U.S. Census Bureau data (2020 data not available) estimates Boone County's population at 180,463. Within
Missouri, Boone County is the 8th most populated county and the City of Columbia is the most populated city. The City of Columbia is the metropolitan center of Boone County and is the home to the University of Missouri, Stephens College, Columbia College and several satellite college campuses. Boone County is the regional hub for employment in mid-Missouri. Additionally, with numerous hospitals, medical clinics, retail businesses, sporting events, and entertainment venues, visitors from all over the state and country are drawn to Boone County. Boone County has the convergence of two major highways (Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 63). The AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) on Interstate 70 within rural Boone County is over 34,000 vehicles while the AADT on U.S. Highway 63 in rural Boone County is over 25,000 vehicles. Within the city limits of Columbia, both highways have an AADT of over 50,000 vehicles each day. Many of these motorists are non-residents and simply visiting or passing through Boone County. The population of Boone County increases drastically during the daytime hours with commuting workers, students and visitors. As a CALEA accredited agency, we continually train our staff on recognizing bias and providing unbiased policing. We also continually evaluate enforcement activities, disparity numbers and complaints to determine if there are areas in which we need to improve.