Polk County is a county located in the southwestern portion 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 sove ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 31,137. 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 st ...

is Bolivar. The county was organized January 5, 1835,Laws of a public and general nature of the State of Missouri passed between the years 1824 & 1836" Volume II, published 1842, pg. 432-433 https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/molaws/id/42050/rec/3 and named for

Ezekiel Polk Ezekiel Polk (December 7, 1747 – August 31, 1824) was Americans, American soldier, settler, pioneer and the paternal grandfather of President of the United States, President James K. Polk, James Knox Polk. Early life Ezekiel Polk was the n ...

. Polk County is part of the Springfield, MO

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

Polk County was separated and organized from Greene County on January 5, 1835. A supplement to the boundary change was made on March 13, 1835. Its original boundaries were later reduced in creating Dade,

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, and Hickory counties. It was named in honor of Col. Ezekiel Polk of Tennessee, a soldier who served under General George Washington and who was the grandfather of John Polk Campbell and Ezekiel Madison Campbell, brothers who helped to settle Polk and Greene counties. Ezekiel Polk was also the grandfather of James K. Polk, who was a member of the US House of Representatives in 1835. He was elected President of the United States in 1844.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Hickory County (north) * Dallas County (east) * Greene County (south) * Dade County (southwest) * Cedar County (west) * St. Clair County (northwest)

Major highways

* Route 13 * Route 32 * Route 83 * Route 123 * Route 215

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 26,992 people, 9,917 households, and 7,140 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 42 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 11,183 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.26%

White White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.45%

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 ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.67% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.33% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.06% from two or more races. Approximately 1.30% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race. There were 9,917 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 12.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,656, and the median income for a family was $35,843. Males had a median income of $25,383 versus $18,799 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 $13,645. About 11.10% of families and 16.30% 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 t ...

, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Education

Public libraries

*Polk County Public Library

Politics

Local

The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Polk County. Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county.

State

All of Polk County is in the 128th district 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 ...

, and is represented b
Mike Stephens
(R- Bolivar). All of Polk County is a part of Missouri's 28th 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 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two ye ...

, which is currently vacant. The previous incumbent,

Mike Parson Michael Lynn Parson (born September 17, 1955) is an American politician serving as the 57th governor of Missouri since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Parson served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011 and in the ...

, was elected Missouri Lieutenant Governor in November 2016.

Federal

All of Polk county is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is currently represented by

Billy Long William Hollis Long II (born August 11, 1955) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district since 2011. The district includes much of the southwestern quadrant of the state and is ...

(R- Springfield) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture

Polk County has been a Republican Party stronghold for most of its history at the presidential level. In only four presidential elections from 1896 to the present has a Democratic Party candidate carried the county, the most recent being

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in 1964.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former

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

Mike Huckabee (R-

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

) received more votes, a total of 2,317, than any candidate from either party in Polk County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Media

The ''Bolivar Herald-Free Press'' is published twice weekly.

Communities

Cities

* Bolivar (county seat) * Fair Play * Humansville * Morrisville * Pleasant Hope

Villages

* Aldrich * Flemington * Goodnight * Halfway

Unincorporated communities

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

* Brighton * Burns * Cliquot * Dunnegan * Eudora * Goodson * Graydon Springs * Huckaby * Huron * Karlin * Knox * Mohawk Corner * Polk * Rimby * Rock Prairie *

Rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...

* Schofield * Sentinel * Slagle * Sunset * Tin Town * Van * Violet * West Bend * Wishart

Townships

Polk County is divided into 22 townships: * Campbell Township * Cliquot Township * East Looney Township * East Madison Township * Flemington Township * Jackson Township * Jefferson Township * Johnson Township * McKinley Township * Mooney Township * North Benton Township * North Green Township * Northeast Marion Township * Northwest Marion Township * South Benton Township * South Green Township * Southeast Marion Township * Southwest Marion Township * Union Township * West Looney Township * West Madison Township * Wishart Township

References

External links

*http://www.bolivarmonews.com/
Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Polk County
from

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

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
Polk County Sheriff's Office
{{Coord, 37.62, -93.40, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990 1835 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1835 Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri