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 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 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 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 ...

is Ozark. The county was organized in 1859 and is named after William Christian, a

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

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

. Christian 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 ...

. 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 (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. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, 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 the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesap ...

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. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers of which is public owned, ...

(part)

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 54,285 people, 20,425 households, and 15,645 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 96 people per square mile (37/km²). There were 21,827 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.31%

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 ...

, 0.27%

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 ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.56% Native American, 0.29% 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 ...

, 0.42% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Approximately 1.32% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race. 23.7% were of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 21.1%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 12.3%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

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 recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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 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 $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.

2020 Census

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 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 Freemont 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 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two ye ...

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 troops ...

Federal

All of Christian 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, Oklahom ...

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

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

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

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 ...

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 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 te ...

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 ...

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. 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), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

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 that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

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 sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

. 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 refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...

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. 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 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 Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nominati ...

(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 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 is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metro ...

**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 Nixa High School is a public high school in Nixa, Missouri, United States. Nixa High School received the National Blue Ribbon in 2013 and 2022. It is ranked number thirty in the state and first in the Springfield metropolitan area by '' U.S. Ne ...

(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 ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...

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

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

**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 form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

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 LibraryBillings 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

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

Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

(mostly in Greene County) *

* Springfield (mostly in Greene County)

Village

* Saddlebrooke (small portion in Taney County)

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Boaz Boaz (; Hebrew: בֹּעַז ''Bōʿaz''; ) is a biblical figure appearing in the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible and in the genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament and also the name of a pillar in the portico of the historic Temple in J ...

* Bruner * Chadwick * Chestnutridge * Elkhead *

Garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") 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 mili ...

* 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 2010 film ''

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

'' 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, 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 {{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