Christian County is located in the southwestern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 88,842. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Ozark. The county was organized in 1859 and is named after

Christian County, Kentucky Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,748. Its county seat is Hopkinsville. The county was formed in 1797. Christian County is part of the Clarksville, Tennessee–Ke ...

, which in turn is named for William Christian, a

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

soldier of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Christian County is part of the Springfield, MO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Between 2000 and 2010, it was the fastest-growing county in the state and one of the fastest growing ones in the nation as the county became more suburban due to the booming growth in Springfield.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. The county is drained by

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

and branches of the White River. The surface is undulating or hilly.

Adjacent counties

* Greene County (north) * Webster County (northeast) * Douglas County (east) * Taney County (south) * Stone County (southwest) * Lawrence County (west)

Major highways

* U.S. Route 60 * U.S. Route 65 * U.S. Route 160 * Route 13 * Route 14 * Route 125

National protected area

Mark Twain National Forest Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The ...

(part)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 54,285 people, 20,425 households, and 15,645 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 21,827 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.27%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.56% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.42% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Approximately 1.32% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 23.7% were of American, 21.1%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 12.3% English and 11.3% Irish ancestry. There were 20,425 households, out of which 38.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 19.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $50,200, and the median income for a family was $58,806. Males had a median income of $31,929 versus $21,852 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $23,873. About 7.10% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 13.20% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Local

The Republican Party controls politics at the local level in Christian County. The Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county. On May 20, 2015, Sheriff Joey Kyle plead guilty to embezzling county funds and participating in an illegal fraud scheme. As a part of a plea agreement, he immediately resigned as sheriff, was sentenced to one year plus one day in federal prison, and must repay more than $50,000 in restitution to Christian County.

State

Christian County is divided into three legislative districts in the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

, all of which are represented by Republicans. *District 138 — Don Phillips (R- Kimberling City). Consists of the communities of Billings and part of Republic. *District 139 — Rep. Jered Taylor (R- Nixa). Consists of the communities of Clever, Highlandville, Nixa, and Spokane. *District 140 �
Rep. Lynn Morris
(R- Ozark). Consists of the communities of Fremont Hills, Ozark, Saddlebrook, and Sparta. All of Christian County is a part of Missouri's 20th District in the

Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

and is currently represented b
Eric Burlison
(R-

Battlefield A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...

Federal

All of Christian County is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is currently represented by Billy Long (R- Springfield) in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

Political culture

Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Christian County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections.

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

carried Christian County in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

by more than two-to-one margins, and like many other rural and exurban counties throughout Missouri, Christian County strongly favored

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

over

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

. The only Democratic presidential candidate to win Christian County since the Civil War has been

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

in 1932. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump was the favored candidate receiving 30,941 votes. Like most areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in Christian County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

principles which tend to strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Christian County with 80.46 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Christian County with 58.98 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve

embryonic stem cell research Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre- implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist ...

. Despite Christian County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing

populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...

causes like increasing the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Christian County with 73.01 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Voters in Christian County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (, born August 24, 1955) is an American diplomat, political commentator, Baptist minister, and politician serving as the 29th United States Ambassador to Israel, United States ambassador to Israel since 2025. A member of ...

(R-

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

) received more votes, a total of 5,852, than any candidate from either party in Christian County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary.

Education

Public schools

*Billings R-IV School District - Billings **Billings Elementary School (PK-06) **Billings High School (07-12) *Chadwick R-I School District - Chadwick **Chadwick Elementary School (PK-06) **Chadwick High School (07-12) *Clever R-V School District - Clever **Clever EleMiddle School (PK-08) **Clever High School (09-12) *Logan-Rogersville R-VIII School District - Rogersville **Logan-Rogersville Primary School - (PK-01) **Logan-Rogersville Elementary School - (02-03) **Logan-Rogersville Upper Elementary School - (04-06) **Logan-Rogersville Middle School - (07-08) ** Logan-Rogersville High School - (09-12) *Nixa R-II School District - Nixa **Nixa Early Childhood Center (PK) **High Pointe Elementary School (K-04) **Mathews Elementary School (K-04) **Century Elementary School (K-04) **Espy Elementary School (K-04) **John Thomas School of Discovery (K-06) **Nicholas A. Inman Intermediate School (05-06) **Summit Intermediate School (05-06) **Nixa Jr. High School (07-08) ** Nixa Public High School (09-12) *Ozark R-VI School District - Ozark **North Elementary School (K-04) **East Elementary School (K-04) **West Elementary School (K-04) **South Elementary School (K-04) **Upper Elementary School (05-06) **Ozark Jr. High School (07-08) **Ozark High School (09-12) *Sparta R-III School District -

Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...

