Missouri is a state in the Midwestern United States . [5] With over six million residents, it is the 18th-most populous state of the Union. The largest urban areas are St. Louis , Kansas City , Springfield and Columbia ; the capital is Jefferson City . The state is the 21st-most extensive in area. Missouri is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois , Kentucky and Tennessee (via the Mississippi River ) to the east, Arkansas to the south and Oklahoma , Kansas and Nebraska to the west. In the south are the Ozarks , a forested highland, providing timber, minerals and recreation. The Missouri River , after which the state is named, flows through the center of the state into the Mississippi River , which makes up Missouri's eastern border.
