Missouri’s Largest Land Owner Isn’t a Company or a Person?

Owning land is part of the American dream. Some own a little and some own a lot. There's one land owner in Missouri that has more of it than anyone else and that land owner isn't a company or a person.

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Maybe you've heard that Bill Gates is the largest private land owner in Missouri while TV mogul Ted Turner is second. That's true, but neither man owns as much of Missouri as one other entity. Not even close.

Who or what owns the most land in Missouri?

Answer - The state of Missouri itself

A-Z Animals mentions that the state of Missouri owns more than 3 million acres of its own land. That's more than even the federal government that owns a tidy 1.4 million acres or so.

What does Missouri do with all the land it owns?

When you drive by a state park or conservation area, that's the result of what Missouri does with most of its land. Sure, there are many state buildings and state property that get other uses, but that's the lions share of how Missouri land is utilized.

But, what about China?

Perhaps you've heard stories about how the Chinese are buying up all kinds of Missouri land. The Journal Record says there is some truth to that, but not as much as you might think. They say that China owns just over 42,000 acres of Missouri. There is talk of banning that according to their report also.