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Pulaski County, Missouri facts for kids

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Pulaski County
U.S. county
Old and new Pulaski County courthouses in Waynesville
Old and new Pulaski County courthouses in Waynesville
Map of Missouri highlighting Pulaski 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 January 19, 1833
Named for Kazimierz Pułaski
Seat Waynesville
Largest community Fort Leonard Wood
Area
 • Total 551 sq mi (1,430 km2)
 • Land 547 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Water 4.4 sq mi (11 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 53,955 Increase
 • Density 98/sq mi (38/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Pulaski County is a county located in the state of Missouri, USA. In 2020, about 53,955 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Waynesville. The county was created in 1833. It was named after Kazimierz Pułaski, a Polish hero who fought in the American Revolution. Pulaski County is also home to Fort Leonard Wood, which is a big training base for the U.S. Army. This area is part of the Fort Leonard Wood, MO Micropolitan Statistical Area, where almost one-third of the county's population lives.

History of Pulaski County

The first people to live in Pulaski County were Native American tribes. These included the Quapaw, Missouria, and Osage people. After the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s, settlers from other states arrived. Many came from Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. The first pioneers settled around 1818. In 1833, the town of Waynesville was chosen as the county seat. Like the county, Waynesville is named after another American Revolutionary hero, Mad Anthony Wayne.

Geography of Pulaski County

Pulaski County covers a total area of about 551 square miles. Most of this is land, about 547 square miles. The rest, about 4.4 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 6,529 —
1850 3,998 −38.8%
1860 3,835 −4.1%
1870 4,714 22.9%
1880 7,250 53.8%
1890 9,387 29.5%
1900 10,394 10.7%
1910 11,438 10.0%
1920 10,490 −8.3%
1930 10,755 2.5%
1940 10,775 0.2%
1950 10,392 −3.6%
1960 46,567 348.1%
1970 53,781 15.5%
1980 42,011 −21.9%
1990 41,307 −1.7%
2000 41,165 −0.3%
2010 52,274 27.0%
2020 53,955 3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010

In 2000, there were 41,165 people living in Pulaski County. The population density was about 75 people per square mile. The county's population is diverse. In 2000, about 78% of residents were White, and nearly 12% were Black or African American. About 5.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Many households in Pulaski County have children. In 2000, over 42% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in the county was 28 years old.

2020 Census Data

Pulaski County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 35,865 66.5%
Black or African American (NH) 6,039 11.2%
Native American (NH) 334 0.62%
Asian (NH) 1,776 3.3%
Pacific Islander (NH) 402 0.75%
Other/Mixed (NH) 3,460 6.41%
Hispanic or Latino 6,079 11.27%

Transportation in Pulaski County

Air Travel

The Waynesville Regional Airport at Forney Field serves the area. Even though it's on Fort Leonard Wood, it's managed by the cities of Waynesville and St. Robert. It's open for private pilots and also has scheduled flights for passengers. The city of Richland also has a smaller airport with a 3000-foot runway.

Main Roads

  • I-44
  • Route 7
  • Route 17
  • Route 28
  • Route 133

News and Media

KFBD-FM and its sister station, KJPW, are the main radio stations for news in Pulaski County. They cover Fort Leonard Wood, Waynesville, and St. Robert. Another local station is KFLW Radio.

There are also online news sources. The Pulaski County Daily News is an internet newspaper. Allen Hilliard Sports is an internet sports website. The weekly Dixon Pilot newspaper is still published. Many other local newspapers have closed in recent years.

Education in Pulaski County

Pulaski County has several school districts. Many students are children of military personnel from Fort Leonard Wood.

School Districts

  • Crocker R-II School District
  • Dixon R-I School District
  • Laquey R-V School District
  • Newburg R-II School District
  • Plato R-V School District
  • Richland R-IV School District
  • Waynesville R-VI Schools
  • Gasconade C-4 School District (elementary only)
  • Phelps County R-III School District (elementary only)
  • Swedeborg R-III School District (elementary only)

The Waynesville R-VI School District is the largest. It serves the cities of Waynesville, St. Robert, and the Fort Leonard Wood army base. Other districts serve towns like Richland, Crocker, and Dixon.

Public Schools

  • Crocker R-II School District – Crocker
    • Crocker Elementary School (Grades PK-6)
    • Crocker High School (Grades 7-12)
  • Dixon R-I School District – Dixon
    • Dixon Elementary School (Grades PK-5)
    • Dixon Middle School (Grades 6-8)
    • Dixon High School (Grades 9-12)
  • Laquey R-V School District – Laquey
    • Laquey Elementary School (Grades PK-5)
    • Laquey Middle School (Grades 6-8)
    • Laquey High School (Grades 9-12)
  • Swedeborg R-VIII School District – Swedeborg
    • Swedeborg Elementary School (Grades PK-8)
  • Richland R-IV School District – Richland
    • Richland Elementary School (Grades K-6)
    • Richland Junior High School (Grades 7-8)
    • Richland High School (Grades 9-12)
  • Waynesville R-VI School District – Waynesville

Private Schools

Public Libraries

  • Pulaski County Library

Towns and Communities

Cities

Census-Designated Place

Other Communities

Notable People

Politics in Pulaski County

Pulaski County MO Museum-20150715-8281
The old Pulaski County Courthouse, which is on the National Register, is now a museum.

