▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁its ▁present ▁name ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁Van ▁Bur en ' s ▁Democratic ▁oppon ent ▁Lewis ▁Cass ▁during ▁the ▁president ial ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 8 . ▁Other ▁count ies ▁are ▁named ▁after ▁war ▁hero es , ▁natural ▁resources , ▁expl or ers , ▁and ▁former ▁U . S . ▁territ ories . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁St . ▁Louis ▁is ▁an ▁independent ▁city , ▁and ▁is ▁not ▁within ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁a ▁county . ▁Its ▁residents ▁voted ▁to ▁se ced e ▁from ▁St . ▁Louis ▁County ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁Through out ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁St . ▁Louis ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁independent ▁cities ▁outside ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Virginia ▁( the ▁other ▁two ▁are ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland ▁and ▁Car son ▁City , ▁Nev ada ). ▁ ▁Population ▁figures ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁United ▁States ▁Census . ▁According ▁to ▁that ▁census , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Missouri ▁is ▁ 5 , 9 8 8 , 9 2 7 , ▁an ▁increase ▁of ▁ 7 . 0 % ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁average ▁population ▁of ▁Missouri ' s ▁count ies ▁is ▁ 5 2 , 0 7 8 ; ▁St . ▁Louis ▁County ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁popul ous ▁( 9 9 8 , 9 5 4 ), ▁and ▁W orth ▁County ▁is ▁the ▁least ▁( 2 , 1 7 1 ). ▁The ▁average ▁land ▁area ▁is ▁. ▁The ▁largest ▁county ▁is ▁Texas ▁County ▁( 1 , 1 7