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Tips
  • If at first you don't find a name, try again under another spelling.
  • Photocopy each ancestor's census. Identify where you found it.
  • Look for an ancestor in every census during her or his lifetime.
  • On the family group record show each person's census listings.
  • Study others in the same household, neighbors, and anyone with the similar names nearby on the census in community context.


  • For a list of the exact date of each federal census, click here.

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Missouri State Censuses Online

Online Missouri indexes and images

Template:Census Online Missouri

Federal population schedules

Microfilm images

Federal Census Microfilms Available from the Family History Library
1940 N/A 1900 and Soundex 1860          
1930 1900 and Soundex 1850
1920 and Soundex 1880 and Soundex 1840
1910 and soundex 1870 1830


Federal Census Microfilms Available from the National Archives
1940 N/A 1910 T624 and Soundex T1270 1870 M593         1840 M704
1930 T626 1900 T623 and Soundex T1055 1860 M653 1830 M19
1920 T625 and Soundex M1571 1880 T9 and Soundex T758 1850 M432
     


Many federal census records (1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930) are at the following archives:

Residents of Missouri may borrow microfilm of federal census records through 1880 from the Missouri State Historical Society on interlibrary loan through public or college libraries. State census microfilm. Soundexes, and other indexes may not be borrowed.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Missouri, click here

Federal non-population schedules

Online indexes and images

Online Federal Non-Population Schedules for Missouri

Free Free at Some Libraries (usually with library card) Pay
Year Type Record Search Census Bureau Google Book Heritage Quest Ancestry FHL Ancestry Library Ancestry Home
1890 Veterans Link - - - Link Link Link
1880 Mortality Link - - - Link Link Link
1870 Mortality Link - - - Link Link Link
1860 Slave owner - - - Link[1] Link Link Link
1860 Mortality Link - - - Link Link Link
1850 Slave owner - - - Link[1] Link Link Link
1850 Mortality Link - - - Link Link Link
1840 Pensioners - BookLink BookLink - Link Link Link

Microfilm images

1850-1880 Mortality Schedules

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Missouri, click here.

State, territorial, and colonial censuses

The Territory of Missouri took censuses in 1814, 1817, and 1819. The State of Missouri took censuses in 1821, then every four years beginning in 1824 through 1868, and in 1876. Most of these Territorial and State Censuses no longer exist. Listed below are copies currently available. Some censuses only gave head of household and others listed all household members.

At Ancestry.com

  • 1887-Phelps
  • 1881-Reynolds
  • 1880-Cass
  • 1876- Atchison, Benton, Butler, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cass, Christian, Daviess, St. Francois, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Holt, Howard, Madison, McDonald, Moniteau, Montgomery, Osage, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, Stone, Texas, Worth and Webster Counties.
  • 1873-Cole County
  • 1869-Franklin County
  • 1868-Cape Girardeau and Franklin Counties
  • 1867- Cape Girardeau, Franklin, and Greene Counties.
  • 1858- St. Louis County
  • 1857- St. Louis County
  • 1856- Audrain County
  • 1844- Callaway County

At the State Historical Society of Missouri (University of Missouri–Columbia Campus):

  • 1876 - Benton, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Christian, Greene, Holt, Howard, McDonald, Montgomery, Osage, Phelps, Reynolds, St. Francois counties (all microfilm) Butler, Iron and Texas counties (transcriptions).
  • 1868 - Cape Girardeau, Ste. Genevieve, and Webster counties (all microfilm)
  • 1864 - Gasconade County (transcription)
  • 1844 - Callaway County (microfilm), Marion County (transcription) *1852 - St. Charles County (transcription)
  • 1840 - Rives County [now Henry County] (transcription)
  • 1819 - St. Charles Territorial Censuses (transcription)
  • 1817 - St. Charles Territorial Censuses (transcription)

At the Missouri State Archives (Jefferson City):

  • 1868 - Cape Girardeau County (microfilm)
  • 1844 - Callaway County (microfilm); Greene County (transcription)
  • 1840 - New Madrid, Newton, Pike, Randolph, Ray, Rives (later Henry), Shelby, Stoddard and Warren counties (all transcriptions)

Existing and lost censuses

For a list of available and missing Missouri censuses, click here.

Why use a census?

A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.

More about censuses

Click here for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:

Sources and footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 HeritageQuest has slave owner schedule images only.