Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Missouri County
Platte County, Missouri
Kansas City International Airport and northwest suburbs - from Kansas City International Airport (KCI, one of the largest airports in the Midwest, is located entirely within Platte County - the airport's distinctive circular terminal design and the new single-terminal facility opened in 2023 anchor a massive employment and economic footprint that makes Platte County the aviation gateway to the Kansas City metro) to Platte County's Zona Rosa and northwest suburban growth (the Zona Rosa outdoor shopping district and the county's northwestern suburban communities of Parkville, Riverside, and Weatherby Lake represent the upscale residential and retail corridor that has made Platte County one of Missouri's wealthiest and fastest-growing counties).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Platte County Emergency Preparedness – 11724 NW Plaza Cir Dr, Kansas City, MO 64153 | (816) 858-2424; maintains the county’s Emergency Operations Center at the Courthouse and serves as 911 coordinator.
Sheriff: Platte County Sheriff’s Office – Kansas City, MO 64153 | 24-hour non-emergency (816) 858-3521 | Office (816) 858-2424 | Fax: (816) 243-1420; Sheriff Holland, a Park University and University of Missouri-Columbia Law graduate; the office operates a 180-bed detention facility, provides court security, dispatches for 24 police/fire/ambulance agencies, and handles both emergency preparedness and animal control countywide.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-29 and I-435 serve Platte City, the county seat, in northwest Missouri, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area; Kansas City is the county’s largest city, and Kansas City International Airport (KCI) is located within county boundaries approximately one mile west of I-29.
Notes: Platte County, organized December 31, 1838, takes its name from the Platte River (French for a low, shallow, or intermittent stream). Roughly 106,700-114,400 residents across 427 square miles.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Platte County Courthouse – 415 Third Street, Platte City, MO 64079; a rare example of 1860s Missouri architecture, NRHP-listed.
Notes: Platte County holds a genuinely unique place in Missouri history: it was part of the 1836 Platte Purchase, in which the Iowa, Sac, Fox, and other tribal nations ceded over 2 million acres of land – excluded from Missouri’s original 1821 statehood boundaries – to the U.S. government for $7,500 plus livestock and cabins, formally annexed to Missouri in 1837. The Purchase created six counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, Nodaway, and Platte. Platte City, a proslavery center, was burned twice during the Civil War (1861 and 1864) amid intense regional guerrilla warfare. Park University, founded 1875 by George S. Park and John A. McAfee in Parkville, remains a notable regional institution – one of 15 schools of higher learning the county had by the 1890s. Notable historical residents of Platte City included Missouri Governor Guy B. Park (1933-37) and U.S. Senator David R. Atchison; “Stagecoach King” Ben Holladay lived in nearby Weston.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Platte County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via co.platte.mo.us.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via Kansas City VA medical facilities; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Platte City Branch (Mid-Continent Public Library) – 2702 N.W. Prairie View Road, Platte City, MO 64079 | (816) 858-2322.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Platte County Courthouse, Park University’s historic campus in Parkville, the Weston Historical Museum, and the Missouri River Frontier Museum are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine 1836 Platte Purchase – a distinctive chapter in Missouri’s territorial expansion – is one of the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Platte County Assessor – confirm current contact via co.platte.mo.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Platte County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Unit – non-emergency (816) 858-3521; a dedicated deputy handles investigation and enforcement for unincorporated Platte County and, under agreement, the cities of Camden Point, Dearborn, Edgerton, Ferrelview, Houston Lake, Iatan, Lake Waukomis, and Platte City.
Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter (FOPAS) – Parkville, MO; a no-kill, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) rescuing from Platte County, Platte City, Smithville, Plattsburg, Kansas City, and North Kansas City Animal Control; weekly adoption events at Petco (North Kansas City) and PetSmart (Liberty, 1st/3rd Saturdays); confirm current contact via parkvilleshelter.com.
Great Plains SPCA – serves the greater Kansas City area including parts of Platte County; confirm current contact via greatplainsspca.org.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Platte County – confirm current contact via co.platte.mo.us.
NOTES: Platte County is the seventh and final county in the twelfth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine 1836 Platte Purchase – a distinctive chapter in Missouri’s territorial expansion – is one of the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Platte County
Platte County is Kansas City’s airport county and northwest suburban growth corridor – KCI Airport’s economic anchor and the county’s upscale residential development in Parkville and Zona Rosa define one of Missouri’s fastest-growing and most prosperous suburban counties northwest of the Kansas City urban core.
Platte City (the county seat, population ~5,500) is Platte County’s governmental hub while Parkville, Riverside, and the airport corridor drive the county’s economic and residential growth.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Platte County Assessor at 415 3rd Street, Platte City, MO 64079, phone 816-858-3310. MO assessed at percentage of true value.
Courts & Legal
Platte County Circuit Court at 415 3rd Street, Platte City, MO 64079, phone 816-858-2232, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
328 Main St., Platte City, MO 64079
(816) 858-3392
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Platte County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1866-67 Platte County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Platte County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Platte County Circuit Court, Probate Division 415 Third Street, Platte City, MO 64079 (816) 858-2232
Platte County was founded December 31, 1838, named for the Platte River (or the Platte Purchase), part of the Kansas City metro area, seated in Platte City (though Kansas City is the county’s largest city). The 1866-67 Platte County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Missouri probate is governed by Title XXXI of the Missouri Revised Statutes (Chapters 470-475), the Probate Code.
Small Estate Affidavit (RSMo § 473.097) – available when the entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $40,000. A 30-day waiting period after death applies, and only if no application for letters is pending. If the property listed is worth more than $15,000, the clerk must publish a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A bond may be required. Once the court issues a certified small estate certificate, the affiant presents it directly to whoever holds the property to collect and distribute assets – avoiding full probate. Typical timeline: about two months to close, versus six months to a year or more for full probate.
Formal Administration – required for larger or more complex estates. A petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one) is filed with the probate division. After review, the court appoints the personal representative and issues the letters. Missouri offers both supervised and independent administration. Missouri requires an attorney to represent the personal representative in both types of administration.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a petition with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, and gives direct notice to known creditors. Creditors have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
Within 30 days of appointment (unless the court extends the deadline), the personal representative files an inventory and appraisement of all estate assets.
After debts are paid and the creditor claim period expires, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and files a final settlement with the court to close the estate.
What it costs
Missouri sets statutory minimum fees for attorneys and personal representatives based on a percentage of the estate’s value, though additional fees may be allowed for extraordinary services.
Missouri has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
415 3rd St., Platte City, MO 64079
(816) 858-2424
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
328 Main St., Platte City, MO 64079
(816) 858-3392
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Platte
(816) 858-5474
Meritas Health / NKC Hospital
nkch.org (accessible — major regional hospital)
Mosaic Life Care (accessible)
mosaiclifecare.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Platte County Health Department – confirm current phone via co.platte.mo.us.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Platte City
Population: 105,000
Area: 420 sq mi
Established: 1838
Tier: 2
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Platte County residents.
