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.^[1] The county seat has been Hermann since 1842.^[2] The county was named after the Gasconade River.

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Gasconade County
County
The Gasconade County Courthouse in Hermann
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°26′N 91°31′W
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Founded	November 25, 1820
Named for	Gasconade River
Seat	Hermann
Largest city	Owensville
Area
• Total	524 sq mi (1,360 km2)
• Land	518 sq mi (1,340 km2)
• Water	6.6 sq mi (17 km2)  1.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,794
• Density	28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	573
Congressional district	3rd
Website	gasconadecounty.org

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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.^[3] 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,'^[4] 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 km²), of which 6.6 square miles (17 km²) (1.3%) is covered by water.^[5]

As of the census^[11] 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/km²). The 7,813 housing units had an average density of 15 units per square mile (5.8/km²). 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.

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