Gasconade County is a county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,794. The county seat has been Hermann since 1842. The county was named after the Gasconade River.

The county is located on the south side of the Missouri River, which once served as the chief route of transportation in the state. It is located in the area known as the Missouri Rhineland. Because of its distinctive conditions, the Hermann area was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983. The southern part of the county is within the larger Ozark Highlands AVA, established in 1987.

Gasconade County (and the Gasconade River) received its name from French-speaking settlers. They came from the Gascony region in southwestern France during French colonial rule of New France (Louisiana Territory).

Per a 1916 Missouri Historical Review article, "The name is from 'Gascon', an inhabitant of Gascony,' a unique, marginal maritime province in the southwest of France with Basque cultural roots.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the county has a total area of 524 square miles (1,360 km), of which 6.6 square miles (17 km) (1.3%) is covered by water.

• U.S. Route 50
• Route 19
• Route 28
• Route 100

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	1,545		—
1840	5,330		245.0%
1850	4,996		−6.3%
1860	8,727		74.7%
1870	10,093		15.7%
1880	11,153		10.5%
1890	11,706		5.0%
1900	12,298		5.1%
1910	12,847		4.5%
1920	12,381		−3.6%
1930	12,172		−1.7%
1940	12,414		2.0%
1950	12,342		−0.6%
1960	12,195		−1.2%
1970	11,878		−2.6%
1980	13,181		11.0%
1990	14,006		6.3%
2000	15,342		9.5%
2010	15,222		−0.8%
2020	14,794		−2.8%
2021 (est.)	14,791		0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2015

As of the census of 2000, 15,342 people, 6,171 households, and 4,288 families resided in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12 people/km). The 7,813 housing units had an average density of 15 units per square mile (5.8/km). The racial makeup of the county was 98.69% White, 0.12% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. About 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 6,171 households, 31.0% had children under 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were not families. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.8% under 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,047, and for a family was $41,518. Males had a median income of $29,659 versus $20,728 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,319. About 7.00% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those 65 or over.

Gasconade County Racial Composition

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	13,705	92.64%
Black or African American (NH)	18	0.12%
Native American (NH)	25	0.17%
Asian (NH)	51	0.35%
Pacific Islander (NH)	9	0.06%
Other/mixed (NH)	797	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	189	1.3%

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The Republican Party in Gasconade County holds all of the elected positions.

Gasconade County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor	Paul Schulte	Republican
Circuit Clerk	Pamela R. Greunke	Republican
County Clerk	Lesa Lietzow	Republican
Collector	Shawn Schlottach	Republican
Commissioner (Presiding)	Tim Schulte	Republican
Commissioner (District 1)	James Holland	Republican
Commissioner (District 2)	Jerry D. Lairmore	Republican
Coroner	Jeffrey Arnold	Republican
Prosecuting Attorney	Mary Weston	Republican
Public Administrator	Kelly Brehe-Thomas	Republican
Recorder	Pamela R. Greunke	Republican
Sheriff	Scott Eiler	Republican
Surveyor	Vincent Klott	Republican
Treasurer	Michael C. Feagan	Republican

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2020	78.68% 6,192	19.53% 1,537	1.79% 141
2016	63.04% 4,681	32.35% 2,402	4.61% 342
2012	53.18% 3,775	44.55% 3,162	2.27% 161
2008	55.78% 4,307	42.90% 3,313	1.32% 102
2004	65.36% 4,696	33.57% 2,412	1.07% 77
2000	61.83% 4,091	35.31% 2,336	2.86% 189
1996	50.99% 3,042	46.36% 2,766	2.65% 158

Gasconade County is entirely contained within district 61 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

• District 61 — Bruce Sassmann (R-Bland). Consists of the counties of Gasconade, Montgomery, and Osage.

Missouri House of Representatives — District 61 — Gasconade County (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Justin Alferman	2,531	80.20%	+4.86
	Democratic	Tom Smith	625	19.80%	−4.86

Missouri House of Representatives — District 61 — Gasconade County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Justin Alferman	1,341	75.34%	+6.58
	Democratic	Tom Smith	439	24.66%	−6.58

Gasconade County is a part of Missouri's 6th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Mike Bernskoetter (R-Jefferson City).

