Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County | |
---|---|
UTC−5 (CDT) | |
Congressional districts | 4th, 5th, 6th |
Website | www |
Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, on the border with Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 717,204.[1] making it the second-most populous county in the state (after St. Louis County in the east).[2][3]
Although Independence retains its status as the original county seat, Kansas City, Missouri, serves as a second county seat and the center of county government.[4] The county was organized December 15, 1826, and named for former Tennessee senator Andrew Jackson, who would become President of the United States three years later in 1829.
History
Early years
Jackson County was long home to members of the indigenous
Operating on behalf of President
In 1821, Jackson County was included in the newly admitted state of
In 1838, the "Town Company" bought a small piece of land along the Missouri River in northern Jackson County, establishing "Westport Landing" (today this is known as the
The town was chartered by Jackson County in 1850 and incorporated by the State of Missouri in 1853 as the "City of Kansas". In 1889, with a population of around 60,000, the city adopted a new charter and changed its name to Kansas City. In 1897, Kansas City annexed Westport.
Latter Day Saints
Jackson County figures prominently in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons. The Church was formed in upstate New York in 1830 and in March 1831 President Joseph Smith said that a location on the Missouri–Kansas border was to be the latter-day "New Jerusalem"[7] with the "center place" located in Independence, the county seat.[8] Traveling to the area in the summer of 1831, Smith and some associates formally proclaimed Jackson County as the site in a ceremony in August 1831.[9]
Leadership and members of the Church began moving to Jackson County soon after but open conflict with earlier settlers ensued, driven by religious and cultural differences. Many early settlers along the Missouri River had come from the upper South: Kentucky and Tennessee, for instance, and brought their slaves and
Civil War
During the
Jackson County was strongly affected by Union General
Twentieth century
The coming of the railroads and the building of stockyards led to the rapid expansion of Kansas City in the late 19th century. During the 1920s and '30s, the city became a noted center for
Following World War II, developers followed new highways and created subdivisions for new housing, which increasingly encroached on rural portions of the county. They provided housing for the nation's returning veterans and their young families. Independence, Blue Springs and Lee's Summit underwent growth during this period, which continues to the present. Kansas City, on the other hand, suffered problems of urban decay as jobs and families left the industrial city, problems common to many large American cities in the late 20th century.
Recent building projects have sought to reverse this trend, including work on the city's famous City Market,
Some of the county's local history is presented at the Pleasant Hill Historical Society Museum, in Pleasant Hill on the southern edge of the county.
Economy
The total employment as of 2021 is 332,758.[12]
Government
Jackson County was the second county to adopt a home-rule charter under the Missouri Constitution. The Jackson County Charter was adopted by the voters in 1970 and was amended in 1985 and 1986.[13]
The
Ordinances are passed by a county legislature. The legislature is made up of nine members: six are elected from smaller, single-member districts within the county. Three are elected "at large" from larger districts, each by voters of the whole county. Member terms are 4 years, beginning on January 1 following the election.[16]
Position | Name | Party | First Elected |
---|---|---|---|
Executive | Frank White | Democratic | 2016 |
Prosecutor | Jean Peters Baker | Democratic | 2010 |
Sheriff | Darryl Forté | Democratic | 2018 |
At-large Legislator | Jalen Anderson | Democratic | 2018 |
At-large Legislator | Donna Peyton | Democratic | 2022 |
At-large Legislator | Megan Marshall | Democratic | 2022 |
Legislator District 1 | Manny Abarca IV | Democratic | 2022 |
Legislator District 2 | Venessa Huskey | Democratic | 2022 |
Legislator District 3 | Charlie Franklin | Democratic | 2018 |
Legislator District 4 | DaRon McGee | Democratic | 2022 |
Legislator District 5 | Jeanie Lauer | Republican | 2018 |
