As the name implies, the village is built on a high ridge, which is a divide between the Apple Creek and Whitewater River watersheds, and surrounded by oak trees. The pioneers' mocking name for the settlement was Lizard Lick.
History
Andrew Ramsay and Alexander Giboney settled in the area around Ramsey Creek in 1795. The community of Oak Ridge was organized in 1852 by John M. Wilson, who purchased the land at $2.50 per acre and established a store and a bar. The town was named for the natural surroundings. Oak Ridge had a population of approximately 300 in 1888. The town is home to a Methodist church and a Baptist church dating from the 1860s, and was once home to a Presbyterian church. The first high school in Southeast Missouri was established in Oak Ridge in 1874.
Education
The is a small, public secondary education facility that runs throughout much of northern Cape Girardeau County. With an average yearly enrollment of 350 students in grades K-12, it is one of the smaller public schools in Southeast Missouri. Its school colors are blue and white, and its mascot is the blue jay. Athletics at ORHS consist of boys’ basketball, girls’ volleyball, boys’ baseball, girls’ softball, cross country, and cheerleading. For adults aged 25 and older in Oak Ridge, 66.9% possess a high school diploma as their highest educational attainment, 15.9% have less than high school and 14.7% possess a bachelor's degree or higher educational degree while 2.5% of the population possesses a post-graduate or professional degree.
As of the census of 2010, there were 243 people, 90 households, and 63 families residing in the village. The population density was. There were 107 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the village was 94.24% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 2.47% Native American, and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.23% of the population. There were 90 households of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couplesliving together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age in the village was 38.2 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 56.0% male and 44.0% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 202 people, 82 households, and 63 families residing in the town. The population density was 549.3 people per square mile. There were 94 housing units at an average density of 255.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98.02% White, 0.99% African American, 0.50% Native American, and 0.50% from two or more races. There were 82 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.78. In the town the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,188, and the median income for a family was $41,875. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $16,635 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,310. About 5.3% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 or over.
