Atchison County, Kansas

Atchison County
County
Atchison County Courthouse in Atchison (2023)
Atchison County Courthouse in Atchison (2023)
Map of Kansas highlighting Atchison County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°32′N 95°18′W / 39.533°N 95.300°W / 39.533; -95.300
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedAugust 25, 1855
Named forDavid Rice Atchison
SeatAtchison
Largest cityAtchison
Area
 • Total434 sq mi (1,120 km2)
 • Land431 sq mi (1,120 km2)
 • Water2.6 sq mi (7 km2)  0.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total16,348
 • Density37.9/sq mi (14.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code913
Congressional district2nd
WebsiteAtchisonCountyKS.org

Atchison County (county code AT) is a county in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. In 2020, 16,348 people lived there. Its county seat is Atchison. Atchison is also the biggest city in the county. The county is named after David Rice Atchison, a United States Senator from Missouri.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 434 square miles (1,120 km2). Of that, 431 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) (0.6%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county by area in Kansas.

On July 4, 1804, to mark Independence Day, the Lewis and Clark Expedition named Independence Creek near the city of Atchison (see Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition).

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau

People

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18607,729—
187015,507100.6%
188026,66872.0%
189026,7580.3%
190028,6066.9%
191028,107−1.7%
192023,411−16.7%
193023,9452.3%
194022,222−7.2%
195021,496−3.3%
196020,898−2.8%
197019,165−8.3%
198018,397−4.0%
199016,932−8.0%
200016,774−0.9%
201016,9240.9%
202016,348−3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020
Population pyramid

Atchison County is in the Atchison, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is also included in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area.

Government

Presidential elections

Atchison County has been a swing county for most of its history. It has had multiple extended streaks of being a bellwether county, the first running from 1896 to 1936. After voting more Republican than the nation in the 1940s & voting for losing candidate Richard Nixon in 1960, another bellwether streak ran from 1964 to 2004. Since then, the county has become significantly more Republican, with Barack Obama failing to win the county in both of his victories & Hillary Clinton losing it by over 30 percent to Donald Trump in 2016.

Presidential elections results
Presidential election results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2024 67.4% 4,911 30.2% 2,201 2.4% 172
2020 65.9% 4,906 31.7% 2,359 2.4% 175
2016 61.6% 4,049 30.3% 1,989 8.2% 537
2012 58.7% 3,917 38.5% 2,567 2.9% 190
2008 52.7% 3,791 45.1% 3,241 2.2% 159
2004 54.5% 3,880 43.8% 3,120 1.7% 118
2000 49.0% 3,378 46.0% 3,171 5.1% 351
1996 43.3% 2,828 44.8% 2,926 12.0% 784
1992 33.5% 2,521 39.3% 2,959 27.2% 2,050
1988 49.0% 3,243 48.0% 3,177 2.9% 194
1984 62.5% 4,537 36.4% 2,641 1.1% 77
1980 53.9% 4,084 40.4% 3,063 5.7% 434
1976 48.3% 4,030 49.2% 4,108 2.5% 206
1972 67.8% 5,471 29.8% 2,404 2.4% 191
1968 46.0% 3,644 42.7% 3,379 11.4% 899
1964 38.2% 3,147 61.2% 5,037 0.6% 45
1960 52.3% 4,793 47.3% 4,336 0.3% 31
1956 64.1% 5,608 35.8% 3,134 0.1% 9
1952 64.6% 6,004 35.3% 3,283 0.1% 9
1948 51.0% 4,141 48.2% 3,910 0.8% 62
1944 58.6% 4,731 41.2% 3,325 0.3% 20
1940 56.1% 5,921 43.2% 4,557 0.8% 82
1936 47.6% 5,312 52.1% 5,817 0.3% 31
1932 45.2% 4,778 53.3% 5,640 1.5% 157
1928 63.7% 6,647 36.0% 3,756 0.4% 37
1924 63.8% 6,246 22.5% 2,199 13.7% 1,341
1920 65.0% 5,872 34.1% 3,082 0.9% 77
1916 48.6% 4,624 48.7% 4,634 2.7% 254
1912 27.4% 1,535 43.7% 2,449 28.9% 1,618
1908 54.9% 3,244 43.9% 2,593 1.2% 68
1904 64.3% 3,542 33.6% 1,854 2.1% 117
1900 55.5% 3,390 43.9% 2,682 0.5% 32
1896 52.7% 3,326 46.9% 2,963 0.4% 28
1892 49.2% 2,666 50.8% 2,756
1888 52.1% 3,219 42.1% 2,603 5.8% 357

Education

Unified school districts

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Atchison County (map legend)

Cities

References

  1. 1 2 3 "QuickFacts: Atchison County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "Profile for Atchison County, Kansas". ePodunk. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ National Atlas Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

More reading

Other websites

Official sites
Historical
Maps