Boone County, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boone County
U.S. county
The Big Tree in the Missouri River floodplain near the City of Columbia
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Founded	November 16, 1820
Named for	Daniel Boone (1734-1820)
Seat	Columbia
Largest city	Columbia
Area
• Total	691 sq mi (1,790 km2)
• Land	685 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Water	5.6 sq mi (15 km2)  0.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	183,610
• Density	265.72/sq mi (102.59/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th

Boone County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Centrally located the state's Mid-Missouri region, its county seat is in Columbia, which is Missouri's fourth-largest city and location of the University of Missouri. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the county's population was listed as 183,610, making it the state's eighth-most populous county. The county was organized November 16, 1820, removed from the former larger Howard County (now to the northwest) of the old federal Missouri Territory of 1812-1821, and named for the famous Western explorer and settler of Kentucky, then recently deceased Daniel Boone (1734-1820), whose kin largely populated the Boonslick area, having arrived in the 1810s on the Boone's Lick Road.

Boone County comprises the Columbia Metropolitan Area. The towns of Ashland and Centralia are the second and third most populous towns in the county.

History

Boone County was organized November 16, 1820, from a separated portion of the larger territorial Howard County, first designated under the former federal Louisiana Territory (1804-1812) and subsequent successor Missouri Territory (1812-1821). The central region of the state is known as Mid-Missouri and is also known as the cultural area of Boonslick or Boone's Lick Country, because of a nearby salt spring or "lick" which famed Western American frontier explorer, pioneer, settler Daniel Boone's (1734-1820) sons, Daniel Morgan Boone (1769-1839), and younger Nathan Boone (1780-1856), used for their animals stock.

The Boone County Courthouse of Greek Revival style architecture, built with three stories and basement, with front portico / pediment and columns, at the surrounding Boone County Government Complex, in the county seat town of Columbia, Missouri

Boone County was settled primarily from the Upper South states of Kentucky, Tennessee and further east of Virginia. The settlers brought slaves and idea of slave-holding with them, and quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in Middle Tennessee and the bluegrass state of Kentucky: hemp and tobacco. Boone was one of several counties to the north and south of the diagonal flowing southwestward Missouri River that was settled by mostly Southerners. Because of its culture and traditions, the area became known as Little Dixie, and Boone County was at its heart. In 1860 slaves made up 25 percent or more of the county's population, Boone County was strongly pro-Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861-1865).

Shortly after the assassination / murder in April 1865, of 16th President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865, served 1861-1865), the leading citizens of the county and its county seat town denounced the killing. They also directed that all public buildings including the county courthouse and the nearby state university be draped in black mourning for thirty days.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 691 square miles (1,790 km²), of which 685 square miles (1,770 km²) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km²) (0.8%) is water. The Missouri River makes up the southern border of the county.

National protected areas

• Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
• Mark Twain National Forest (part)

Adjacent counties

• Audrain County (northeast)
• Callaway County (east)
• Cole County (south)
• Cooper County (west)
• Howard County (northwest)
• Moniteau County (southwest)
• Randolph County (north)

Major highways

• Interstate 70
• Interstate 70 Business Loop
• U.S. Route 40
• U.S. Route 63
• Invalid type: US-Conn
• Route 22
• Route 124
• Route 163
• Route 740
• Route 763

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 135,454 people, 53,094 households, and 31,378 families residing in the county. The population density was 198 inhabitants per square mile (76/km²). There were 56,678 housing units at an average density of 83 units per square mile (32/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.43% White, 8.54% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Approximately 1.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% claimed German, 12.3% American, 11.2% English and 9.8% Irish ancestry.

There were 53,094 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.50% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.90% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.80% under the age of 18, 19.90% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 18.80% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,485, and the median income for a family was $51,210. Males had a median income of $33,304 versus $25,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,844. About 7.60% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.10% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.

There are 127,433 registered voters as of 2022.

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Boone County is sometimes regarded as being on the northern edge of the so-called Bible Belt, with evangelical Protestantism being the most predominant religious faith represented. The most predominant denominations among residents in Boone County who adhere to a religion are the Baptists with the largest being from the conservative Southern Baptist Convention (20.81%), Roman Catholics (16.71%), and smaller / minor nondenominational or evangelical groups (13.23%).