Legislator District 6 | Sean Smith | Republican | 2022 |
There are 244,570 registered voters.[17]
Law enforcement
The County Sheriff is a full-time salaried position elected by the general population of the county for a four-year term[18] As of 2021[update] the sheriff is Darryl Forté.[19] The Sheriff's Office is also responsible for the county's jail.[20]
Sheriff Mike Sharp resigned in April 2018 amidst scandal. He was the subject of a lawsuit that alleged sexual misconduct, personal use of public funds and sexual harassment.[21] Sheriff Darryl Forté was then appointed. He had recently retired as the chief of the Kansas City Police Department. He was elected to a full term in November of that year.[22]
In mid-2019, Sheriff Forté directed a more-restrictive policy on high-speed pursuits the day after one of his deputies was charged with injuring a bystander during such a chase in May 2018.[23]
Courts
Jackson County is the only county that falls under the jurisdiction of the 16th Judicial Circuit of the
As of February 10, 2021[update]:
Judges | Year Appointed | Appointed by | Term Ends |
---|---|---|---|
Presiding Judge Jalilah Otto | 2017 | Eric Greitens (R) | 2024 |
Judge Justine E. Del Muro | 1993 | Mel Carnahan (D) | 2024 |
Judge Marco A. Roldan | 1999 | Mel Carnahan (D) | 2024 |
Judge John M. Torrence | 2001 | Bob Holden (D) | 2026 |
Judge Joel P. Fahnestock | 2009 | Matt Blunt (R) | 2028 |
Judge J. Dale Youngs | 2009 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2028 |
Judge James F. Kanatzar | 2011 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2024 |
Judge Charles H. McKenzie | 2011 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2024 |
Judge Kevin D. Harrell | 2012 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2026 |
Judge Patrick W. Campbell | 2013 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2026 |
Judge Kenneth R. Garrett III | 2013 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2026 |
Judge S. Margene Burnett | 2013 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2028 |
Judge Bryan E. Round | 2014 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2028 |
Judge Jennifer M. Phillips | 2015 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2028 |
Judge Mark A. Styles, Jr. | 2016 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2024 |
Judge Cory L. Atkins | 2019 | Mike Parson (R) | 2026 |
Judge Adam L. Caine | 2020 | Mike Parson (R) | 2028 |
Judge Sarah A. Castle | 2020 | Mike Parson (R) | 2028 |
Judge Jerri J. Zhang | 2021 | Mike Parson (R) | 2028 |
Associate Judge Twila K. Rigby | 1997 | Mel Carnahan (D) | 2026 |
Associate Judge Jeffrey L. Bushur | 2000 | Mel Carnahan (D) | 2026 |
Associate Judge Mary F. Weir | 2013 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2026 |
Associate Judge Jeffrey C. Keal | 2013 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2024 |
Associate Judge Janette K. Rodecap | 2014 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2024 |
Associate Judge Susan E. Long | 2015 | Jay Nixon (D) | 2026 |
Associate Judge Kyndra J. Stockdale | 2019 | Mike Parson (R) | 2024 |
Associate Judge R. Travis Willingham | 2019 | Mike Parson (R) | 2026 |
Associate Judge Jessica Agnelly | 2020 | Mike Parson (R) | 2026 |
Associate Judge Kea S. Bird-Riley | 2020 | Mike Parson (R) | 2026 |
Jackson County also has a municipal court with one judge. The Municipal Judge is appointed by the County Executive with approval by the County Legislature and they serve a 4-year term.[25]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 616 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 604 square miles (1,560 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (1.9%) is water.[26]
Notable Lakes include
- Longview Lake
- Lake Jacomo
- Blue Springs Lake
- Lake Lotawana
- Prairie Lee Lake
- Lake Tapawingo
The
Adjacent counties
- Johnson County, Kansas (west/southwest)
- Clay County, Missouri (north)
- Wyandotte County, Kansas (west/northwest)
- Cass County, Missouri (south)
- Lafayette County, Missouri (east)
- Ray County (northeast)
- Johnson County, Missouri (southeast) - not part of the Kansas City metropolitan area
Major highways
- Interstate 29
- Interstate 35
- Interstate 49
- Interstate 70
- Interstate 70 Alternate
- Interstate 435
- Interstate 470
- Interstate 670
- U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24 Bus.- U.S. Route 40
- U.S. Route 50
- U.S. Route 56
- U.S. Route 71
- U.S. Route 169
- Route 7
- Route 150
- Route 291
- Route 350
Transit
- RideKC
- KC Streetcar
- Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