In the past, the Democratic Party was usually in charge of local politics in Pulaski County. However, since 2002, the Republican Party has become much stronger. This change is often because more military personnel retire in the area and register to vote in Pulaski County.

Over the years, many Republican candidates have won local elections. For example, in 2002, Republicans won offices like county clerk and treasurer. This trend continued in later elections, with more Republicans being elected to county positions.

As of 2025, the Republican Party holds most of the elected positions in Pulaski County. There are only a few exceptions, like the circuit clerk and recorder of deeds, which are held by a Democrat.

Pulaski County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Dan Whittle Republican
Circuit Clerk Rachelle Beasley Democratic
County Clerk Dave Ernst Republican
Collector Terri Mitchell Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Gene Newkirk Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Charles Bassett Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Andy Helms Republican
Coroner Roger Graves Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Hillman Republican
Public Administrator Loretta Rouse Republican
Recorder Rachelle Beasley Democratic
Sheriff Jimmy Bench Republican
Surveyor Vacant
Treasurer Mack Wilkerson Republican

State Politics

Pulaski County is part of three different districts in the Missouri House of Representatives. All of these districts are currently represented by Republicans.

  • District 121: Don Mayhew (Republican) represents Crocker, Dixon, and Richland.
  • District 122: Steve Lynch (Republican) represents the northern part of Fort Leonard Wood, St. Robert, and Waynesville.
  • District 142: Robert Ross (Republican) represents the southern part of Fort Leonard Wood and Devils Elbow.

The entire county is also part of Missouri's 16th District in the Missouri Senate. This district is represented by Dan Brown (Republican).

National Politics

Pulaski County is part of Missouri's 4th Congressional District. This district is represented by Vicky Hartzler (Republican) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

When it comes to presidential elections, Pulaski County has mostly voted for Republican candidates in recent years. For example, in the 2024 presidential election, the Republican candidate received about 73% of the votes in Pulaski County.

United States presidential election results for Pulaski County, Missouri
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 11,579 74.21% 3,765 24.13% 260 1.67%
2020 10,329 71.53% 3,740 25.90% 372 2.58%
2016 9,876 72.71% 2,922 21.51% 784 5.77%
2012 9,092 67.00% 4,199 30.94% 280 2.06%
2008 9,552 63.68% 5,249 34.99% 199 1.33%
2004 8,618 70.52% 3,551 29.06% 52 0.43%
2000 6,531 62.02% 3,800 36.08% 200 1.90%
1996 4,089 45.04% 3,783 41.67% 1,207 13.29%
1992 3,793 37.98% 4,113 41.18% 2,082 20.85%
1988 4,642 57.22% 3,446 42.48% 24 0.30%
1984 5,330 65.04% 2,865 34.96% 0 0.00%
1980 3,998 50.79% 3,707 47.10% 166 2.11%
1976 2,865 39.42% 4,370 60.13% 32 0.44%
1972 4,243 69.04% 1,903 30.96% 0 0.00%
1968 2,555 45.82% 2,303 41.30% 718 12.88%
1964 1,856 35.43% 3,383 64.57% 0 0.00%
1960 3,285 51.48% 3,096 48.52% 0 0.00%
1956 2,532 46.31% 2,936 53.69% 0 0.00%
1952 2,678 46.88% 3,026 52.98% 8 0.14%
1948 1,644 36.43% 2,858 63.33% 11 0.24%
1944 2,345 43.43% 3,048 56.44% 7 0.13%
1940 2,367 46.17% 2,752 53.68% 8 0.16%
1936 2,177 42.89% 2,886 56.86% 13 0.26%
1932 1,489 31.24% 3,260 68.40% 17 0.36%
1928 2,229 53.44% 1,934 46.37% 8 0.19%
1924 1,578 40.81% 2,127 55.00% 162 4.19%
1920 1,853 47.88% 1,978 51.11% 39 1.01%
1916 1,003 41.95% 1,339 56.00% 49 2.05%
1912 631 28.19% 1,268 56.66% 339 15.15%
1908 988 40.31% 1,418 57.85% 45 1.84%
1904 837 40.95% 1,190 58.22% 17 0.83%
1900 728 36.02% 1,282 63.43% 11 0.54%
1896 802 36.19% 1,410 63.63% 4 0.18%
1892 663 37.50% 1,046 59.16% 59 3.34%
1888 662 37.42% 1,048 59.24% 59 3.34%


See also

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

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