Oakport Township, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Oakport Township is a township in Clay County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 1,689 at the 2000 census. Oakport Township has reached an orderly annexation agreement to enter the city of Moorhead
in 2015.
Some parts of Oakport are relatively low, and some properties have endured flooding from the Red River of the North
. After a major flood in 1997, efforts were undertaken to mitigate flood damage in Oakport Township, resulting the removal of many houses in flood prone areas. Construction of a dike to protect Oakport is in the planning stages.
Oakport residents enjoy a country lifestyle just outside of city boundaries. In recent years, new housing developments have appeared in Oakport Township.
According to local historians, Oakport Township received its name because it was a stop for steam boats plying the Red River of the North
between Moorhead and Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. Steamboat captains would stop to take on oak wood offered by a local farmer who lived in what is now Oakport Township. The stop became known as the oak port.
, the township has a total area of 29.2 square miles (75.5 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,689 people, 572 households, and 498 families residing in the township. The population density
was 57.9 people per square mile (22.4/km²). There were 589 housing units at an average density of 20.2/sq mi (7.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.99% White, 0.36% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.12% from other races
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There were 572 households out of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.4% were married couples
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.9% were non-families. 11.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $60,400, and the median income for a family was $62,794. Males had a median income of $41,856 versus $26,842 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $21,570. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Clay County, Minnesota
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 58,999. Its name is in honor of American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Its county seat is Moorhead...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,689 at the 2000 census. Oakport Township has reached an orderly annexation agreement to enter the city of Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
in 2015.
Some parts of Oakport are relatively low, and some properties have endured flooding from the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
. After a major flood in 1997, efforts were undertaken to mitigate flood damage in Oakport Township, resulting the removal of many houses in flood prone areas. Construction of a dike to protect Oakport is in the planning stages.
Oakport residents enjoy a country lifestyle just outside of city boundaries. In recent years, new housing developments have appeared in Oakport Township.
According to local historians, Oakport Township received its name because it was a stop for steam boats plying the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
between Moorhead and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Steamboat captains would stop to take on oak wood offered by a local farmer who lived in what is now Oakport Township. The stop became known as the oak port.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 29.2 square miles (75.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,689 people, 572 households, and 498 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 57.9 people per square mile (22.4/km²). There were 589 housing units at an average density of 20.2/sq mi (7.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.99% White, 0.36% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There were 572 households out of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.9% were non-families. 11.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $60,400, and the median income for a family was $62,794. Males had a median income of $41,856 versus $26,842 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $21,570. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.