2020 Census

Education

Public schools

• Southern Boone (Ashland) R-I School District
  • Southern Boone Primary School
  • Southern Boone Elementary
  • Southern Boone Middle School
  • Southern Boone High School
• Centralia R-VI School District – Centralia
  • Chance Elementary School (PK-02)
  • Centralia Intermediate School (03-05)
  • Chester Boren Middle School (06-08)
  • Centralia High School (09-12)
• Columbia School District No. 93 – Columbia
  • Center for Gifted Education (01-05)
  • Cedar Ridge Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Thomas Benton Elementary School (PK-05)
  • John Ridgeway Elementary School (K-05)
  • Eugene Field/ Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Midway Heights Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Two Mile Prairie Elementary School (PK-05)
  • New Haven Elementary School (PK-05)
  • West Boulevard Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School
  • Parkade Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Blue Ridge Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Fairview Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Russell Boulevard Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Shepard Boulevard Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Mary Paxton Keeley Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Beulah Ralph Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Eliot Battle Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Derby Ridge Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Mill Creek Elementary School (PK-05)
  • John B. Lange Middle School (06-08)
  • Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle School (06-08)
  • Smithton Middle School (06-08)
  • Oakland Middle School (06-08)
  • Jefferson Middle School (06-08)
  • West Middle School (06-08)
  • Warner Middle School (06-08)
  • David H. Hickman High School (09-12)
  • Muriel Battle High School (09-12)
  • Frederick Douglass High School (09-12) – Alternative School
  • Rock Bridge High School (09-12)
• Hallsville R-IV School District – Hallsville
  • Hallsville Primary School (PK-01)
  • Hallsville Intermediate School (02-05)
  • Hallsville Middle School (06-08)
  • Hallsville High School (09-12)
• Harrisburg R-VIII School District – Harrisburg
  • Harrisburg Elementary School (PK-06)
  • Harrisburg Middle School (07-08)
  • Harrisburg High School (09-12)
• Sturgeon R-V School District – Sturgeon
  • Sturgeon Elementary School (K-04)
  • Sturgeon Middle School (05-08)
  • Sturgeon High School (09-12)

Private schools

• Apple School – Columbia (PK-K) – Nonsectarian
• Children's House And Windsor Street Montessori – Columbia (PK-06) – Nonsectarian – Coed
• Christian Chapel Academy – Columbia (K-08) – Pentecostal
• Christian Fellowship School – Columbia (PK-12) – Nondenominational Christian
• College Park Christian Academy – Columbia (K-09) – Seventh-day Adventist
• Our Lady of Lourdes Interparish School– Columbia (K-08) – Roman Catholic
• Columbia Independent School – Columbia (PK-12) – Nonsectarian
• Columbia KinderCare – Columbia (NS-PK) – Nonsectarian
• Columbia Montessori School – Columbia (PK-K) – Nonsectarian
• Father Tolton Regional High School- Columbia (09-12) – Roman Catholic
• Good Shepherd Lutheran School – Columbia (K-08) – Lutheran
• Heritage Academy – Columbia (03-12) – Nondenominational Christian – Alternative School
• Islamic School of Columbia, Missouri – Columbia (K-05) – Muslim
• Morningside Community School – Columbia (05-07) – Nonsectarian
• Shalom Christian Academy – Columbia (PK-12) – Nonsectarian
• Harrisburg Early Learning Center – Harrisburg (NS/PK-06)
• Sunnydale Adventist Academy – Centralia (09-12) – Seventh-day Adventist

Post-secondary (colleges / University / community college)

• University of Missouri at Columbia, A public, nationally-renowned four-year flagship state university, established 1839.

• Columbia College – Columbia A private, four-year university, founded 1851.

• Stephens College – (Columbia), A private, four-year all-women university, founded 1833.

• Moberly Area Community College (MACC), in Moberly, Missouri, established 1927, a two-year public community college, operates four satellite campuses, including one in Columbia.

Public libraries

• Centralia Public Library
• Daniel Boone Regional Library
• Southern Boone County Public Library
• Holts Summit Public Library
• Columbia Public Library

Communities

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Township boundaries have changed over time. See links at end of article for maps of Boone County showing boundaries of different dates. As a rule, older townships were split, with newer townships created from their subdivisions. This is significant for historical and genealogical research. Note that maps show changes in township boundaries between 1898 and 1930 were minimal.

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Boone (Misuri) para niños