Christian County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the northern edge of the Ozark Plateau just south of Springfield. It had a population of 88,842 at the 2020 census and covers 564 square miles (1,461 km2) centred near 36°58′N 93°11′W.
Ozark is the county seat and its postal code is 65721. The county has 9 incorporated cities and villages plus more than two dozen unincorporated communities, and it sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Christian County
Christian County has 9 incorporated places — cities of Billings, Clever, Highlandville, Nixa, Ozark and Sparta, and the villages of Fremont Hills, Oldfield and Spokane — alongside the census-designated place of Saddlebrooke and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities. In the table below, "CDP" marks a census-designated place with no municipal government, and "Unincorp." marks a rural community that is not a legal municipality.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abadyl | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bengal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Billings | City | — | 65610 |
| Boaz | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bruner | Unincorp. | — | 65620 |
| Cassidy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chadwick | Unincorp. | — | 65629 |
| Chestnutridge | Unincorp. | — | 65630 |
| Christian Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clever | City | — | 65631 |
| Cowan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elkhead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fremont Hills | Village | — | — |
| Garrison | Unincorp. | — | 65657 |
| Green Mound Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Griffin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highlandville | City | — | 65669 |
| Keltner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Low Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McCracken | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montague | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nixa | City | 23,257 | 65714 |
| Oldfield | Village | — | 65720 |
| Ozark | City · seat | — | 65721 |
| Pembina | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saddlebrooke | CDP | — | — |
| Saunders | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Selmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sparta | City | — | 65753 |
| Spokane | Village | — | 65754 |
| Terrell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Velsor | Unincorp. | — | — |
Springfield, the seat of neighboring Greene County, extends a small edge of its city limits across the county line into northern Christian County; it is not listed above because the community itself belongs to Greene County, and its own profile is on that county’s page.
ZIP Codes
- 65714 — Nixa
- 65721 — Ozark
- 65631 — Clever
- 65753 — Sparta
- 65610 — Billings
- 65669 — Highlandville
- 65630 — Chestnutridge
- 65754 — Spokane
- 65629 — Chadwick
- 65720 — Oldfield
- 65657 — Garrison
- 65620 — Bruner
Twelve standard-delivery ZIP codes cover the county’s post offices. Smaller unincorporated communities such as Boaz, Cassidy and Riverdale have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest listed post office town.
Geography
Christian County sits on the northern edge of the Ozark Plateau, in the west-central part of the state, and its terrain is broken into hills and hollows cut by the James River, which crosses the northern part of the county, and by tributaries of the White River in the south. Of the county’s total area, 563 square miles are land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) are water.
Christian County borders Greene County to the north, Webster County to the northeast, Douglas County to the east, Taney County to the south, Stone County to the southwest, and Lawrence County to the west.
Demographics
Christian County had 88,842 residents at the 2020 census, making it one of the larger counties in southwest Missouri by population. Nixa, with 23,257 residents in 2020, is the county’s largest community, followed by the county seat, Ozark. The county’s population works out to roughly 158 people per square mile of land, concentrated heavily in the Nixa-Ozark corridor along U.S. Route 160 and U.S. Route 65, with the rural south and east far more sparsely settled. Christian County’s median household income runs above the Missouri median of $68,545, reflecting its role as a fast-growing suburban extension of the Springfield metro area rather than a purely rural county.
Economy & Local Life
Christian County functions largely as a residential and retail suburb of Springfield, with commuting, healthcare, education and construction among the leading employers. Nixa and Ozark both operate their own public school districts, and Nixa’s retail corridor along Highway 14 has grown alongside the city’s population. Cox Health and Mercy, the two major Springfield-based health systems, both operate clinics in the county. The Finley River and James River draw local recreational fishing and canoeing, and Ozark’s downtown historic district anchors the county’s older commercial core.
History
Christian County was organized on March 8, 1859, carved from parts of Greene, Taney and Webster counties, and named after Christian County, Kentucky, which itself honors William Christian, a Revolutionary War soldier and early Kentucky settler. The county seat, Ozark, was platted the same year on the Finley River. Christian County was, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures, the fastest-growing county in Missouri between 2000 and 2010, as Springfield’s suburban growth pushed south along the Highway 65 corridor into Nixa and Ozark.
Getting There
U.S. Route 65 runs north-south through the county connecting Springfield to Ozark and on toward Branson, while U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 160 cross the county east-west; Missouri Routes 13, 14 and 125 serve the smaller towns.
- Springfield — 10 miles north
- Branson — 30 miles south
- Republic — 15 miles northwest
- Marshfield — 25 miles northeast
Springfield-Branson National Airport, about 15 miles north of Ozark in Greene County, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Christian County, Missouri?
Christian County sits in the west-central part of Missouri, immediately south of Springfield, on the northern edge of the Ozark Plateau.
What is the population of Christian County?
Christian County had a population of 88,842 at the 2020 census.
How big is Christian County?
The county covers 564 square miles (1,461 km2), of which 563 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Christian County?
Ozark is the county seat.
How many towns are in Christian County?
Christian County has 9 incorporated cities and villages — Billings, Clever, Fremont Hills, Highlandville, Nixa, Oldfield, Ozark, Sparta and Spokane — plus the census-designated place of Saddlebrooke and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Christian County?
Christian County has twelve ZIP codes, including 65721 (Ozark), 65714 (Nixa), 65631 (Clever) and 65753 (Sparta).
What is Christian County’s largest city?
Nixa, with 23,257 residents at the 2020 census, is the county’s largest city, ahead of the county seat, Ozark.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.