Dade County lies in southwest Missouri along the Kansas border and borders Cedar Lawrence Barton Jasper Newton McDonald Greene Polk and Lawrence among other counties respectively with Greenfield serving as its county seat since 1841 when it was established from part of Greene after which its population has steadily risen to 8500 inhabitants spread across 344 square miles including seven townships such as Jericho Township or Richwood Township under its jurisdiction each of which also includes smaller villages like Everton or Lockwood respectively.