Maries County, Missouri

Maries County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,432.^[1] Its county seat is Vienna.^[2] The county was organized March 2, 1855, and named for the Maries River and Little Maries River. The word "Maries" is derived from the French word marais, which means "marsh, lake, or pond".

Maries County
County
Maries County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°11′N 91°55′W
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Founded	March 2, 1855
Named for	The Maries River and Little Maries River
Seat	Vienna
Largest city	Belle
Area
• Total	530 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Land	527 sq mi (1,360 km2)
• Water	2.9 sq mi (8 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,432
• Density	16/sq mi (6.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.mariescountymo.gov

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 530 square miles (1,400 km²), of which 527 square miles (1,360 km²) is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) (0.6%) is water.^[3]

Adjacent counties

• Osage County (north)
• Gasconade County (northeast)
• Phelps County (southeast)
• Pulaski County (southwest)
• Miller County (west)

Major highways

• U.S. Route 63
• Route 28
• Route 42
• Route 52
• Route 68
• Route 133

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	4,901		—
1870	5,916		20.7%
1880	7,304		23.5%
1890	8,600		17.7%
1900	9,616		11.8%
1910	10,088		4.9%
1920	9,500		−5.8%
1930	8,368		−11.9%
1940	8,638		3.2%
1950	7,423		−14.1%
1960	7,282		−1.9%
1970	6,851		−5.9%
1980	7,551		10.2%
1990	7,976		5.6%
2000	8,903		11.6%
2010	9,176		3.1%
2020	8,432		−8.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[4] 1790-1960[5] 1900-1990[6] 1990-2000[7] 2010-2015[8]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 8,903 people, 3,519 households, and 2,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile (6.6 people/km²). There were 4,149 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.43% White, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Approximately 1.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,519 households, out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,925, and the median income for a family was $39,187. Males had a median income of $28,524 versus $20,705 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,662. About 10.10% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 13.20% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Maries County Racial Composition^[10]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	7,796	92.45%
Black or African American (NH)	23	0.27%
Native American (NH)	42	0.5%
Asian (NH)	7	0.08%
Pacific Islander (NH)	0	0%
Other/Mixed (NH)	430	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	134	1.6%

Education

Public schools

• Maries County R-I School District – Vienna
  • Vienna Elementary School (PK-06)
  • Vienna High School (07-12)
• Maries County R-II School District – Belle
  • Belle Elementary School (PK-05)
  • Maries County Middle School (06-08)
  • Belle High School (09-12)

Private schools

• Visitation Inter-Parish School – Vienna (K-08) – Roman Catholic

Public libraries

• Heartland Regional Library System^[11]

Politics

Local

The Democratic Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Maries County. Democrats currently hold all but four of the elected positions in the county.

Maries County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor	Dana Simmons	Democratic
Circuit Clerk	Mark Buschmann	Democratic
County Clerk	Rhonda Rodgers	Democratic
Collector	Jayne Helton Williams	Democratic
Commissioner (Presiding)	Victor Stratman	Republican
Commissioner (District 1)	Douglas Drewel	Republican
Commissioner (District 2)	Ed Fagre	Democratic
Coroner	David H. Martin	Democratic
Prosecuting Attorney	Richard Skouby	Republican
Public Administrator	Carol Jo Schulte	Democratic
Recorder	Mark Buschmann	Democratic
Sheriff	Harold Chris Heitman	Republican
Treasurer	Angie Stricklan	Republican

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2016	62.67% 2,827	33.47% 1,510	3.86% 174
2012	51.51% 2,337	45.58% 2,068	2.91% 132
2008	47.49% 2,157	50.77% 2,306	1.94% 79
2004	60.99% 2,688	37.78% 1,665	1.23% 54
2000	49.11% 1,897	47.53% 1,836	3.36% 130
1996	39.62% 1,451	57.66% 2,115	2.62% 96

All of Maries County is a part of Missouri's 143rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives. (R-Meta).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 62 — Maries County (2016)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Tom Hurst	4,043	100.00%

Missouri House of Representatives — District 62 — Maries County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Tom Hurst	2,424	100.00%	+38.05

Missouri House of Representatives — District 62 — Maries County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Tom Hurst	2,784	61.95%
	Democratic	Greg Stratman	1,710	38.05%

All of Maries County is a part of Missouri's 6th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Mike Kehoe (R-Jefferson City).