Missouri Senate — District 6 — Gasconade County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike Kehoe	3,105	78.49%
	Democratic	Mollie Freebairn	851	21.51%

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Gasconade County (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Roy Blunt	4,743	63.92%	+12.62
	Democratic	Jason Kander	2,319	31.25%	−10.43
	Libertarian	Jonathan Dine	176	2.37%	−4.65
	Green	Johnathan McFarland	90	1.21%	+1.21
	Constitution	Fred Ryman	92	1.24%	+1.24

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Gasconade County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Todd Akin	3,603	51.30%
	Democratic	Claire McCaskill	2,927	41.68%
	Libertarian	Jonathan Dine	493	7.02%

Gasconade County is included in Missouri's 3rd Congressional District and is represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Gasconade County (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Blaine Luetkemeyer	5,770	78.61%	+1.36
	Democratic	Kevin Miller	1,344	18.31%	−1.31
	Libertarian	Dan Hogan	155	2.11%	−1.02
	Constitution	Doanita Simmons	71	0.97%	+0.97

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Gasconade County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Blaine Luetkemeyer	3,083	77.25%	+1.83
	Democratic	Courtney Denton	783	19.62%	−2.81
	Libertarian	Steven Hedrick	125	3.13%	+0.98

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Gasconade County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Blaine Luetkemeyer	5,272	75.42%
	Democratic	Eric Mayer	1,568	22.43%
	Libertarian	Steven Wilson	150	2.15%

United States presidential election results for Gasconade County, Missouri

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,370	79.65%	1,555	19.44%	72	0.90%
2020	6,222	78.53%	1,601	20.21%	100	1.26%
2016	5,670	76.10%	1,520	20.40%	261	3.50%
2012	4,895	68.62%	2,099	29.42%	140	1.96%
2008	4,763	61.29%	2,899	37.31%	109	1.40%
2004	4,753	66.28%	2,355	32.84%	63	0.88%
2000	4,190	63.21%	2,257	34.05%	182	2.75%
1996	2,997	50.19%	2,104	35.24%	870	14.57%
1992	2,690	42.47%	1,952	30.82%	1,692	26.71%
1988	4,216	72.01%	1,621	27.69%	18	0.31%
1984	4,678	80.54%	1,130	19.46%	0	0.00%
1980	4,481	72.24%	1,550	24.99%	172	2.77%
1976	3,925	69.08%	1,702	29.95%	55	0.97%
1972	4,944	80.13%	1,226	19.87%	0	0.00%
1968	4,400	74.64%	1,131	19.19%	364	6.17%
1964	3,672	63.33%	2,126	36.67%	0	0.00%
1960	4,854	74.62%	1,651	25.38%	0	0.00%
1956	5,080	78.97%	1,353	21.03%	0	0.00%
1952	5,339	80.49%	1,285	19.37%	9	0.14%
1948	4,268	77.81%	1,204	21.95%	13	0.24%
1944	5,007	83.27%	994	16.53%	12	0.20%
1940	5,333	82.03%	1,163	17.89%	5	0.08%
1936	4,202	73.51%	1,492	26.10%	22	0.38%
1932	2,571	55.77%	1,998	43.34%	41	0.89%
1928	4,171	79.57%	1,058	20.18%	13	0.25%
1924	3,306	75.88%	577	13.24%	474	10.88%
1920	4,481	90.02%	454	9.12%	43	0.86%
1916	2,513	82.20%	510	16.68%	34	1.11%
1912	1,539	58.94%	518	19.84%	554	21.22%
1908	2,220	80.35%	509	18.42%	34	1.23%
1904	2,045	80.20%	469	18.39%	36	1.41%
1900	2,015	76.91%	575	21.95%	30	1.15%
1896	2,185	80.10%	515	18.88%	28	1.03%
1892	1,625	72.74%	602	26.95%	7	0.31%
1888	1,735	75.14%	556	24.08%	18	0.78%

At the presidential level, Gasconade County is one of the most reliably Republican strongholds in Missouri. The Republican presidential nominee has won Gasconade County in every presidential election since Abraham Lincoln was first elected in 1860, giving the county the longest active Republican voting streak for presidential elections in the United States.

Like most rural areas throughout Northeast Missouri, voters in Gasconade County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles, which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Gasconade County with 76.48% of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71% of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Gasconade County with 58.61% voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51% of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Gasconade County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Gasconade County with 74.74% of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99% voting in favor. (During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.)

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 848, than any candidate from either party in Gasconade County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary.

• Gasconade County R-I School District - Hermann
  • Hermann Elementary School (K-03)
  • Hermann Middle School (04-08)
  • Hermann High School (09-12)
• Gasconade County R-II School District - Owensville
  • Owensville Elementary School (K-05)
  • Owensville Middle School (06-08)
  • Owensville High School (09-12)

• St. George School – Hermann (PS-08) – Roman Catholic
• Immanuel Lutheran School – Rosebud (PK-08) – Lutheran

• Hermann Branch Library
• Owensville Branch Library

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Gasconade County, Missouri

• CountyNewsLIVE.com (Hermann)
• Gasconade County Republican (Owensville)
• Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Gasconade County Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
• Gasconade County Sheriff's Office

38°26′N 91°31′W / 38.44°N 91.51°W / 38.44; -91.51