**Sparta Elementary School (PK-05) **Sparta Middle School (06-08) **Sparta High School (09-12) *Spokane R-VII School District -

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

**Highlandville Elementary School (PK-05) - Highlandville **Spokane Middle School (06-08) **Spokane High School (09-12)

Private schools

*Faith Christian School - Spokane - (PK-12) -

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Colleges and universities

Ozarks Technical Community College Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) is a public community college in Springfield, Missouri. It was established by Springfield and thirteen surrounding public school districts on April 3, 1990. It has six locations in southern Missouri. St ...

- Richwood Valley Campus -

Public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

Public libraries

Christian County Library System

Christian County currently has three public library branches that serve the community. The Christian County Library (CCL) operates these branches. The library offers residents books, A/V materials, programming, printing, and WiFi access. There is a branch in Ozark, Nixa, and Clever. In August 2019, the library announced the continuation of their expansion to the public. Construction is set to begin on at least one new library branch by spring 2020.

Tax approval

On Tuesday, August 8, 2017, voters in Christian County approved to instate a 20-cent property tax levy. Sixty-eight percent of the voters approved the tax. Before this tax, the library was only able to operate one branch for the whole county. To accommodate new housing and population growth in the county, CCL announced their intentions to construct and/or open new branches around the county. The tax approval also allowed for a renovation of the original Ozark Branch. CCL expects eighty-five percent of the population in Christian County to be within a five-mile radius of the library after all intended branches are opened. CCL Nixa Branch

*Christian County Library *Billings City Library

Public safety

*Billings Fire Protection District *Billings Police Department *Chadwick Fire Protection District - Chadwick *Christian County Ambulance District *Christian County Sheriff's Department *Clever Fire Protection District *Clever Police Department *Highlandville Fire Protection District *Highlandville Police Department *Nixa Fire Protection District *Nixa Police Department *Ozark Fire Protection District *Ozark Police Department *Sparta Fire Protection District *Sparta Police Department

Communities

Cities

* Billings * Clever * Fremont Hills * Highlandville * Nixa (largest city) * Ozark (county seat) *

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

(mostly in Greene County) *

* Springfield (mostly in Greene County)

Village

* Saddlebrooke (small portion in Taney County)

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

* Boaz * Bruner * Chadwick * Chestnutridge * Elkhead *

Garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

* Keltner * Linden * Oldfield

Townships

* Billings Township * Chadwick Township * East Benton Township * Finley Township * Garrison Township * Lead Hill Township * Lincoln Township * Linden Township * McCracken Township * North Galloway Township * North Linn Township * Oldfield Township * Polk Township * Porter Township * Seneca Township * South Galloway Township * South Linn Township * Sparta Township * West Benton Township

In popular culture

The Christian County chapter of the Bald Knobbers created the distinctive masks that the group has become known for, despite the original Taney County chapter never adopting such masks. This masked depiction is what would eventually be used in the book, The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright. The book would later be adapted to film and the stage. This masked depiction can also be seen on the ride Fire in the Hole located at

Silver Dollar City Silver Dollar City is a theme park in Stone County, Missouri, near the cities of Branson, Missouri, Branson and Branson West, Missouri, Branson West. The park is located off of Missouri Route 76 on the Indian Point peninsula of Table Rock Lake ...

Jason Bourne Jason Bourne () is the titular character and the protagonist in a series of novels and subsequent film adaptations. The character was created by novelist Robert Ludlum. He first appeared in the novel '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980), which wa ...

, the main protagonist of the Bourne film franchise was from Nixa, the largest city in Christian County. The 2010 film ''

Winter's Bone ''Winter's Bone'' is a 2010 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Debra Granik. It was adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini from the 2006 novel by Daniel Woodrell. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as a poverty-stricken teenage girl na ...

'' was filmed entirely in Taney County and Christian County. Many locals were cast in significant roles in the film.

References

External links

Official Website

from

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books {{coord, 36.97, -93.19, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990 Missouri counties Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri 1859 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1859