Eldon is a city in Miller County, Missouri, United States, located southwest of Jefferson City. The population was 4,416 as of the 2020 census. The railroad closed down in 1980 and is proposed to be transformed into the extension of the Rock Island Trail. A post office called Eldon has been in operation since 1881.

2019 tornado

On the night of May 22, 2019, a tornado touched down west of Eldon. It came through Eldon damaging many homes and businesses. The same tornado struck Jefferson City later in the evening.

Geography

Eldon is in northwestern Miller County. The city is served by U.S. Route 54 and Missouri Routes 52 and 87. Jefferson City is to the northeast, while the city of Lake Ozark is to the south. Bagnell Dam, which forms the Lake of the Ozarks, is south of Eldon.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Eldon has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Eldon had a population of 4,416. The median age was 40.7 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.8 males age 18 and over.

98.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,884 households in Eldon, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.0% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 4,567 people, 1,984 households, and 1,158 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,242 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 1,984 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.94.

The median age in the city was 38.7 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.

2000 census

As of the census

Education

Education in the city of Eldon is provided by two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. It also includes the Eldon Career Center, which provides training in many technical fields.

Eldon has a public library, a branch of the Heartland Regional Library System.

In 1977, the Eldon school board banned the American Heritage Dictionary from junior high bookshelves because the dictionary contained profanity.

The television show Petticoat Junction, which aired from 1963 to 1970, was based on the Burris Hotel that existed in this small railroad town in the Midwest. Paul Henning, the producer and creator of the show, was married to the granddaughter of the owner of the hotel and often visited.

Notable people

  • Christian Cantwell, 2008 Olympic shot-put silver medalist
  • Lloyd Dane, early NASCAR champion
  • Jim Golden, baseball player
  • William Mueller, professional wrestler known under the names "Trevor Murdoch" and "Jethro Holiday"
  • Harley Race, professional wrestler

References

  • Historic maps of Eldon in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri