Jefferson City, MO

united states

Jefferson City, Missouri's capital since 1826, sits on the Missouri River in the state's center. US 50 connects it east-west to St. Louis (130 miles) and Kansas City (150 miles), while US 54 runs north-south to Columbia and the Lake of the Ozarks. The imposing State Capitol dominates the skyline, but the old Missouri State Penitentiary's stone walls along the riverfront tell a grittier story of the city's 200-year history.