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Buchanan County, Missouri facts for kids

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Buchanan County
U.S. county
The Buchanan County Courthouse in downtown St. Joseph
The Buchanan County Courthouse in downtown St. Joseph
Map of Missouri highlighting Buchanan County
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Missouri
Founded December 31, 1838
Named for James Buchanan
Seat St. Joseph
Largest city St. Joseph
Area
 • Total 415 sq mi (1,070 km2)
 • Land 408 sq mi (1,060 km2)
 • Water 6.6 sq mi (17 km2)  1.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 84,793 Decrease
 • Density 200/sq mi (80/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 6th

Buchanan County is a county in the state of Missouri, United States. It's like a special region within the state. In 2020, about 84,793 people lived here. The main city and government center, called the county seat, is St. Joseph.

Buchanan County was first created in 1838. It was originally named Roberts County. But in 1839, it was renamed after James Buchanan. He was a U.S. Senator at the time and later became a President of the United States. This county was formed from new land added to Missouri. It is also part of the larger Kansas City area.

What is Buchanan County like?

Where is Buchanan County?

The county covers a total area of about 415 square miles. Most of this is land, around 408 square miles. The rest, about 6.6 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Buchanan County shares borders with these other counties:

Main Roads and Transportation

Many important roads run through Buchanan County, helping people travel around.

  • I-29 (MO).svg Interstate 29
  • I-229 (MO).svg Interstate 229
  • US 36.svg U.S. Route 36
  • US 59.svg U.S. Route 59
  • US 71.svg U.S. Route 71
  • US 169.svg U.S. Route 169
  • MO-6.svg Route 6
  • MO-31.svg Route 31
  • MO-116.svg Route 116
  • MO-371.svg Route 371

You can also get around using public transportation:

  • St. Joseph Transit (local buses)
  • Jefferson Lines (bus service to other cities)

People of Buchanan County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 6,237 —
1850 12,975 108.0%
1860 23,861 83.9%
1870 35,109 47.1%
1880 49,792 41.8%
1890 70,100 40.8%
1900 121,838 73.8%
1910 93,020 −23.7%
1920 93,684 0.7%
1930 98,633 5.3%
1940 94,067 −4.6%
1950 96,826 2.9%
1960 90,581 −6.4%
1970 86,915 −4.0%
1980 87,888 1.1%
1990 83,083 −5.5%
2000 85,998 3.5%
2010 89,201 3.7%
2020 84,793 −4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2015

In 2000, there were about 85,998 people living in Buchanan County. The population was spread out, with about 24% of people being under 18 years old. The average age was 36 years.

Population in 2020

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Buchanan County in 2020:

Buchanan County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 68,391 80.7%
Black or African American 4,303 5.1%
Native American 323 0.4%
Asian 1,048 1.24%
Pacific Islander 426 0.5%
Other/Mixed 4,702 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5,600 6.6%

Religion in the County

Many people in Buchanan County have religious beliefs. The most common religions include Southern Baptists, Roman Catholics, and various nondenominational Christian groups.

Learning and Libraries

Public Schools

Buchanan County has several public school districts:

  • Buchanan County R-IV School District – De Kalb
    • Rushville Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • De Kalb Junior/Senior High School (grades 7-12)
  • East Buchanan County C-I School District - Gower
    • East Buchanan County C-I Middle School (grades 6-8) - Easton
  • Mid-Buchanan County R-V School District – Faucett
    • Mid-Buchanan County Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Mid-Buchanan County High School (grades 7-12)
  • St. Joseph School District – St. Joseph
    • Carden Park Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Coleman Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Edison Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Ellison Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Field Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Hosea Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Hyde Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Lindbergh Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Oak Grove Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Parkway Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Pershing Elementary School (grades K-6)
    • Pickett Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Skaith Elementary School (grades PK-6)
    • Bode Middle School (grades 7-8)
    • Robidoux Middle School (grades 7-8)
    • Spring Garden Middle (grades 7-8)
    • Truman Middle School (grades 7-8)
    • Benton High School (grades 9-12)
    • Central High School (grades 9-12)
    • Lafayette High School (grades 9-12)

Private Schools

There are also many private schools in St. Joseph:

