Pike County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Missouri, bounded by the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,587.^[1] Its county seat is Bowling Green.^[2] Its namesake was a city in middle Kentucky, a region from where many early migrants came. The county was organized December 14, 1818, and named for explorer Zebulon Pike. The folksong "Sweet Betsy from Pike" is generally thought to be associated with Pike County, Missouri.^{[citation needed]}

Quick Facts Country, State ...

Pike County
County
The Pike County Courthouse in Bowling Green
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°20′N 91°10′W
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Founded	December 14, 1818
Named for	Zebulon M. Pike
Seat	Bowling Green
Largest city	Bowling Green
Area
• Total	685 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Land	670 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  2.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,587
• Density	26/sq mi (9.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.pikecountymo.net

Close

Pike County is said to be the home of Momo (The Missouri Monster). The first reported sightings in the 1970s were traced to various locations throughout the county.

The first settler other than native americans was William Spencer in 1799. Spencer came for a salt spring now known as Spencer Lick to start a salt manufacturing business. The salt was made to be shipped to St. Louis, a new but growing town at the time. Spencer abandoned his business when unfriendly native americans became a threat to his safety. He relocated the enterprise to Ralls County.^[3]

The history of Pike County is complicated by the fact that at its establishment in 1818, it included today's boundaries plus all counties north of it, plus the counties bordering all of them on the west, in total over 6 or 7 times larger than its current size, and thus covering the northeast border area of today's State of Missouri. Pike county and the counties north of it were gradually reduced in size by the creation of Ralls and subsequent new counties including Marion, Lewis, Clark, Scotland, Knox, Shelby, and Monroe.^{[citation needed]}

The county was first settled by migrants from the Upper South. Some, though not all, were sympathetic to the Confederate cause in later decades. After the end of the post-Civil-War Reconstruction era, some of the county's inhabitants enforced Jim Crow laws and racial segregation in the county to maintain what has been labeled by some as "white supremacy". This occurred despite the fact that key US/Unionist military operations to control "Confederate" upstarts were launched from Pike County and had bases there.^{[citation needed]}

In a violent period near the turn of the 20th century, five African Americans were tragically lynched in Pike County between 1891 and 1914.^[4] Among those were Curtis and Sam Young, who were both lynched for allegedly murdering the city marshall, Walter Meloan, on June 6, 1898, in Clarksville,^[5] a small town on the Mississippi River.^[6] Pike tied with Howard County, Missouri for the highest number of lynchings of African Americans in the state during this historical period.^[7]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 685 square miles (1,770 km²), of which 670 square miles (1,700 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.1%) is water.^[8]

As of the census^[14] of 2010, there were 18,516 people, 6,451 households, and 4,476 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile (10 people/km²). There were 7,493 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.44% White, 9.17% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Approximately 1.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% were of American, 24.5% German, 8.9% English and 8.5% Irish ancestry.

There were 6,451 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 119.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,373, and the median income for a family was $39,059. Males had a median income of $28,528 versus $19,426 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,462. 15.50% of the population and 11.90% of families were below the poverty line. 20.20% of those under the age of 18 and 15.20% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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