Iron County, Missouri

Iron County is a county in the St. Francois Mountains of southeastern Missouri. It had a population of 10,630 at the 2010 census. The county was officially organized on February 17, 1857, and is known for the many metallic deposits that lie within its boundaries--most notably iron, from which it takes its name. Ironton is the county seat and largest city.

Iron County is also home to some of Missouri's most striking geographic formations, including Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest peak in the state.

Geography

Iron County is located in southeastern Missouri, and is part of the St. Francois Mountains that make up the eastern portion of the Ozarks. It is shaped somewhat like an inverse "L," with the "corner" or apex to the northeast around Ironton, and the "arms" extending west toward Viburnum and south toward Annapolis and Des Arc. The county is bordered by Madison County to the east, Wayne County to the south, Reynolds County to the southwest, Dent County to the west, Crawford County to the northwest, Washington County to the north, and St. Francois County to the northeast. It has a total area of 552.06 square miles, including 550.26 of land and 1.80 of water.

The county consists largely of forested uplands, including some of the highest peaks in the Ozarks region. Taum Sauk Mountain, in the southern part of the county, is the highest point in Missouri (and therefore in Iron County as well), rising to 1,772 feet above sea level, and at least six other mountains in the county have peaks of 1,500 feet or higher. There are only a few areas of relatively flat terrain, consisting mostly of long, narrow valleys cut by the numerous streams; the most notable of these are Big Creek, which drains the southern half of the county, and Stouts Creek, which with its tributaries drains Arcadia Valley, in which the towns of Arcadia, Ironton, and Pilot Knob are located. The lowest point in the county is at Blue Spring in the far southeast, with an elevation of about 455 feet.

There are no interstate or federal highways in the county. The main roads are Missouri State Highway 21, which runs north to south through the central part of the county; Highway 32, going west to east through the northern regions; Highway 49, which passes through Viburnum, loops into Reynolds County, then re-enters the county near Annapolis before continuing south into Wayne County; and Highway 72, which crosses through the Arcadia Valley region in a generally west-to-east direction.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Iron County had a total population of 10,630, with 4,378 households and 2,854 families; this was practically unchanged from its 2000 population of 10,697. The population density was 19.3 per square mile. There were 5,329 housing units, or about 9.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was about 96.43% White, 1.30% African-American, 0.48% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.23% from some other race, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.25% of the population.

The median age in the county was 42.7 years. 22.61% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.76% was between the ages of 18 and 24, 22.59% was between the ages of 25 and 44, 29.18% was between the ages of 45 and 64, and 17.86% was 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 49.4% male, 50.6% female.

As of 2018, the median household income in the county was $37,188, and the median family income was $48,125. Males had a median income of $41,534 versus $27,973 for females. The unemployment rate was 7.2%. The per capita income was $20,696. About 20.9% of the population was below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those 65 years old or older.

Communities

Iron County is home to six incorporated communities, including five cities and one village.

Cities

• Annapolis
• Arcadia
• Ironton (county seat)
• Pilot Knob
• Viburnum

Village

• Des Arc