Montgomery City is the seat, but it is not the county's namesake river town

Montgomery City is the county seat of Montgomery County. That means the courthouse, the sheriff, and other county offices are there. The town sits along Interstate 70 and the railroad line that runs through the middle of the county. Danville, the older community to the south, was where some county business happened in the early days. The county itself was organized in 1818 and named for Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War general.

Here is the part that matters for you: government comes in layers. Cities and villages like Montgomery City, Wellsville, New Florence, and Jonesburg handle many permits and rules inside their own limits. The county handles the land that is not inside any city, called unincorporated land. On top of both sit school, fire, ambulance, and road districts. So before you buy or build, find out if your parcel is inside a city or unincorporated, and which districts cover it. Then take each question to the office that actually handles it, and confirm the details with that local office.