Cape Girardeau County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 68,693; a 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 73,243. While the largest city in the county is Cape Girardeau, the county seat is actually Jackson, which was the first city named in honor of President Andrew Jackson . The county was officially organized on October 1, 1812.
Cape Girardeau County is the central hub of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Cape Girardeau County was organized on October 1, 1812, as one of five original counties and is named after Ensign Sieur Jean Baptiste de Girardot (also spelled Girardeau or Girardat), a French officer originally stationed at Kaskaskia, Illinois from 1704-1720 who later developed a trading post on the site on the present-day city of Cape Girardeau around 1733. The "cape" in the county name was a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River; the original cape rock was destroyed by railroad construction. The county's name derives from a district located in the area when the Spanish controlled the region.
The first Cape Girardeau County Courthouse was constructed in 1818 by John Davis. This courthouse burned in 1870. The present courthouse in Jackson was completed in 1908 and was designed by P.H. Weathers.
Education
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Cape Girardeau County, 81.1% possess a high school diploma or higher while 24.2% hold a bachelor's degree as their highest educational attainment.
Public Schools
- Delta R-V School District - Delta
- Delta Elementary School (K-06)
- Delta High School (07-12)
- Oak Ridge R-VI School District - Oak Ridge
- Oak Ridge Elementary School (K-06)
- Oak Ridge High School (07-12)
- Nell Holcomb R-IV School District - Cape Girardeau
- Nell Holcomb Elementary School (K-08)
- Jackson R-II School District - Jackson
- Gordonville Attendance Center (K-03) - Gordonville
- Millersville Attendance Center (K-03) - Millersville
- North Elementary School (K-05)
- Orchard Drive Elementary School (K-03)
- South Elementary School (PK-05)
- West Lane Elementary School (03-05)
- Jackson Middle School (06-07)
- Russell Hawkins Jr. High School (08-09)
- Jackson High School (10-12)
- Cape Girardeau Public Schools No. 63 - Cape Girardeau
- Alma Schrader Elementary School (K-04)
- Blanchard Elementary School (K-04)
- Clippard Elementary School (K-04)
- Franklin Elementary School (K-04)
- Jefferson Elementary School (K-04)
- Cape Central Middle School (05-06)
- Cape Central Jr. High School (07-08)
- Cape Central High School (09-12)
- Cape Girardeau Career & Technology Center (10-12)
Private Schools
- Cape Christian School (K-08) - Cape Girardeau - Assembly of God/Pentecostal
- Deer Creek Christian Academy (PK-07) - Cape Girardeau - Christian
- St. Mary Cathedral School (K-08) - Cape Girardeau - Roman Catholic
- St. Vincent De Paul Elementary School (K-08) - Cape Girardeau - Roman Catholic
- Trinity Lutheran School (PK-08) - Cape Girardeau - Lutheran
- Immaculate Conception School (PK-08) - Jackson - Roman Catholic
- St. Paul Lutheran School (PK-08) - Jackson - Lutheran
- Eagle Ridge Christian School (PK-12) - Cape Girardeau - Non-denominational Christian
- Notre Dame Regional High School (09-12) - Cape Girardeau - Roman Catholic
- Saxony Lutheran High School (09-12) - Jackson/Fruitland - Lutheran
Post Secondary Education
Cape Girardeau County is home to two public post-secondary educational facilities.
- Metro Business College - Cape Girardeau
- Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,518 km²), of which, 579 square miles (1,499 km²) of it is land (68% urban, 32% rural) and 8 square miles (20 km²) of it (1.31%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Perry County (north)
- Union County, Illinois (northeast)
- Alexander County, Illinois (east)
- Scott County (southeast)
- Stoddard County (south)
- Bollinger County (west)
Major highways
Interstate 55
U.S. Route 61
Route 25
Route 34
Route 72
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 68,693 people, 26,980 households, and 17,941 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile (46/km²). There were 29,434 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.13% White, 5.28% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Approximately 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 26,980 households out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.50% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% 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 2.96.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 13.40% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,862, and the median income for a family was $58,037. Males had a median income of $32,371 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,303. About 6.70% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Local
Politics at the local level in Cape Girardeau County is predominantly controlled by the Republican Party. In fact, all but three of Cape Girardeau County’s elected officials are Republicans.
State
Cape Girardeau County is divided among four legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives. All four seats are held by Republicans.
- District 157 - Rep. Scott Lipke (R-Jackson). The 157th District consists of the city of Jackson and most of the northern part of the county and includes the towns of Fruitland, Oak Ridge, and Old Appleton. Lipke ran unopposed in 2008 and was reelected with 84.31% of the vote over Jennifer Friedrich of the Constitution Party who received 15.69%.
- District 158 - Rep. Clint Tracy (R-Cape Girardeau). The 158th District consists of most of the city of Cape Girardeau. Tracy ran unopposed in 2008 and was elected with 76.29% of the vote over Libertarian Robert Roland's 23.71%.
- District 159 - Rep. Billy Pat Wright (R-Dexter). The 159th District consists of the more rural, western parts of the county and includes the towns of Delta, Whitewater, Allenville, and Gordonville. In 2008, Wright defeated former U.S. Representative Bill Burlison (D) with 61.83% of the vote to Burlison's 38.17%.
- District 160 - Rep. Ellen Brandom (R-Sikeston. The 160th District consists of the south central part of the county and includes the town of Dutchtown. Brandom ran unopposed in 2008 and was reelected with 100% of the vote.
Cape Girardeau County is also a part of Missouri's 27th Senatorial District and is currently represented by State Senator Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau). Crowell defeated Linda Sanders (D-Jackson) 64.2%-35.8%. Cape Girardeau County backed Crowell with 67.87% of the vote to Sanders's 32.18%. The 27th Senatorial District consists of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry, and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri.
In Missouri's gubernatorial election of 2008, Governor Jay Nixon (D) defeated former U.S. Representativ
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