Missouri Senate — District 6 — Maries County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike Kehoe	2,201	81.13%
	Democratic	Mollie Kristen Freebairn	512	18.87%

Federal

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Maries County (2016)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Roy Blunt	2,978	66.27%	+14.99
	Democratic	Jason Kander	1,339	29.80%	−11.67
	Libertarian	Jonathan Dine	76	1.69%	−5.56
	Green	Johnathan McFarland	37	0.82%	+0.82
	Constitution	Fred Ryman	64	1.42%	+1.42

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Maries County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Todd Akin	2,312	51.28%
	Democratic	Claire McCaskill	1,870	41.47%
	Libertarian	Jonathan Dine	327	7.25%

All of Maries County is included in Missouri's 3rd Congressional District and is currently represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District — Maries County (2016)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Blaine Luetkemeyer	3,490	78.32%	+3.41
	Democratic	Kevin Miller	825	18.51%	−3.60
	Libertarian	Dan Hogan	90	2.02%	−0.92
	Constitution	Doanita Simmons	51	1.15%	+1.15

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Maries County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Blaine Luetkemeyer	2,036	74.91%	+2.12
	Democratic	Courtney Denton	601	22.11%	−2.48
	Libertarian	Steven Hedrick	80	2.94%	+0.32
	Write-In	Harold Davis	1	0.04%	+0.04

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Maries County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Blaine Luetkemeyer	3,253	72.79%
	Democratic	Eric C. Mayer	1,099	24.59%
	Libertarian	Steven Wilson	117	2.62%

Political culture

United States presidential election results for Maries County, Missouri^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,892	81.58%	814	17.06%	65	1.36%
2016	3,561	79.13%	794	17.64%	145	3.22%
2012	3,165	69.74%	1,299	28.62%	74	1.63%
2008	2,853	62.58%	1,599	35.07%	107	2.35%
2004	2,825	63.86%	1,563	35.33%	36	0.81%
2000	2,216	57.50%	1,554	40.32%	84	2.18%
1996	1,560	42.90%	1,540	42.35%	536	14.74%
1992	1,356	33.77%	1,732	43.14%	927	23.09%
1988	1,919	55.14%	1,552	44.60%	9	0.26%
1984	2,267	62.02%	1,388	37.98%	0	0.00%
1980	1,985	52.39%	1,732	45.71%	72	1.90%
1976	1,485	45.08%	1,796	54.52%	13	0.39%
1972	2,082	63.07%	1,219	36.93%	0	0.00%
1968	1,438	47.52%	1,185	39.16%	403	13.32%
1964	1,183	36.44%	2,063	63.56%	0	0.00%
1960	1,684	49.53%	1,716	50.47%	0	0.00%
1956	1,392	42.48%	1,885	57.52%	0	0.00%
1952	1,501	45.62%	1,783	54.19%	6	0.18%
1948	894	31.41%	1,948	68.45%	4	0.14%
1944	1,519	45.13%	1,824	54.19%	23	0.68%
1940	1,749	45.59%	2,078	54.17%	9	0.23%
1936	1,306	34.92%	2,414	64.55%	20	0.53%
1932	745	21.16%	2,758	78.33%	18	0.51%
1928	1,415	43.79%	1,808	55.96%	8	0.25%
1924	1,004	33.00%	1,913	62.89%	125	4.11%
1920	1,445	45.87%	1,677	53.24%	28	0.89%
1916	725	34.96%	1,319	63.60%	30	1.45%
1912	448	25.91%	1,096	63.39%	185	10.70%
1908	703	34.66%	1,309	64.55%	16	0.79%
1904	599	33.08%	1,184	65.38%	28	1.55%
1900	544	29.84%	1,273	69.83%	6	0.33%
1896	546	28.20%	1,385	71.54%	5	0.26%
1892	469	29.00%	1,119	69.20%	29	1.79%
1888	539	32.93%	1,055	64.45%	43	2.63%

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Main articles: 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary and 2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 844, than any candidate from either party in Maries County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities

Cities and towns

• Argyle (also in Osage County)
• Belle (a small portion extends into Osage County)
• Vienna (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Bend
• Brinktown
• Hayden
• High Gate
• Lanes Prairie
• Light
• Lindell
• Lois
• Paydown
• Safe
• Stickney
• Sudheimer
• Summerfield
• Tavern
• Van Cleve
• Venus
• Vichy

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Maries County, Missouri

References

1. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
4. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
5. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
6. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
7. "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.
8. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
10. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Maries County, Missouri".
11. Breeding, Marshall. "Heartland Regional Library System". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
12. "County Results - State of Missouri - 2016 General Election - Official Results" (PDF). Retrieved January 17, 2023.
13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.

Further reading

• History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries and Osage counties, Missouri : from the earliest time to the present, including a department devoted to the preservation of sundry personal, business, professional and the private records; besides a valuable fund of notes, original observations, etc. etc. (1889)online

External links

• Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Maries County Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books

38.18°N 91.92°W / 38.18; -91.92