  • Baptist Temple Schools (grades K-12) – Baptist
  • Cathedral School & Early Childhood Center (grades NS/PK-8) – Roman Catholic
  • Prescott Seventh-day Adventist School (grades 2-8) – Seventh-day Adventist
  • St. Francis Xavier School (grades K-9) – Roman Catholic
  • St. James School (grades K-9) – Roman Catholic
  • St. Joseph Christian School (grades PK-12) – Nondenominational Christian
  • St. Paul Lutheran School (grades K-9) – Lutheran
  • St. Joseph KinderCare (grades NS-PK)
  • South Park Christian Academy (grades K-12) – Pentecostal
  • Bishop LeBlond High School (grades 9-12) – Roman Catholic

Colleges and Universities

For students who want to continue their education after high school, there is:

  • Missouri Western State University

Public Libraries

You can find books and more at these public libraries:

  • Rolling Hills Consolidated Library—Belt Branch
  • Saint Joseph Public Library

Towns and Areas

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially cities or villages:

Townships

Buchanan County is also divided into 12 smaller areas called townships:

  • Agency
  • Bloomington
  • Center
  • Crawford
  • Jackson
  • Lake
  • Marion
  • Platte
  • Rush
  • Tremont
  • Washington
  • Wayne

Famous People from Buchanan County

Many notable people have connections to Buchanan County:

  • Charles S. L. Baker, an African American businessman and inventor
  • Kay Barnes, a former Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri
  • Dwayne Blakley, a professional football player
  • Ryan Bradley, a figure skater
  • Norbert Brodine, a cinematographer (someone who works with cameras for movies)
  • Byron Browne, a professional baseball player
  • Charles F. Buddy, a bishop who attended Christian Brothers School
  • Rob Calloway, a boxer
  • Harold F. Cherniss, a historian who studied ancient Greece and Plato
  • Walter Cronkite, a very famous television journalist
  • Paul Crouch, who started the Trinity Broadcasting Network
  • Katherine Kennicott Davis, the composer of "The Little Drummer Boy"
  • Eminem, a well-known rapper and recording artist
  • Eugene Field, a popular poet who wrote for the St. Joseph Gazette
  • Ralph D. Foster, a pioneer in broadcasting
  • Betty Garrett, an actress known for movies like On the Town
  • Elijah Gates, a former State Treasurer of Missouri
  • Anthony Glise, a guitarist
  • Jody Hamilton, a wrestler
  • Larry Hamilton, a wrestler
  • Fred Harman, an artist who drew the Red Ryder cartoons and worked with Walt Disney
  • Coleman Hawkins, a famous jazz saxophonist
  • Edie Huggins, a television journalist
  • Bela M. Hughes, a pioneer and lawyer in St. Joseph
  • William Hyde, a journalist
  • Henry Iba, a famous men's basketball coach at Oklahoma State University
  • Jesse James, a well-known outlaw, who was murdered in St. Joseph
  • Brian McDonald, a writer
  • Jeff Morris, an actor known for The Blues Brothers
  • Timothy Omundson, an actor
  • Isaac C. Parker, a federal judge and U.S. Representative from Missouri
  • Travis Partridge, a professional football player
  • Forrest E. Peden, a decorated soldier from World War II
  • Tom Pendergast, a political leader
  • Seraphine Eppstein Pisko, an executive secretary at the Denver Jewish Hospital
  • Frank Posegate, a former mayor of St. Joseph
  • LeRoy Prinz, a choreographer and film director
  • Arthur Pryor, a trombonist
  • Sid Rogell, a Hollywood producer
  • Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman elected governor of a U.S. state (Wyoming)
  • Martin Rucker, a professional football player
  • Mike Rucker, a professional football player
  • Jay Sarno, a hotel builder who founded Caesars Palace
  • Bill Snyder, a football coach for Kansas State
  • Evalyn Thomas, a drama and English instructor at UCLA
  • Eddie Timanus, a Jeopardy! champion
  • Steve Walsh, a musician from the band Kansas
  • Ruth Warrick, an actress known for Citizen Kane and All My Children
  • Jim Webb, a former U.S. Senator from Virginia
  • Silas Woodson, a former Governor of Missouri
  • Huston Wyeth, an industrialist (someone who owns or manages large businesses)
  • Jane Wyman, an Oscar-winning actress and the first wife of Ronald Reagan
  • Delmer J. Yoakum, an artist
  • Olive Young, an actress and blues singer

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Buchanan (Misuri) para niños

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