Barton County | |
|---|---|
Barton County Courthouse in Great Bend (1979) | |
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas | |
Kansas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 38°28′N 98°46′W / 38.467°N 98.767°W | |
| Country | |
| State | |
| Founded | February 26, 1867 |
| Named for | Clara Barton |
| Seat | Great Bend |
| Largest city | Great Bend |
| Area | |
| • Total | 901 sq mi (2,330 km2) |
| • Land | 895 sq mi (2,320 km2) |
| • Water | 5.2 sq mi (13 km2) 0.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 25,493 |
| • Density | 28.5/sq mi (11.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 620 |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | BartonCounty.org |
Barton County (standard abbreviation: BT) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 25,493 people lived there. Its county seat is Great Bend. Great Bend is also the biggest city in Barton County. The county is named after Clara Barton. She was responsible for creating the American Red Cross.
In 1867, Barton County was created. It was named after Clara Barton. It is the only Kansas county named after a woman.
Barton County was drawn in the shape of a 30-by-30-mile (48 by 48 km) square. The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 901 square miles (2,330 km2). Of that, 895 square miles (2,320 km2) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km2) (0.6%) is water. The geographic center of Kansas is in Barton County.
Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 10,318 | — | |
| 1890 | 13,172 | 27.7% | |
| 1900 | 13,784 | 4.6% | |
| 1910 | 17,876 | 29.7% | |
| 1920 | 18,422 | 3.1% | |
| 1930 | 19,776 | 7.3% | |
| 1940 | 25,010 | 26.5% | |
| 1950 | 29,909 | 19.6% | |
| 1960 | 32,368 | 8.2% | |
| 1970 | 30,663 | −5.3% | |
| 1980 | 31,343 | 2.2% | |
| 1990 | 29,382 | −6.3% | |
| 2000 | 28,205 | −4.0% | |
| 2010 | 27,674 | −1.9% | |
| 2020 | 25,493 | −7.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 | |||

The Great Bend Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Barton County.
Prior to 1940, Barton County was a Democratic-leaning swing county in presidential elections, being a national bellwether from 1912 to 1936. From 1940 on, it has become a Republican Party stronghold, with the solitary Democratic Party presidential candidate to carry it since then being Lyndon B. Johnson in his national landslide of 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77.3% 8,205 | 20.8% 2,207 | 1.9% 205 |
| 2020 | 77.2% 8,608 | 21.0% 2,340 | 1.8% 202 |
| 2016 | 76.3% 7,888 | 17.8% 1,839 | 5.9% 612 |
| 2012 | 76.1% 7,874 | 22.2% 2,297 | 1.6% 170 |
| 2008 | 70.6% 7,802 | 27.4% 3,027 | 2.1% 228 |
| 2004 | 74.0% 8,666 | 24.6% 2,874 | 1.4% 166 |
| 2000 | 66.7% 7,302 | 29.6% 3,238 | 3.8% 415 |
| 1996 | 64.9% 7,855 | 25.8% 3,121 | 9.3% 1,123 |
| 1992 | 37.7% 5,113 | 28.3% 3,846 | 34.0% 4,623 |
| 1988 | 59.2% 7,741 | 38.4% 5,024 | 2.4% 310 |
| 1984 | 75.6% 10,232 | 23.0% 3,111 | 1.4% 195 |
| 1980 | 66.0% 9,147 | 26.4% 3,663 | 7.5% 1,042 |
| 1976 | 55.6% 7,311 | 41.8% 5,497 | 2.5% 334 |
| 1972 | 68.9% 8,479 | 28.3% 3,481 | 2.9% 352 |
| 1968 | 54.9% 6,700 | 36.6% 4,464 | 8.6% 1,044 |
| 1964 | 39.5% 4,826 | 60.1% 7,340 | 0.5% 55 |
| 1960 | 55.6% 7,599 | 44.2% 6,036 | 0.2% 30 |
| 1956 | 66.2% 8,644 | 33.5% 4,378 | 0.3% 41 |
| 1952 | 70.4% 9,380 | 28.9% 3,847 | 0.7% 92 |
| 1948 | 53.4% 6,191 | 45.8% 5,307 | 0.9% 102 |
| 1944 | 59.4% 5,547 | 40.3% 3,761 | 0.4% 37 |
| 1940 | 54.4% 6,011 | 45.1% 4,982 | 0.5% 50 |
| 1936 | 37.1% 3,534 | 62.8% 5,978 | 0.1% 5 |
| 1932 | 40.9% 3,365 | 58.0% 4,776 | 1.2% 97 |
| 1928 | 63.9% 4,966 | 35.8% 2,777 | 0.3% 24 |
| 1924 | 56.5% 4,109 | 22.1% 1,605 | 21.5% 1,560 |
| 1920 | 68.8% 3,993 | 29.1% 1,688 | 2.2% 125 |
| 1916 | 44.5% 2,891 | 50.6% 3,292 | 4.9% 319 |
| 1912 | 17.0% 692 | 50.9% 2,069 | 32.1% 1,308 |
| 1908 | 44.8% 1,729 | 52.0% 2,004 | 3.2% 124 |
| 1904 | 58.2% 1,939 | 37.1% 1,235 | 4.7% 158 |
| 1900 | 46.5% 1,564 | 52.6% 1,772 | 0.9% 30 |
| 1896 | 42.6% 1,215 | 56.6% 1,616 | 0.8% 24 |
| 1892 | 43.1% 1,381 | 56.9% 1,823 | |
| 1888 | 49.2% 1,353 | 44.6% 1,228 | 6.2% 171 |
The five school districts are part of the special education area of Barton County called Barton County Special Services.

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