- Amtrak at Kansas City Union Station
- Greyhound Lines and Jefferson Lines at Kansas City Bus Station
National protected area
- Harry S Truman National Historic Site
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1830 | 2,823 | — | |
1840 | 7,612 | 169.6% | |
1850 | 14,000 | 83.9% | |
1860 | 22,913 | 63.7% | |
1870 | 65,011 | 183.7% | |
1880 | 82,825 | 27.4% | |
1890 | 160,510 | 93.8% | |
1900 | 195,193 | 21.6% | |
1910 | 283,522 | 45.3% | |
1920 | 367,846 | 29.7% | |
1930 | 470,454 | 27.9% | |
1940 | 477,828 | 1.6% | |
1950 | 541,035 | 13.2% | |
1960 | 622,732 | 15.1% | |
1970 | 654,558 | 5.1% | |
1980 | 629,266 | −3.9% | |
1990 | 633,232 | 0.6% | |
2000 | 654,880 | 3.4% | |
2010 | 674,158 | 2.9% | |
2020 | 717,204 | 6.4% | |
2021 (est.) | 716,862 | [27] | 0.0% |
U.S. Decennial Census[28] 1790-1960[29] 1900-1990[30] 1990-2000[31] 2010-2020[1] |
2020 Census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
419,542 | 58.5% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
156,542 | 22% |
Native American (NH)
|
2,713 | 0.4% |
Asian (NH)
|
14,981 | 2.1% |
Pacific Islander (NH)
|
1,727 | 0.24% |
Other/Mixed (NH)
|
43,914 | 6.12% |
Latino
|
77,785 | 10.85% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 census Jackson County had a population of 674,158. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 63.3% non-Hispanic white, 23.7% non-Hispanic black, 0.5% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander alone or in combination with one or more other races, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 3.8% reporting two or more races and 8.4% Hispanic or Latino.[33]
2000 census
As of the
ancestry.There were 266,294 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.60% were non-families. 31.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,277, and the median income for a family was $48,435. Males had a median income of $35,798 versus $27,403 for females. The
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Jackson County is sometimes regarded as being on the northern edge of the Bible Belt, with evangelical Protestantism being the most predominant religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Jackson County who adhere to a religion are
Politics
Jackson County is a solidly Democratic county and has remained so even as most other parts of the state of Missouri have trended rightward. The last Republican presidential candidate to carry the county was Richard Nixon in 1972, the only Republican to do so since 1932. John Ashcroft was the last Republican gubernatorial candidate in 1988 and Kit Bond for the Senate in 1998. Tom Schweich is the last Statewide Republican candidate to win the county in his landslide victory for State Auditor in 2014.
The county's Democratic lean is due almost entirely to the presence of Kansas City. In 2008, for example, John McCain barely carried the areas of the county outside Kansas City, but Barack Obama carried Kansas City by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, enough for him to carry the county as a whole with 62 percent of the vote.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 126,535 | 37.88% | 199,842 | 59.82% | 7,678 | 2.30% |
2016 | 116,211 | 38.14% | 168,972 | 55.46% | 19,504 | 6.40% |
2012 | 122,708 | 39.32% | 183,953 | 58.95% | 5,400 | 1.73% |
2008 | 124,687 | 36.75% | 210,824 | 62.14% | 3,755 | 1.11% |
2004 | 130,500 | 41.30% | 183,654 | 58.12% | 1,839 | 0.58% |
2000 | 104,418 | 38.38% | 160,419 | 58.96% | 7,225 | 2.66% |
1996 | 85,534 | 34.26% | 140,317 | 56.20% | 23,807 | 9.54% |
1992 | 78,611 | 26.96% | 145,999 | 50.06% | 67,027 | 22.98% |
1988 | 107,810 | 42.02% | 147,964 | 57.67% | 793 | 0.31% |
1984 | 132,271 | 49.48% | 135,067 | 50.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 106,156 | 41.36% | 135,805 | 52.91% | 14,726 | 5.74% |
1976 | 101,401 | 43.07% | 130,120 | 55.27% | 3,920 | 1.66% |
1972 | 129,989 | 58.34% | 92,830 | 41.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 91,086 | 39.22% | 112,154 | 48.30% | 28,980 | 12.48% |
1964 | 78,766 | 32.81% | 161,290 | 67.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 123,589 | 46.38% | 142,869 | 53.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 122,182 | 47.78% | 133,522 | 52.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 133,093 | 48.88% | 138,792 | 50.97% | 412 | 0.15% |
1948 | 86,471 | 38.17% | 139,186 | 61.44% | 870 | 0.38% |
1944 | 95,406 | 45.51% | 113,803 | 54.29% | 423 | 0.20% |
1940 | 101,568 | 42.46% | 137,285 | 57.39% | 366 | 0.15% |
