Editing Rock Port, Missouri

{{Short description|City in Missouri, United States}}
{{Redirect|Rock Port|other uses|Rockport (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Rock Port, Missouri
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Rock Port, Missouri USA.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Main Street between Clay and Cass streets
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Atchison_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Rock_Port_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Rock Port, Missouri
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = {{nowrap|{{flagu|United States}}}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Missouri}}
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Missouri|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Atchison County, Missouri|Atchison]]
| subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in Missouri|Township]]
| subdivision_name3        = [[Clay Township, Atchison County, Missouri|Clay]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = <!-- Area -->
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 28, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 7.18
| area_land_km2            = 7.18
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 2.77
| area_land_sq_mi          = 2.77
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
| unit_pref                = Imperial

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 1278
| population_density_sq_mi = 461.21
| population_density_km2   = 178.08

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 1116
| coordinates              = {{coord|40|24|39|N|95|31|59|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 64482
| area_code                = [[Area code 660|660]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 29-62696 <ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2396401<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2396401}}</ref>
| website                  = [http://rpmo.com/ rpmo.com]
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
}}

'''Rock Port''' is a city in, and the [[county seat]] of, [[Atchison County, Missouri|Atchison County]], [[Missouri]], United States. The population was 1,278 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2962696|access-date=2021-12-16|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Atchison County Missouri Courthouse 20191027-7077.jpg|thumb|right|Atchison County courthouse in Rock Port]]
Rock Port was laid out in 1851.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1916 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n14 203]}}</ref> The city, which is eight miles east of the [[Missouri River]] in the [[Loess Hills]] bluffs above the river, derives its name from [[Rock Creek (upper Missouri River)|Rock Creek]], which flows through it. Following the [[Honey War]] border dispute with Iowa when Missouri's northern border was shifted farther south, the original county seat was moved from Linden to Rock Port.<ref>[[Missouri v. Iowa]]</ref>

The original city is located just east of [[Interstate 29 in Missouri|I-29]], but there is an additional travel hub closer to the interstate; [[truck stop]]s, [[motel]]s, [[fast food]] restaurants and [[fireworks]] stands host a large number of daytime visitors, despite the city's small size.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

The city of Rock Port has become largely energy self-sufficient.<ref name=NPR/> In April 2008, Rock Port claimed to be the first community in the United States to have its electricity 100 percent generated by [[wind power]]. Rock Port, which uses about 13 million kWh a year, has its power generated by the [[Loess Hills]] Wind Farm. The farm has four [[Suzlon]] 1.25-megawatt wind turbines. Excess power is sold to the [[Missouri Public Utility Alliance]] in [[Columbia, Missouri]].<ref>Rock Port to become first American 100 percent wind powered community - Maryville Daily Forum - April 13, 2008</ref> The idea for the wind turbines came from the town's former mortuary worker, Eric Chamberlain.<ref name=NPR>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93208355 Missouri Town Is Running On Vapor — And Thriving], Frank Morris, August 9, 2008, [[National Public Radio]]; accessed August 10, 2008</ref> The farm was built by [[Wind capital group|Wind Capital Group]] and is by far the company's smallest wind farm developed through January 2009. Wind Capital in 2008 built the bigger 50.4MW Cow Branch Wind Farm between Rock Port and Tarkio.

The [[Atchison County Memorial Building]] and [[John Dickinson Dopf Mansion]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==

Rock Port is located along [[Rock Creek (upper Missouri River tributary)|Rock Creek]] approximately 2.5 miles east of the [[Missouri River Valley]].<ref>''Rock Port, MO,'' 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1981</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|2.77|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=2012-01-25}}</ref>

===Climate===
==Climate==
{{Weather box
| width       = auto
| collapsed   = yes
| single line = yes
| location    = Rockprt, Missouri(1991-2020 normals)
| precipitation colour    =  green
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation inch  =0.74
| Feb precipitation inch  =1.26
| Mar precipitation inch  =2.21
| Apr precipitation inch  =3.42
| May precipitation inch  =4.97
| Jun precipitation inch  =4.67
| Jul precipitation inch  =5.16
| Aug precipitation inch  =3.88
| Sep precipitation inch  =2.61
| Oct precipitation inch  =2.77
| Nov precipitation inch  =1.66
| Dec precipitation inch  =1.31
| year precipitation inch =
| Jan precipitation days  =4.5
| Feb precipitation days  =4.3
| Mar precipitation days  =6.1
| Apr precipitation days  =8.8
| May precipitation days  =10.7
| Jun precipitation days  =9.6
| Jul precipitation days  =7.5
| Aug precipitation days  =9.4
| Sep precipitation days  =6.9
| Oct precipitation days  =7.2
| Nov precipitation days  =4.4
| Dec precipitation days  =4.9
| year precipitation days =

|source = [[NOAA]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Station: ROCKPORT 0.5 E, MO US US1MOFSA005 |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=US1MOFSA005&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020 |publisher=[[NCEI|National Centers for Environmental Information]] |page=1 |format=PDF |quote=Elev: 965 ft. Lat:40.4162° N Lon: 95.5081° W}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 305
|1870= 490
|1880= 715
|1890= 934
|1900= 1080
|1910= 1053
|1920= 1136
|1930= 1162
|1940= 1406
|1950= 1511
|1960= 1310
|1970= 1575
|1980= 1511
|1990= 1438
|2000= 1395
|2010= 1318
|2020= 1278
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-08}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,318 people, 588 households, and 356 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|475.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 667 housing units at an average density of {{convert|240.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 588 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.5% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75.

The median age in the city was 46.3 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 23.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,395 people, 647 households, and 368 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|488.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 714 housing units at an average density of {{convert|250.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 99.35% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.14% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.22% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.22% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.50% of the population.

There were 647 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the city the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,571, and the median income for a family was $41,625. Males had a median income of $27,639 versus $19,653 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,322. About 7.2% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Public education in Rock Port is administered by [[Rock Port R-II School District]].<!--UNI 26790--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st29_mo/schooldistrict_maps/c29005_atchison/DC20SD_C29005.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Atchison County, MO|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-12-15}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st29_mo/schooldistrict_maps/c29005_atchison/DC20SD_C29005_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rockport.k12.mo.us | title=Homepage | publisher=Rock Port R-Ii School District | access-date=4 June 2019}}</ref>

Rock Port has a [[public library]], the [[Atchison County Library]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.publiclibraries.com/missouri.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610012728/http://www.publiclibraries.com/missouri.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 June 2017 | title=Missouri Public Libraries | publisher=PublicLibraries.com | access-date=2 June 2019}}</ref>

==Transportation==
Intercity bus service to the city is provided by [[Jefferson Lines]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeffersonlines.com/bus-stops/missouri/|title=Missouri Bus Stops|access-date=July 21, 2023}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Loraine Boettner]], American Protestant theologian
* [[Michael J. Burg]] (born 1968), actor
* [[Hardin Cox]] (1928–2013), politician and businessman

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.rpmo.com City of Rock Port]
* Historic maps of Rock Port in the [http://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A138950 Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection] at the [[University of Missouri]]

{{Atchison County, Missouri}}
{{Missouri}}
{{Missouri county seats}}
{{Portal bar|United States|Weather|Renewable energy}}
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[[Category:Cities in Atchison County, Missouri]]
[[Category:County seats in Missouri]]
[[Category:Cities in Missouri]]