Oregon County, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oregon County
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Oregon County Courthouse in Alton
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Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
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 Missouri's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Missouri |
| Founded | February 14, 1845 |
| Named for | Oregon Territory |
| Seat | Alton |
| Largest city | Thayer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 792 sq mi (2,050 km2) |
| • Land | 790 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
| • Water | 1.7 sq mi (4 km2) 0.2% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,635 |
| • Density | 10.903/sq mi (4.2096/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
Oregon County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,635. Its county seat is Alton. The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named for the Oregon Territory in the northwestern United States.
Home to a large area of the Mark Twain National Forest, Oregon County contains more national forest acreage than any county in the state of Missouri. It also contains the Irish Wilderness, the largest federally protected wilderness area in the state. Hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding opportunities abound on the Ozark Trail and the White's Creek Trail. Canoeing, kayaking, jonboating, and fishing are popular on the Eleven Point River, which is Missouri's only National Wild and Scenic River.
Eleven Point State Park is under development east of Alton, Missouri that includes 6 miles of Eleven Point River frontage.
Grand Gulf State Park, just west of Thayer, includes a karst window, a collapsed karst canyon.
Contents
History
Oregon County was created in 1845, at a time when the Oregon boundary dispute was a major issue.
Geography
The county has a total area of 792 square miles (2,050 km2), of which 790 square miles (2,000 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.2%) is water. Arkansas is located to the south of Oregon County.
Adjacent counties
- Shannon County (north)
- Carter County (northeast)
- Ripley County (east)
- Randolph County, Arkansas (southeast)
- Sharp County, Arkansas (south)
- Fulton County, Arkansas (southwest)
- Howell County (west)
Major highways
U.S. Route 63
U.S. Route 160
Route 19
Route 99
Route 142
National protected area
- Mark Twain National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,432 | — | |
| 1860 | 3,009 | 110.1% | |
| 1870 | 3,287 | 9.2% | |
| 1880 | 5,791 | 76.2% | |
| 1890 | 10,467 | 80.7% | |
| 1900 | 13,906 | 32.9% | |
| 1910 | 14,681 | 5.6% | |
| 1920 | 12,889 | −12.2% | |
| 1930 | 12,220 | −5.2% | |
| 1940 | 13,390 | 9.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,978 | −10.5% | |
| 1960 | 9,845 | −17.8% | |
| 1970 | 9,180 | −6.8% | |
| 1980 | 10,238 | 11.5% | |
| 1990 | 9,470 | −7.5% | |
| 2000 | 10,344 | 9.2% | |
| 2010 | 10,881 | 5.2% | |
| 2020 | 8,635 | −20.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2015 |
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As of the census of 2000, there was 10,344 people, 4,263 households, and 3,018 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km2). There were 4,997 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.61% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 2.88% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Approximately 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Oregon County were 29.7% American, 13.4% English, 13.1% Irish, and 13.0% German.
There were 4,263 households, out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 92.80 men.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,119, and the median income for a family was $31,637. Males had a median income of $22,304 versus $16,353 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,043. About 16.30% of families and 22.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.20% of those under age 18 and 20.00% of those age 65 or over. Of the state's 115 counties, in 2010 Oregon ranked last in terms of poverty.
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Oregon County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Oregon County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (46.0%), National Association of Free Will Baptists (30.1%), and Churches of Christ (9.1%).
2020 Census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 7,990 | 92.5% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 25 | 0.3% |
| Native American (NH) | 65 | 0.75% |
| Asian (NH) | 8 | 0.1% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 0% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 430 | 5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 117 | 1.35% |
Education
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Oregon County, 72.0% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 9.1% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.
Public schools
- Alton R-IV School District - Alton
- Alton Elementary School (K-06)
- Alton High School (07-12)
- Couch R-I School District - Myrtle
- Couch Elementary School (K-06)
- Couch High School (07-12)
- Oregon-Howell R-III School District - Koshkonong
- Koshkonong Elementary School (K-06)
- Koshkonong High School (07-12)
- Thayer R-II School District - Thayer
- Thayer Elementary School (K-06)
- Thayer High School (07-12)
Public libraries
- Oregon County Library District
Communities
Cities
- Alton (county seat)
- Koshkonong
- Thayer
Census-designated place
Other unincorporated places
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Oregón para niños
