kids encyclopedia robot

Ray County, Missouri facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Ray County
U.S. county
Ray County Courthouse
Ray County Courthouse
Map of Missouri highlighting Ray 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 November 16, 1820
Named for John Ray, Missouri state legislator
Seat Richmond
Largest city Richmond
Area
 • Total 574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land 569 sq mi (1,470 km2)
 • Water 5.1 sq mi (13 km2)  0.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 23,158
 • Density 40.34/sq mi (15.577/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 5th

Ray County is a county in the northwestern part of Missouri. It's close to the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020, about 23,158 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Richmond. Ray County was started on November 16, 1820. It was named after John Ray, who helped create Missouri's first state laws.

Where is Ray County Located?

Ray County covers about 574 square miles. Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Neighboring Counties

Ray County shares borders with several other counties:

Main Roads in Ray County

These are the important roads that go through Ray County:

  • MO-10.svg Route 10
  • MO-13.svg Route 13
  • MO-210.svg Route 210

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is located in Ray County. This is a special area that protects nature and wildlife.

Who Lives in Ray County?

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1830 2,657 —
1840 6,553 146.6%
1850 10,373 58.3%
1860 14,092 35.9%
1870 18,700 32.7%
1880 20,190 8.0%
1890 24,215 19.9%
1900 24,805 2.4%
1910 21,451 −13.5%
1920 20,508 −4.4%
1930 19,846 −3.2%
1940 18,584 −6.4%
1950 15,932 −14.3%
1960 16,075 0.9%
1970 17,599 9.5%
1980 21,378 21.5%
1990 21,971 2.8%
2000 23,354 6.3%
2010 23,494 0.6%
2020 23,158 −1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2015

In 2000, there were 23,354 people living in Ray County. Most people were White (96.50%). About 1.46% were Black or African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and people of two or more races. About 1.08% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many families live in Ray County. In 2000, over 35% of households had children under 18. The average age of people in the county was 37 years old.

Ray County's Population in 2020

The 2020 census showed the following breakdown of people in Ray County:

Ray County Racial Composition
Race Number Percentage
White (not Hispanic) 20,893 90.22%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 227 1%
Native American (not Hispanic) 133 0.57%
Asian (not Hispanic) 76 0.33%
Pacific Islander (not Hispanic) 8 0.04%
Other/Mixed (not Hispanic) 1,241 5.4%
Hispanic or Latino 580 2.5%

Schools and Libraries

Public Schools

Ray County has several public school districts:

  • Hardin-Central C-2 School District in Hardin
    • Hardin-Central Elementary School (Grades PK-6)
    • Hardin-Central High School (Grades 7-12)
  • Lawson R-XIV School District in Lawson
    • Southwest Elementary School (Grades PK-4)
    • Lawson Middle School (Grades 5-8)
    • Lawson High School (Grades 9-12)
  • Orrick R-XI School District in Orrick
    • Orrick Elementary School (Grades PK-6)
    • Orrick High School (Grades 7-12)
  • Richmond R-XVI School District in Richmond
    • Dear Elementary School (Grades PK-1)
    • Sunrise Elementary School (Grades 2-5)
    • Richmond Middle School (Grades 6-8)
    • Richmond High School (Grades 9-12)

Public Libraries

The Ray County Library serves the community.

Towns and Communities

Ray County has several cities, villages, and other communities.

Cities

Villages

Census-Designated Place

Other Small Communities

Townships

  • Camden
  • Crooked River
  • Fishing River
  • Grape Grove
  • Knoxville
  • Orrick
  • Polk
  • Richmond

Famous People from Ray County

Some well-known people have connections to Ray County:

  • Robert Ford, known for being the outlaw who killed Jesse James.
  • Chad Kilgore, a football player.
  • Forrest Smith, who was the 42nd Governor of Missouri.
  • Gordon Young, a writer who wrote about cowboys.

See also

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

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Ray County, Missouri Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.