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==Geography==

==Geography==

Shannon County lies in south-central Missouri, within the Ozark Mountains (alternately known as the Ozark Plateau). It is mostly rectangular in shape, except for an eastward-jutting wedge of significant size to the east of Eminence. It is bordered on the northeast by [[Reynolds County, Missouri|Reynolds County]], on the southeast by [[Carter County, Missouri|Carter County]], on the south by [[Oregon County, Missouri|Oregon County]], on the southwest by Howell County, on the west by Texas County, and on the north by [[Dent County, Missouri|Dent County]].  

Shannon County lies in south-central Missouri, within the Ozark Mountains (alternately known as the Ozark Plateau). It is mostly rectangular in shape, except for an eastward-jutting wedge of significant size to the east of Eminence. It is bordered on the northeast by [[Reynolds County, Missouri|Reynolds County]], on the southeast by [[Carter County, Missouri|Carter County]], on the south by [[Oregon County, Missouri|Oregon County]], on the southwest by [[Howell County, Missouri|Howell County]], on the west by Texas County, and on the north by [[Dent County, Missouri|Dent County]].  

The county has a total area of 1,004.0 square miles, including 1,003.82 of land and 0.18 of water. This makes it the second-largest county in Missouri by land area (after neighboring Texas County).<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20131021170230/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt</ref> Though rugged, it is not among the more mountainous of the Ozark counties, at least in terms of differences in elevation. The most noticeable peaks occur in the east of the county, part of the outliers of the St. Francois Mountains. Thorny Mountain, the highest point in the county at 1,359 feet, falls into this category, lying a short distance southwest of the Current River. The narrow valley cut by the Current itself is arguably the lowest part of the county, dropping to about 500 feet as it flows southeast into Carter County. The western half of Shannon County, though elevated, tends to be more gently rolling, transitioning into the broader Springfield-Salem Plateau that characterizes the north-central Ozarks.<ref>https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=6557</ref>

The county has a total area of 1,004.0 square miles, including 1,003.82 of land and 0.18 of water. This makes it the second-largest county in Missouri by land area (after neighboring Texas County).<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20131021170230/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt</ref> Though rugged, it is not among the more mountainous of the Ozark counties, at least in terms of differences in elevation. The most noticeable peaks occur in the east of the county, part of the outliers of the St. Francois Mountains. Thorny Mountain, the highest point in the county at 1,359 feet, falls into this category, lying a short distance southwest of the Current River. The narrow valley cut by the Current itself is arguably the lowest part of the county, dropping to about 500 feet as it flows southeast into Carter County. The western half of Shannon County, though elevated, tends to be more gently rolling, transitioning into the broader Springfield-Salem Plateau that characterizes the north-central Ozarks.<ref>https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=6557</ref>