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

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, the population was 8,279. 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 Hermitage. The county was organized February 14, 1845, and named after President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

, whose

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

was "Old Hickory." The Pomme de Terre Dam, a Corps of Engineers facility, is located three miles south of Hermitage and forms Lake Pomme de Terre by damming the Pomme de Terre River and Lindley Creek. Truman Reservoir, also a Corps of Engineers facility, floods the Pomme de Terre Reservoir from the northern border of the county southward to the city limits of Hermitage.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.1%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Missouri by area.

Adjacent counties

* Benton County (north) * Camden County (east) * Dallas County (southeast) * Polk County (south) * St. Clair County (west)

Major highways

U.S. Route 54 U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is an east–west United States Highway that runs northeast–southwest for from El Paso, Texas, to Griggsville, Illinois. The Union Pacific Railroad's Tucumcari Line (former Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific an ...

* U.S. Route 65 * Route 64 * Route 64B * Route 83 * Route 123

Demographics

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 8,940 people, 3,911 households, and 2,737 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 6,184 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.51%

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 ...

, 0.08%

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 ...

, 0.66% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Approximately 0.76% 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. There were 3,911 households, out of which 22.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% 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, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.70. In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.90% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 19.10% from 25 to 44, 29.70% from 45 to 64, and 26.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,346, and the median income for a family was $28,779. Males had a median income of $22,679 versus $17,610 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 $13,536. About 13.00% of families and 19.70% 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 32.90% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Education

Public schools

Hermitage R-IV School District
– Hermitage **Hermitage Elementary School (PK-05) **Hermitage Middle School (06-08) **Hermitage High School (09-12)
Hickory County R-I School District
– Urbana **Skyline Elementary School (K-04) **Skyline Middle School (05-08) **Skyline High School (09-12)
Weaubleau R-III School District
– Weaubleau **Weaubleau Elementary School (PK-06) **Weaubleau High School (07-12) * Wheatland R-II School District

**Wheatland Elementary School (PK-06) ** Wheatland High School (07-12)

Public libraries

*Hickory County Library

Politics

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Hickory County. Republicans hold all but two of the elected positions in the county.

State

All of Hickory County is a part of Missouri's 126th 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 by Jim Kalberloh (R- Lowry City). All of Hickory 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 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

. The seat is held by Sandy Crawford, who was elected after the previous incumbent,

Mike Parson Michael Lynn Parson (born September 17, 1955) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who served as the 57th List of governors of Missouri, governor of Missouri, from 2018 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United S ...

, was elected lieutenant governor in 2016.

Federal

All of Hickory County is included in Missouri's 4th Congressional District and is currently represented by Vicky Hartzler (R- Harrisonville) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former U.S. Senator

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

(D- New York) received more votes, a total of 1,056, than any candidate from either party in Hickory County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities

Cities and Towns

* Cross Timbers * Hermitage (county seat) * Preston * Weaubleau * Wheatland

Unincorporated Communities

* Avery * Elkton *

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

* Nemo * Pittsburg * Quincy * White Cloud

Notable people

- 57th Governor of Missouri * Sally Rand – legendary burlesque dancer

References

External links

Hickory County government's 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, 37.94, -93.32, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990 Missouri counties 1845 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1845