Platte County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,718. Its county seat is Platte City.[1] The county was organized December 31, 1838,[2] from the Platte Purchase,[3] named for the Platte River. (Platte is derived from the French word for a low, shallow, or intermittent stream.) The Kansas City International Airport is located in the county, approximately one mile west of Interstate 29 between mile markers 12 and 15. The land for the airport was originally in an unincorporated portion of Platte County before being annexed by Platte City, and eventually Kansas City.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 427 square miles (1,110 km2), of which 420 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 6.6 square miles (17 km2) (1.5%) is water.[4] The county's southwestern border with Kansas is formed by the Missouri River.
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[9]
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 73,781 people, 29,278 households, and 20,231 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile (68 people/km2). There were 30,902 housing units at an average density of 74 units per square mile (29/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.45% White, 3.49% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.48% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.05% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Approximately 3.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.4% were of German, 12.5% Irish, 12.2% American and 11.4% English ancestry.
There were 29,278 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,849, and the median income for a family was $65,236. Males had a median income of $44,310 versus $31,005 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,356. About 3.30% of families and 4.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.70% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.
The Republican Party controls politics at the local level in Platte County. Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county. However, GovernorJay Nixon carried the county in his two successful elections, and in 2004, Claire McCaskill of Jackson County narrowly won a majority of the county's votes over Republican victor Matt Blunt. While the county has swung to the Republican party, the presence of Kansas City has helped keep the county competitive into the 21st century.
Platte County is divided into three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, one held by a Republican and two held by Democrats.
District 12 — Jamie Johnson (D-Kansas City). Consists of Parkville, Riverside, and Platte Woods.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 12 — Platte County (2022)[14]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Jamie Johnson
7,399
52.16%
Republican
Tom Hutsler
6,785
47.84%
District 13 — Sean Pouche (R-Kansas City). Consists of the communities of Platte City, Weston, Farley, Ferrelview, and a part of the city of Kansas City. District 13 also consists of portions of Buchannan County.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 13 — Platte County (2022)[14]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Sean Pouche
9,323
100%
+43.39%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 13 — Platte County (2020)[15]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Sean Pouche
14,054
56.61%
Democratic
Vic Abundis
10,774
43.39%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 13 — Platte County (2020)[16]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Vic Allred
10,575
54.34%
Democratic
Mitch Weber
8,864
45.55%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 13 — Platte County (2016)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Nick Marshall
12,440
59.02%
-40.98
Democratic
Tyler McCall
8,636
40.98%
+40.98
Missouri House of Representatives — District 13 — Platte County (2014)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Nick Marshall
7,539
100.00%
+38.04
Missouri House of Representatives — District 13 — Platte County (2012)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Nick Marshall
11,712
61.96%
Democratic
Gerry Byrne
7,192
38.04
District 14 – Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City). Consists of the communities of Houston Lake, Lake Waukomis, Weatherby Lake, Northmoor, and part of the city of Kansas City.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 14 — Platte County (2022)[14]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Ashley Aune
7,859
53.22%
+0.22%
Republican
Eric Holmes
6,907
46.78%
-0.22%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 14 — Platte County (2020)[15]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Ashley Aune
12,076
53.00%
Republican
Eric Holmes
10,707
47.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 14 — Platte County (2018)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Kevin Corlew
8,716
50.17%
-2.49
Democratic
Matt Sain
8,656
49.83%
+2.49
Missouri House of Representatives — District 14 — Platte County (2016)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Kevin Corlew
10,084
52.66%
-3.55
Democratic
Martin T. Rucker II
9,067
47.34%
+3.55
Missouri House of Representatives — District 14 — Platte County (2014)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Kevin Corlew
4,812
56.21%
+1.40
Democratic
Stephanie Isaacson
3,749
43.79
-1.40
Missouri House of Representatives — District 14 — Platte County (2012)
Former U.S. SenatorHillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 5,434, than any candidate from either party in Platte County during the 2008 presidential primary.
^"Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^"Platte County History". Platte County, Missouri. Archived from the original on March 24, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
^Soil Survey (Platte County, Missouri ed.). U.S. Dept of Agriculture. 1923. p. 2. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
^"2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
^"U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
^"Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
^"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 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 18, 2014.
^"State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
^"P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Platte County, Missouri".
^"2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Platte County, MO" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022. - Text list
^Breeding, Marshall. "Mid-Continent Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
^ abcdef"2022 Official Results" (PDF). Platte County Board of Elections. November 8, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
^ abc"Platte County Board of Elections" (PDF). Platte County Board of Elections. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 25, 2022.
^ abcd"Platte County 2018 Election Results" (PDF). Platte County Board of Elections. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 26, 2022.
^Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Platte County Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books