Famous for inspiring Mark Twain’s novels including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I discovered on my five week Missouri road trip that this intriguing Midwestern state had a wonderfully laid-back vibe — all wide-open spaces, sprawling mountains, rolling plains, winding rivers, and hidden gems.

The Missouri Times: Opinion | Boyken: Lawsuit Abuse Is Making Missouri Families Choose Between Transportation And Essentials

For Missouri families already stretched thin, this is pushing an essential service further out of reach. Missouri drivers pay nearly $2,400 annually for full-coverage auto insurance, four percent ...

Opinion | Boyken: Lawsuit Abuse Is Making Missouri Families Choose Between Transportation And Essentials

With over six million residents, it is the 19th-most populous state of the country. The largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. The capital is Jefferson City. Humans have inhabited present-day Missouri for at least 12,000 years.

Missouri is a constituent state of the U.S. It is bordered by Iowa to the north; Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee to the east; Arkansas to the south; and Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to the west. The state’s major cities are Kansas City in the west and St. Louis in the east. Its capital is Jefferson City.

The State of Missouri is located in the central or Midwest region of the United States. Missouri is a land-locked state that is bordered on all sides by eight different states.

Mike Kehoe was sworn in as Missouri's 58th Governor on . Guided by a lifelong dedication to public service and a commitment to Missouri families, Governor Kehoe has made public safety, education, economic development, and agriculture the cornerstones of his administration.