The Jefferson City metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties – Cole, Callaway, Moniteau, and Osage – in central Missouri anchored by the city of Jefferson City. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 150,316. The Jefferson City MSA consists of four counties, and borders the Columbia metropolitan area to the north.

Cole County is located in the central part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 77,279. Its county seat and largest city is Jefferson City, the state capital. The county was organized November 16, 1820, and named after pioneer William Temple Cole who built Cole's Fort in Boonville.