Barrens

Geography

• Located near intersections of I-55, US 61, and MO 51
• Latitude: 37°43'34" N   (+37.7261)
• Longitude: 89°52'18" W   (-89.8716)
• Civil township: Central
• Land area: 7.6 square miles
• Water area: 0.15 square miles (97.1 acres)

As the crow flies, Perryville is...

• 4.4 miles N of Highland
• 4.4 miles S of Saline Junction
• 4.6 miles NW of Friedenberg
• 4.8 miles SE of Brewer
• 5.1 miles S of Sereno
• 6.6 miles NW of Longtown
• 7.1 miles NE of Silver Lake
• 7.4 miles S of Lithium
• 7.5 miles N of Millheim
• 7.6 miles S of McBride
• 33.9 miles NW of Cape Girardeau
• 64.7 miles S of St. Louis

History

Name origin

Perryville and Perry County were both named after Oliver Perry, naval war hero from the War of 1812.

Previous names

The original settlers emigrated from an area of Southwest Kentucky known as "The Barrens" and they applied the same name to the area which would later become Perryville.

Timeline

1799

A group of Catholics emigrate from Kentucky and settled in the area, calling it "The Barrens".

Aug. 7, 1821

Perryville founded as the new county seat of Perry County.

1825

First courthouse constructed with money raised from selling Perryville town lots.

1856

Perryville incorporated.

1879

Perryville elevated to a fourth-class city.

Demographics