Boone County, Missouri


Boone County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Centrally located the state's Mid-Missouri region, its county seat is in Columbia, which is Missouri's fourth-largest city and location of the University of Missouri. As of the 2020 [United States census|2020 U.S. census], the county's population was listed as 183,610, making it the state's eighth-most populous county or county equivalent. The county was organized November 16, 1820, removed from the former larger Howard County of the old federal Missouri Territory of 1812-1821, and named for the famous Western explorer and settler of Kentucky, then recently deceased Daniel Boone, whose kin largely populated the Boonslick area, having arrived in the 1810s on the Boone's Lick Road.
Boone County comprises the Missouri Metropolitan Area|Columbia Metropolitan Area]. The towns of Ashland and Centralia are the second and third most populous towns in the county.

History

Boone County was organized November 16, 1820, from a separated portion of the larger territorial Howard County, first designated under the former federal Louisiana Territory and subsequent successor Missouri Territory. The central region of the state is known as Mid-Missouri and is also known as the cultural area of Boonslick or Boone's Lick Country, because of a nearby salt spring or "lick" which famed Western American frontier explorer, pioneer, settler Daniel Boone's sons, Daniel Morgan Boone, and younger Nathan Boone, used for their animals stock.
File:Boone County Courthouse in Columbia, Missouri.jpg|thumb|right|The Boone County Courthouse of Greek Revival style architecture, built with three stories and basement, with front portico / pediment and columns, at the surrounding Boone County Government Complex, in the county seat town of Columbia, Missouri
Boone County was settled primarily from the Upper South states of Kentucky, Tennessee and further east of Virginia. The settlers brought slaves and idea of slave-holding with them, and quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in Middle Tennessee and the bluegrass state of Kentucky: hemp and tobacco. Boone was one of several counties to the north and south of the diagonal flowing southwestward Missouri River that was settled by mostly Southerners. Because of its culture and traditions, the area became known as Little Dixie, and Boone County was at its heart. In 1860 slaves made up 25 percent or more of the county's population, Boone County was strongly pro-Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Shortly after the assassination / murder in April 1865, of 16th President Abraham Lincoln, the leading citizens of the county and its county seat town denounced the killing. They also directed that all public buildings including the county courthouse and the nearby state university be draped in black mourning for thirty days.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The Missouri River makes up the southern border of the county.

National protected areas

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 183,610. The median age was 31.9 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.5 males age 18 and over. 77.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 22.8% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 76.2% White, 9.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.0% from some other race, and 7.3% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 4.4% of the population.
There were 73,470 households in the county, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 29.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 79,836 housing units, of which 8.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 54.2% were owner-occupied and 45.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 135,454 people, 53,094 households, and 31,378 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 56,678 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 85.43% White, 8.54% Black or American (U.S. Census)|African American], 0.42% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Approximately 1.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% claimed German, 12.3% American, 11.2% English and 9.8% Irish ancestry.
There were 53,094 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.50% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.90% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.80% under the age of 18, 19.90% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 18.80% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,485, and the median income for a family was $51,210. Males had a median income of $33,304 versus $25,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,844. About 7.60% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.10% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report, Boone County is sometimes regarded as being on the northern edge of the so-called Bible Belt, with evangelical Protestantism being the most predominant religious faith represented. The most predominant denominations among residents in Boone County who adhere to a religion are the Baptists with the largest being from the conservative Southern Baptist Convention, Roman Catholics, and smaller / minor nondenominational or evangelical groups.

Education

Boone County is the most highly educated county in Missouri. A majority of adult residents over the age of 25 have bachelor's degrees.
School districts in the county, including those based in other counties that cover portions of this one, include:

Public schools

  • Southern Boone R-I School District
  • *Southern Boone Primary School
  • *Southern Boone Elementary
  • *Southern Boone Middle School
  • *Southern Boone High School
  • Centralia R-VI School District – Centralia
  • *Chance Elementary School
  • *Centralia Intermediate School
  • *Chester Boren Middle School
  • *Centralia High School
  • Columbia School District No. 93 – Columbia
  • *Center for Gifted Education
  • *Cedar Ridge Elementary School
  • *Thomas Benton Elementary School
  • *John Ridgeway Elementary School
  • *Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary School
  • *Midway Heights Elementary School
  • *Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School
  • *Two Mile Prairie Elementary School
  • *New Haven Elementary School
  • *West Boulevard Elementary School
  • *Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School
  • *Parkade Elementary School
  • *Blue Ridge Elementary School
  • *Fairview Elementary School
  • *Rock Bridge Elementary School
  • *Russell Boulevard Elementary School
  • *Shepard Boulevard Elementary School
  • *Mary Paxton Keeley Elementary School
  • *Beulah Ralph Elementary School
  • *Eliot Battle Elementary School
  • *Derby Ridge Elementary School
  • *Mill Creek Elementary School
  • *John B. Lange Middle School
  • *Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle School
  • *Smithton Middle School
  • *Oakland Middle School
  • *Jefferson Middle School
  • *West Middle School
  • *Warner Middle School
  • *David H. Hickman High School
  • *Muriel Battle High School
  • *Frederick [Douglass High School (Missouri)|Frederick Douglass High School] – Alternative School
  • *Rock Bridge High School
  • Hallsville R-IV School District – Hallsville
  • *Hallsville Primary School
  • *Hallsville Intermediate School
  • *Hallsville Middle School
  • *Hallsville High School
  • Harrisburg R-VIII School District – Harrisburg
  • *Harrisburg Elementary School
  • *Harrisburg Middle School
  • *Harrisburg High School
  • Sturgeon R-V School District – Sturgeon
  • *Sturgeon Elementary School
  • *Sturgeon Middle School
  • *Sturgeon High School

Private schools

Post-secondary (colleges / University / community college)

Public libraries

Communities

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Township boundaries have changed over time. See links at end of article for maps of Boone County showing boundaries of different dates. As a rule, older townships were split, with newer townships created from their subdivisions. This is significant for historical and genealogical research. Note that maps show changes in township boundaries between 1898 and 1930 were minimal.

