Arkoe is a village in south central Nodaway County, Missouri, United States.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.14 square miles (0.36 km2), all land.

The United States Board on Geographic Names in its Geographic Names Information System only lists two Arkoes in the United States (the other being in Pike County, Ohio).

One of the earliest uses of the name was in the 18th-century fantasy book "The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins" by Robert Paltock which was published in 1751 which said an Arkoe is a "water surrounded with wood."

The book is a mix of adventure, romance, and social commentary, and is considered to be an early example of science fiction.

[5] The book was adopted by humorist Gilbert Abbott à Beckett in 1846 into a London play entitled "Peter Wilkins : Or, the loadstone rock and the flying Indians" (although Arkoe is not mentioned in the play)[6] It was also adapted in 1923 in a book "Peter Wilkins: Or, Harlequin Harlokin and the Flying Islanders" by George Thorne.

Nodaway County's first railroad (starting out as the Missouri Valley Railroad before becoming the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad and ultimately becoming part of the Burlington Northern route)[10] built two bridges across the 102 river within 1,000 feet of each on an elbow bend in the river and the county built a road bridge between the two in the same location.

The railroad plotted the community of Bridgewater by the bridges in 1870 and the post office opened there.

Dr. Perry H. Talbott who granted the right of way through much of the land in the area insisted that the town site be located on his property and on September 16, 1874, he and S.K.

Nelson Wilson who had opened a merchandise store in Bridgewater in 1871 moved the building to Arkoe and became its first business in 1874.

[12] His wife, Belle, and his sons Charles Edward and Albert Perry were initially suspected and arrested for his murder.