Greene County is located in the U.S. state of

Missouri Missouri 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 is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 298,915. making it the fourth most-populous county in Missouri. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and most-populous city is

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

. The county was organized in 1833 and is named after

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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

General Nathanael Greene. Greene County is included in the Springfield metropolitan area.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Polk County (north) * Dallas County (northeast) * Webster County (east) *

Christian County Christian County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Christian County, Illinois * Christian County, Kentucky * Christian County, Missouri {{Geodis, uscounty ...

(south) * Lawrence County (southwest) * Dade County (northwest)

National protected area

* Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 240,391 people, 97,859 households, and 61,846 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 356 people per square mile (138/km²). There were 104,517 housing units at an average density of 155 per square mile (60/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.54%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 2.26%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.66% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Approximately 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 97,859 households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $44,185, and the median income for a family was $56,047. Males had a median income of $30,672 versus $21,987 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $25,770. About 7.60% of families and 12.10% 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 13.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over. There are 190,417 registered voters in Greene County.

2020 Census

Emergency services

Republic and Springfield have city fire departments. Additionally, the county is served by the following fire districts: *Ash Grove *Battlefield * Billings *Bois D'arc *Brookline *Ebenezer *Fair Grove *Logan-Rogersville *Strafford *Walnut Grove *West Republic *Willard Law enforcement is provided by the Greene County Sheriffs Office. The current sheriff is Jim C. Arnott.

Politics

Local

The

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

predominantly controls politics at the local level in Greene County.

State House of Representatives

Greene County is divided into eight legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives; six of which are held by Republicans and two Democratic seats. *District 130 �
Bishop Davidson
(R-

). The district includes the northern part the city of Springfield and rural area of north-central Greene County. *District 131 �
Bill Owen
(R-

). The district includes the northern part the city of Springfield and rural area of north-central Greene County. *District 132 �
Crystal Quade
(D-

). The district is based entirely in the city of Springfield. *District 133 �
Curtis Trent
(R-

). The district includes Battlefield and a part of the city of Springfield. *District 134 �
Alex Riley
(R-

). The district includes part of the city of Springfield. *District 135 �
Betsy Fogle
(D-

). The district exists entirely within the city of Springfield. *District 136 �
Craig Fishel
(R-

). The district includes parts of the city of Springfield and some rural area southeast of the city. *District 137 �
John Black
(R- Marshfield). The district includes the communities of Fair Grove, Rogersville, and Strafford, as well as a large portion of Webster County.

State Senate

Greene County is also divided into two districts in the Missouri Senate, both of which represented by Republicans; District 20, representing large parts of Greene and

Christian County Christian County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Christian County, Illinois * Christian County, Kentucky * Christian County, Missouri {{Geodis, uscounty ...

, and District 30, representing mostly the city of Springfield. * * *

Federal

All of Greene County is included in

Missouri's 7th Congressional District Missouri's 7th congressional district consists of Southwest Missouri. The district includes Springfield, the home of Missouri State University, and the popular tourist destination city of Branson. Located along the borders of Kansas, Oklahoma, a ...

and is currently represented by Billy Long (R-Springfield) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture

Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Greene County is a Republican stronghold. George W. Bush carried Greene County in 2000 and 2004 by almost two-to-one margins, and like many other counties throughout Southwest Missouri, Greene County favored

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two ter ...

over

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

in 2008. In the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kirib ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...

carried Greene County by a margin of 60% to 33%. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Greene County was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it passed Greene County with 72.04 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. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it narrowly failed in Greene County with 51.62 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. Despite Greene County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist 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. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...

. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Greene County with 74.41 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. In 2020, Greene County was one of only eight counties in Missouri and the only one outside St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia to vote yes on Amendment 2 to expand Medicaid - it passed Greene County with 52.3 percent of the vote and statewide with 53.3 percent. The county is no less Republican at the local level, with Republicans holding all county-level elected offices. Democratic strength is concentrated in Springfield itself, while the suburban and rural areas are powerfully Republican. The two Democrats representing portions of Springfield in the state house are the only elected Democrats representing any portion of the county above the municipal level. However, the county has been known to support Democrats in statewide races. Mel Carnahan carried the county in both of his runs for governor, as did Jay Nixon. In 2000, Bob Holden's victory in the county provided the margin that allowed him to defeat Jim Talent statewide. The county may be becoming less Republican. During the 2020 Census, it was noted that Springfield's residents were becoming more diverse, with many of these diverse groups tending to support the Democratic party. Indeed, as the population of Springfield has grown, so has the percentage of Democratic voters, mirroring political trends in other conservative urban counties such as Potter County, Texas.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Voters in Greene County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Although a conservative/Republican stronghold,

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Hillary Clinton (D-

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

) still received more votes, a total of 18,322, than any candidate from either party in Greene County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Education

Public schools

*Ash Grove R-IV School District - Ash Grove **Ash Grove Elementary School - (PK-06) **Bois D'Arc Elementary School - (K-06) - Bois D'Arc **Ash Grove High School - (07-12) *Fair Grove R-X School District] - Fair Grove, Missouri, Fair Grove **Fair Grove Elementary School - (K-04) **Fair Grove Middle School - (05-08) **Fair Grove 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) *Republic R-III School District -

Republic A republic () is a "sovereign state, state in which Power (social and political), power rests with the people or their Representative democracy, representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of gov ...