Politics

There are 127,433 registered voters in Boone County as of 2022.

Political culture

As a county anchored by a college town, Boone holds a Democratic tendency at the local, state, and federal levels. It is the only Democratic stronghold in Missouri outside of Greater St. Louis and the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Boone County is also very progressive on ballot measures, voting for Medicaid expansion in 2020 and legal abortion in 2024, unlike all of its neighboring counties. Both amendments only narrowly passed statewide, making Boone County's votes crucial.
No Republican has won Boone County at the presidential level since George W. Bush very narrowly did in 2004 [United States presidential election in Missouri|2004], let alone with a majority since landslide victor Ronald Reagan in 1984; at the U.S. Senate level since Roy Blunt in 2010; nor at the gubernatorial level since the popular John Ashcroft in his [1988 Missouri gubernatorial election|1988 landslide re-election].

Local

Like nearly all other U.S. counties housing a major university, the Democratic Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Boone County. Democrats currently hold all of the elected county-wide positions.

State

Missouri House of Representatives

Boone County is split between five legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives. Three are held by Republicans, with two held by Democrats.
  • District 44 — Cheri Toalson Reisch. Consists of the communities of Centralia, Hallsville, Sturgeon, and northeastern Columbia.
  • District 45 — David Smith. Consists of the north-central part of the city of Columbia.
  • District 46 – Martha Stevens. Consists of the southern part of the city of Columbia.
  • District 47 — Charles Basye. Consists of the western part of the city of Columbia and the communities of Harrisburg and Rocheport.
  • District 50 – Sara Walsh Consists of parts of the city of Columbia and the communities of Ashland, Hartsburg, and McBaine.

Missouri Senate

All of Boone County is a part of Missouri's 19th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Caleb Rowden, who is the Majority Floor Leader. However, Democrats have carried Boone County in recent elections.

Federal

US House of Representatives

Northern Boone County is included in Missouri's 4th Congressional District and is currently represented by Mark Alford in the U.S. House of Representatives. On October 27, 2021, Alford Sr. announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Missouri's 4th congressional district as a Republican in the 2022 elections. He won the Republican nomination in the August 2 primary election and won the November 8 general election.
Southern Boone County is included in Missouri's 3rd congressional district and was previously represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer in the U.S. House of Representatives. Luetkemeyer has won every election since 2008. On January 4, 2024, he announced he would not run for reelection in 2024.

US Senate

Boone County, along with the rest of the state of Missouri, is represented in the U.S. Senate by Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt. However, their Democratic opponents carried Boone County in each of their respective most recent elections.
Blunt was elected to a second term in 2016 over then-Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander.

Missouri presidential preference primaries

2020

The 2020 presidential primaries for both the Democratic and Republican parties were held in Missouri on March 10. On the Democratic side, former Vice President Joe Biden both won statewide by a wide margin and carried a majority in Boone County. Biden went on to defeat President Donald Trump in the general election.
Incumbent President Donald Trump faced a primary challenge from former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, but won both Boone County and statewide by overwhelming margins.

2016

The 2016 presidential primaries for both the Republican and Democratic parties were held in Missouri on March 15. Businessman Donald Trump narrowly won the state overall, but Senator Ted Cruz carried a plurality of the vote in Boone County. Trump went on to win the nomination and the presidency.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton narrowly won statewide, but Senator Bernie Sanders won Boone County by a wide margin.

2012

The 2012 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary's results were nonbinding on the state's national convention delegates. Voters in Boone County supported former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, who finished first in the state at large, but eventually lost the nomination to former Governor Mitt Romney. Delegates to the congressional district and state conventions were chosen at a county caucus, which selected a delegation favoring Congressman Ron Paul. Incumbent President Barack Obama easily won the Missouri Democratic Primary and renomination. He defeated Romney in the general election.

2008

In 2008, the Missouri Republican Presidential Primary was closely contested, with Senator John McCain prevailing and eventually winning the nomination. Former Governor Mitt Romney won a plurality in Boone County.
Then-Senator Barack Obama received more votes than any candidate from either party in Boone County during the 2008 presidential primary. Despite initial reports that Hillary Clinton, also a senator at the time, had won Missouri, Obama narrowly defeated her statewide and later became that year's Democratic nominee, going on to win the presidency.

Public safety

The Boone County Sheriff has jurisdiction over the whole county. The Boone County Fire Protection District provides fire protection and emergency medical services for a large portion of Boone County, Missouri. The BCFPD is the largest volunteer fire department and third largest fire service organization in the state, protecting of residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural property and over 50,000 people. The Boone County Fire District maintains 15 fire stations, a training center, and a headquarters facility.

History

Prior to 1964, there was no organized fire protection in Boone County. This changed after an elderly handicapped woman died in a house fire just west of the city limits of Columbia. A small group of CB radio enthusiasts, known as the Central Missouri Radio Squad, banded together to develop a fire protection system for Boone County.

USAR Task Force

Boone County Fire is the sponsoring agency of Urban [Search and Rescue Missouri Task Force 1], which is one of 28 FEMA [Urban Search and Rescue Task Force]s across the United States. The team is made up of 210 members that are qualified in various aspects of urban search and rescue.

Notable people