Pilot Grove is a city in the Pilot Grove Township in northern Cooper County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, Pilot Grove had a population of 665.
History
Pilot Grove was platted in 1873. The city was named from an old-growth grove of hickory trees, which once served as a local landmark or "pilot" to travelers.thumb|right|1915 map of Pilot Grove, Cooper County, Missouri from the Standard Atlas of Cooper County, Missouri 1915, p. 12 State Historical Society of Missouri
On April 2, 2025, an EF2 tornado struck the city of Pilot Grove. There were no weather related injuries reported but there was damage to structures. The local tornado sirens didn't activate.
Geography
Pilot Grove is located along Missouri Route 135 and is four miles south of I-70. It is approximately eleven miles southwest of Boonville. The Petite Saline Creek flows past about two miles to the east of the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 768 people, 304 households, and 193 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 334 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5% White, 1.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 304 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93.
The median age in the city was 43.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 25.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census