**Republic Kindergarten School - (K) **Republic Elementary School I - (01-02) **Republic Elementary School II - (03-04) **Republic Elementary School III - (05-06) **Republic Middle School - (07-08) **Republic High School - (09-12) *Springfield R-XII School District -

**Shady Dell Early Childhood Center - (PK) - Springfield **York Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Williams Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Wilder Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Westport Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Weller Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Weaver Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Watkins Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Truman Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Sunshine Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Sherwood Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Sequiota Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Rountree Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Robberson Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Portland Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Pleasant View Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Pittman Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Pershing Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **McGregor Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **McBride Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield **Mark Twain Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Walt Disney Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Jeffries Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Horace Mann Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Holland Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Hickory Hills Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Gray Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield **Fremont Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Field Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Delaware Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **David Harrison Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield **Cowden Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Campbell Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Boyd Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield **Bowerman Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Bissett Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Bingham Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield **Wilson's Creek 5-6 Intermediate Center - (05-06) - Battlefield **Study Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Reed Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Pleasant View Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Pipkin Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Pershing Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Jarrett Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Hickory Hills Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Cherokee Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Carver Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield **Parkview High School - (09-12) - Springfield **Kickapoo High School - (09-12) - Springfield **Hillcrest High School - (09-12) - Springfield **Glendale High School - (09-12) - Springfield **Central High School - (09-12) - Springfield *Strafford R-VI School District - Strafford **Strafford Elementary School - (K-04) **Strafford Middle School - (05-08) **Strafford High School - (09-12) *Walnut Grove R-V School District - Walnut Grove ** Walnut Grove Preschool (PK) **Walnut Grove Elementary School - (K-06) **Walnut Grove High School - (07-12) *Willard R-II School District - Willard **Willard North Elementary School - (PK-04) - Willard **Willard East Elementary School - (K-04) - Willard **Willard South Elementary School - (PK-04) - Springfield **Willard Central Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield **Willard Intermediate School - (05-06) - Willard **Willard Middle School - (07-08) - Willard **Willard High School - (09-12) - Willard

Private schools

*Christian Schools of Springfield - (PK-12) - Springfield -

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...

*Grace Classical Academy - (PK-12) - Springfield - Nondenominational Christianity *Greenwood Laboratory School - (K-12) - Springfield - Nonsectarian *Immaculate Conception School - (PK-8) - Springfield -

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

*New Covenant Academy - (PK-12) - Springfield - Nondenominatonal Christianity *Springfield Catholic High School - (09-12) - Springfield -

*Springfield Lutheran School - (PS-8) - Springfield - Lutheran MO Synod *St. Agnes Cathedral School - (PK-8) - Springfield -

*St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School - (PK-5) - Springfield -

*The Summit Preparatory School of Southwest Missouri - (PK-12) - Springfield - Nonsectarian

Alternative/other schools

*Bailey Educational Center - (09-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School *Community Learning Center - (06-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School *Datema House - (05-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School *Excel School - (06-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School *Graff Career Center - (09-12) - Springfield - Vocational/Technical School *Greene County Special Education Cooperative - (K-12) - Republic - Special Education *Greene Valley - Springfield - Special Education *Phelps Gifted Center - (01-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School/Gifted Education *Wilson Creek Group Home - (06-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School

Colleges and universities

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

- Springfield - Formerly known as Southwest Missouri State University - A public, four-year university. * Evangel University - Springfield - A private, four-year Pentecostal liberal arts university. * Drury University - Springfield - A private, four-year liberal arts university. * Baptist Bible College - Springfield - A private, conservative Bible college owned by the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. * Ozarks Technical Community College - Springfield - A public, two-year community college. *Ozarks Technical Community College - Republic - A public, two-year community college. *Everest College - Springfield - A public, four-year for-profit Corinthian college. *Columbia College: Springfield Campus - Springfield - A private, four-year college. *Bryan University: Springfield Campus - Springfield - A private, four-year university. *Cox College - Springfield - A private, four-year non-profit nursing college. *University of Missouri: Springfield Clinical Campus] - Springfield - A public, four-year university.

Public libraries

*Springfield-Greene County Library

Transportation

Major highways

* Interstate 44 (Missouri), Interstate 44 *

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...

U.S. Route 65 U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of ...

* '' U.S. Route 66'' (1926–1979) * U.S. Route 160 * Route 13 * Route 125 * Route 266 * Route 360 * Route 413 * Route 744

Airports

* Springfield-Branson National Airport * Springfield Downtown Airport

Communities

Cities and towns

* Ash Grove * Battlefield * Fair Grove, Missouri, Fair Grove *

* Rogersville *

(county seat) * Strafford * Walnut Grove * Willard

Unincorporated communities

* Avalon Park * Bois D'Arc * Cave Spring * Cody * Ebenezer *

Elwood Elwood may refer to any one of the following:: Places ;In Australia *Elwood, Victoria ;In the United States of America *Elwood, Illinois *Elwood, Indiana *Elwood, Kansas * Elwood, Missouri *Elwood, Nebraska * Elwood-Magnolia, New Jersey *Elwood, N ...

* Glidewell * Hackney * Harold * Haseltine * Hickory Barren *

Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gover ...

* Mentor * Mumford * Oak Grove Heights *

Palmetto Palmetto (meaning "little palm") may refer to: Palms Several small palms in the Arecaceae (palm tree) family: *in the genus '' Sabal'': **Bermuda palmetto, ''Sabal bermudana'' **Birmingham palmetto, ''Sabal'' 'Birmingham' **Dwarf, or bush palm ...

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium ca ...

Phenix Phenix or Phénix may refer to: Buildings * Phenix Baptist Church, West Warwick, Rhode Island, formerly on the National Register of Historic Places * Phenix Building (Chicago), an office building, demolished in 1957 * De Phenix, Marrum, a smock ...

* Plano * Turners

Notable people

References

External links

Greene County government's websiteInformation about Springfield, MOGreene County message board

from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
Downtown Springfield
{{coord, 37.26, -93.34, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990 Missouri counties Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri 1833 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1833