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Dunklin County, Missouri facts for kids

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Dunklin County
U.S. county
Dunklin County Courthouse in Kennett
Dunklin County Courthouse in Kennett
Map of Missouri highlighting Dunklin 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 February 14, 1845
Named for Daniel Dunklin
Seat Kennett
Largest city Kennett
Area
 • Total 547 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Land 541 sq mi (1,400 km2)
 • Water 6.1 sq mi (16 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 28,283
 • Density 51.71/sq mi (19.964/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 8th

Dunklin County is located in the Bootheel area of Missouri, a state in the United States. As of the 2020 census, about 28,283 people lived here. The largest city and the main town for the county government is Kennett.

Dunklin County is part of the Kennett, MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's a small urban area with strong ties to Kennett.

History

Before Dunklin County was officially formed, the land was home to the Delaware Tribe of Indians. They had lived in this area since the early 1800s. The county was officially created on February 14, 1845. It was named after Daniel Dunklin, who was a Governor of Missouri. He had passed away the year before the county was organized.

The very first courthouse in Dunklin County was built in Kennett in 1847. It was a two-story building made of logs. Sadly, this courthouse burned down in the mid-1860s, around the time of the American Civil War. Most of the county's important records were lost in that fire.

A second courthouse was built in 1872, but it also burned down soon after it was finished. For the next 20 years, from 1872 to 1892, the county government used a rented building. In 1892, a third courthouse was built. It was a two-story brick building. The current courthouse, which you can see today, replaced it in 1929. It was built with help from the Works Progress Administration, a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression.

Geography

Dunklin County covers a total area of about 547 square miles (1,417 square kilometers). Most of this area, 541 square miles (1,401 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 6.1 square miles (16 square kilometers) is water.

The lowest point in the entire state of Missouri is found in Dunklin County. It's located on the St. Francis River in Buffalo Township, right where the river flows out of Missouri and into Arkansas.

Adjacent counties

Dunklin County shares borders with several other counties:

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 1,229 —
1860 5,026 309.0%
1870 5,982 19.0%
1880 9,604 60.5%
1890 15,085 57.1%
1900 21,706 43.9%
1910 30,328 39.7%
1920 32,773 8.1%
1930 35,799 9.2%
1940 44,957 25.6%
1950 45,329 0.8%
1960 39,139 −13.7%
1970 33,742 −13.8%
1980 36,324 7.7%
1990 33,112 −8.8%
2000 33,155 0.1%
2010 31,953 −3.6%
2020 28,283 −11.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2015 2020

In 2000, there were 33,155 people living in Dunklin County. About 26% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age of people in the county was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were about 90 males.

Religion

Dunklin County is part of an area known as the Bible Belt. This means that many people in the county follow evangelical Protestantism. The most common religious groups in Dunklin County are Southern Baptists, Methodists, and Churches of Christ.

2020 census

The table below shows the different racial groups living in Dunklin County according to the 2020 census:

Dunklin County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 21,629 76.47%
Black or African American (NH) 3,176 11.23%
Native American (NH) 70 0.25%
Asian (NH) 78 0.28%
Pacific Islander (NH) 4 0.01%
Other/Mixed (NH) 1,284 4.54%
Hispanic or Latino 2,042 7.22%

Education

In Dunklin County, about 63.7% of adults aged 25 and older have a high school diploma or higher. About 9.1% have a bachelor's degree or even higher education.

Public schools

Dunklin County has several public school districts:

  • Campbell R-II School District
    • Campbell Elementary School (Preschool-6th grade)
    • Campbell High School (7th-12th grade)
  • Clarkton C-4 School District
    • Clarkton Elementary School (Preschool-6th grade)
    • Clarkton High School (7th-12th grade)
  • Holcomb R-III School District
    • Holcomb Elementary School (Preschool-6th grade)
    • Holcomb High School (7th-12th grade)
  • Kennett School District 39
    • Early Childhood Center (Preschool)
    • H. Byron Masterson Elementary School (Kindergarten-2nd grade)
    • South Elementary School (3rd-5th grade)
    • Kennett Middle School (6th-8th grade)
    • Kennett High School (9th-12th grade)
  • Malden R-I School District
    • Malden Elementary School (Preschool-6th grade)
    • Malden High School (7th-12th grade)
  • Senath-Hornersville C-8 School District
    • Senath Elementary School (Preschool-4th grade)
    • Hornersville Middle School (5th-8th grade)
    • Senath-Hornersville High School (9th-12th grade)
  • Cardwell C-9 School District
    • Southland Elementary School (Kindergarten-6th grade)
    • Southland High School (7th-12th grade)

Private schools

Alternative and vocational schools

  • Bootheel State School in Clarkton (Kindergarten-12th grade) - This school helps students with special needs.
  • Diagnostic Center in Kennett (Preschool-12th grade) - This center focuses on special education.
  • Kennett Area Vocational School in Kennett (9th-12th grade) - This school offers training for different jobs and trades.

Public libraries

  • Dunklin County Library
  • Arbyrd Community Library

Transportation

Major highways

Several important roads pass through Dunklin County:

  • US 62.svg U.S. Route 62
  • US 412.svg U.S. Route 412
  • MO-25.svg Route 25
  • MO-53.svg Route 53
  • MO-84.svg Route 84
  • MO-153.svg Route 153
  • MO-164.svg Route 164

Airports

Kennett Memorial Airport is a public airport in Dunklin County. It is located near Kennett, and the city of Kennett owns it.

Media

Radio

You can listen to these radio stations in Dunklin County: FM

  • FM 89.9 KAUF Kennett
  • FM 92.9 KLSC Malden
  • LPFM 102.5 KCJS Kennett
  • FM 104.3 KXOQ Kennett
  • FM 105.5 KBOA-FM Piggott, AR-Kennett
  • FM 106.5 KTMO New Madrid-Kennett
  • FM 107.5 KFEB Campbell

AM

  • AM1470 KMAL Malden
  • AM1540 KBOA Kennett

Print

Local newspapers in Dunklin County include:

Television

There are no television stations located directly in Dunklin County. The county is part of the Paducah, KY, Cape Girardeau, MO, & Harrisburg, Illinois Television Market. Stations from this market include:

  • ABC- WSIL 3
  • NBC- WPSD 6
  • CBS- KFVS 12
  • FOX- KBSI 23
  • PBS- WSIU 8 & WKPD 29
  • MYTV- WDKA 49

Some people in the southern part of the county also watch stations from the Memphis, TN and Jonesboro, AR Television Markets.

Communities

Dunklin County has many towns and communities:

Notable people

Many interesting people have come from Dunklin County:

  • Sheryl Crow, a famous singer and songwriter who has won many Grammy awards. She was born and grew up in Kennett.
  • David Nail, a country music singer, was born and raised in Kennett.
  • Trent Tomlinson, another country music singer and songwriter, was also born and raised in Kennett.
  • Onie Wheeler, a musician known for country and bluegrass music.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Dunklin para niños

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