Northern Missouri
Two rivers shape Chariton County, and the bottoms are floodplain
The county's productive bottomland along the Missouri and Chariton rivers is also floodplain, so buyers and owners should check flood mapping and drainage before assuming standard rules.
The Missouri River runs along Chariton County’s southern edge. The Chariton River drains the county from the north. Together, they help explain why the county has rich bottomland and real floodplain questions.
For anyone buying land, a home, or farm ground near either river, the practical step is to check whether a parcel sits in a mapped flood zone. That can affect insurance, building, and what kind of flooding to expect.
FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center is the federal source for flood zones. Levee or drainage-district arrangements may also matter in the bottoms. Do not rely only on a seller’s general impression that a place “doesn’t really flood.” Pull the official map and ask about levee protection and past high water.
References
More from Chariton County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: June 15, 2026.