Motto:Salus populi suprema lex esto (The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law)
State symbols: flower: hawthorn, bird: bluebird, aquatic animal: paddlefish, fish: channel catfish, song: “Missouri Waltz”, fossil: crinoid, musical instrument: fiddle, rock: mozarkite, mineral: galena, insect: honeybee, tree: flowering dogwood, tree nut: eastern black walnut, animal: mule, dance: square dance, Missouri Day: third Wednesday in October
Nickname: Show-me State
10 largest cities (2010): Kansas City, 459,787; St. Louis, 319,294; Springfield, 159,498; Independence, 116,830; Columbia, 108,500; Lee's Summit, 91,364; O'Fallon, 79,329; St. Joseph, 76,780; St. Charles, 65,794; St. Peter's, 52,757