1936 | 79,119 | 26.79% | 215,120 | 72.84% | 1,080 | 0.37% |
1932 | 83,214 | 32.39% | 172,456 | 67.13% | 1,215 | 0.47% |
1928 | 126,589 | 56.59% | 96,703 | 43.23% | 385 | 0.17% |
1924 | 91,141 | 51.79% | 76,002 | 43.19% | 8,839 | 5.02% |
1920 | 79,875 | 50.49% | 76,791 | 48.54% | 1,548 | 0.98% |
1916 | 32,943 | 41.68% | 44,556 | 56.38% | 1,530 | 1.94% |
1912 | 5,618 | 8.89% | 32,209 | 50.97% | 25,367 | 40.14% |
1908 | 26,998 | 45.18% | 31,461 | 52.65% | 1,301 | 2.18% |
1904 | 25,794 | 53.16% | 20,582 | 42.42% | 2,145 | 4.42% |
1900 | 21,581 | 47.74% | 22,542 | 49.87% | 1,083 | 2.40% |
1896 | 18,711 | 46.94% | 20,705 | 51.94% | 446 | 1.12% |
1892 | 11,044 | 39.02% | 15,825 | 55.90% | 1,438 | 5.08% |
1888 | 14,350 | 46.64% | 15,663 | 50.91% | 752 | 2.44% |
Education
K-12 schools
School districts include:[35]
- Blue Springs R-IV School District
- Center 58 School District
- Fort Osage R-I School District
- Grain Valley R-V School District
- Grandview C-4 School District
- Hickman Mills C-1 School District
- Independence 30 School District
- Kansas City 33 School District
- Lee's Summit R-VII School District
- Lone Jack C-6 School District
- Oak Grove R-VI School District
- Raytown C-2 School District
Archives
- Jackson County Historical Society[36]
Libraries
Museums
- American Jazz Museum
- National World War I Museum and Memorial
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
- Harry S Truman National Historic Site
- Jackson County Jail and Marshal's House
- National Toy and Miniature Museum
- Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
- Kansas City Museum
- Missouri Town 1855
- Vaile Mansion
- Fort Osage National Historic Landmark
- Owens-Rogers Museum
Communities
Cities
- Blue Springs
- Buckner
- Grain Valley
- Grandview
- Greenwood
- Independence (co-county seat)
- Kansas City (partly in Platte and Clay counties and a small part in Cass County; co-county seat)
- Lake Lotawana
- Lake Tapawingo
- Lee's Summit
- Levasy
- Lone Jack
- Oak Grove
- Pleasant Hill (Mostly Cass County, but partly in Jackson County)
- Raytown
- Sugar Creek
Villages
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Atherton
- Blue Mills
- Blue Summit
- Cockrell
- Courtney
- Hiler
- Hicks City
- Pink Hill
- Sni Mills
- Tarsney Lakes
See also
- Kaw Township, Jackson County, Missouri
- List of counties in Missouri
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Jackson County, Missouri
References
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data".
- ^ "Eastern Jackson County: Suburbs pick up urbanization trend | Thinking Bigger". August 2, 2018.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 177.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 167.
- OCLC 3188957.
- ^ Doctrine and Covenants 57:1–5
- ^ H. Michael Marquardt, "The Independence Temple of Zion", 1997. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ^ "The Manifesto of the Mob". Blacklds.org. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ Information for this section was obtained largely from 175 Years of Jackson County History Archived January 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Jackson County Historical Society.
- www.census.gov.
- ^ "County Government".
- ^ "County Executive".
- ^ "County Prosecutor".
- ^ "County Legislature".
- ^ IT, Missouri Secretary of State -. "Registered Voters in Missouri". www.sos.mo.gov. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "County Sheriff".
- ^ "About Us". Jackson County Sheriffs Office. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "129th Correction Officer Academy Graduation". Jackson County Missouri. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Jackson Co. Sheriff Mike Sharp to resign amid damaging allegations". WDAF-TV. April 18, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Darryl Forté Named As Sheriff". Jackson County, Missouri. May 10, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ Reid, Cat (May 5, 2019). "Jackson County sheriff adopts 'restrictive' pursuit policy after deputy charged in May 2018 crash". KSHB. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Our Judges".
- ^ "County Municipal Court".
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, And Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: Dec Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jackson County, Missouri".
- ^ 2010 census report for Jackson County, Missouri
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Jackson County Historical Society|Home". JCHS. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.