Leavenworth County, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Leavenworth County is a county located in Northeast Kansas
, in the Central
United States
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 76,227. Its county seat
and most populous city is Leavenworth
. The county is a part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
.
, county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.
This county's watershed
connects with both the Kansas River
basin on the south via Stranger Creek and has a Missouri River
port city to the east.
, an officer in the War of 1812
.
Leavenworth County had the first Kansas State University extension agent in the State.
, there were 68,691 people, 23,071 households, and 17,210 families residing in the county. The population density
was 148 people per square mile (57/km²). There were 24,401 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup
of the county was 84.18% White
, 10.42% Black or African American
, 0.74% Native American
, 1.06% Asian
, 0.13% Pacific Islander
, 1.24% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races
. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 3.81% of the population.
There were 23,071 household
s out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.40% were married couples
living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.40% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 33.00% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 113.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.90 males.
The median income for a household
in the county was $48,114, and the median income for a family was $55,805. Males had a median income of $40,047 versus $26,029 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $20,292. About 4.80% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.
. The cities of Lansing
and Leavenworth
are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
Historical
Additional information
Maps
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, in the Central
Central United States
The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the Southern United States; the term is also sometimes used...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 76,227. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and most populous city is Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. The county is a part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
.
Law and government
Leavenworth County was a prohibition, or "dry"Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
, county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 468.33 square miles (1,213 km²), of which 463.27 square miles (1,199.9 km²) (or 98.92%) is land and 5.06 square miles (13.1 km²) (or 1.08%) is water.This county's watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
connects with both the Kansas River
Kansas River
The Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
basin on the south via Stranger Creek and has a Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
port city to the east.
Adjacent counties
- Platte CountyPlatte County, MissouriAs of the census of 2000, there were 73,781 people, 29,278 households, and 20,231 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 30,902 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
(north) - Wyandotte CountyWyandotte County, KansasWyandotte County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The county's population was 157,505 for the 2010 census. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City with which it shares a unified government...
(east) - Johnson CountyJohnson County, KansasJohnson County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. The county is largely suburban, being part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and containing many of its affluent southwestern suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 544,179. Its county...
(southeast) - Douglas CountyDouglas County, KansasDouglas County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 110,826...
(southwest) - Jefferson CountyJefferson County, KansasJefferson County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 19,126. Its county seat is Oskaloosa, and its most populous city is Valley Falls...
(west) - Atchison CountyAtchison County, KansasAtchison County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 16,924. Its county seat and most populous city is Atchison. The county is named in honor of David Rice Atchison, a United States Senator from Missouri...
(northwest)
History
Leavenworth County was formed on August 30, 1866 from free territory and is among the first 33 counties, which were formed by the first territorial government. It was named, as was its county seat, after Henry LeavenworthHenry Leavenworth
Henry Leavenworth was an American soldier active in the War of 1812 and early military expeditions against the Plains Indians...
, an officer in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Leavenworth County had the first Kansas State University extension agent in the State.
Demographics
As of the U.S. Census in 2000United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, there were 68,691 people, 23,071 households, and 17,210 families residing in the county. 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 148 people per square mile (57/km²). There were 24,401 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup
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...
of the county was 84.18% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 10.42% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.74% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.06% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.13% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 1.24% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 3.81% of the population.
There were 23,071 household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.40% 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, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.40% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 33.00% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 113.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.90 males.
The median income for a household
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
in the county was $48,114, and the median income for a family was $55,805. Males had a median income of $40,047 versus $26,029 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 county was $20,292. About 4.80% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated cities
Name and population (2005 estimate):- LeavenworthLeavenworth, KansasLeavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, 35,213 (county seat) - LansingLansing, KansasLansing is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Leavenworth County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265...
, 10,214 - TonganoxieTonganoxie, KansasTonganoxie is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,996.-Geography:Tonganoxie is located at...
, 3,774 - BasehorBasehor, KansasBasehor is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is a suburb of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,613.-History:...
, 3,287 - LinwoodLinwood, KansasLinwood is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States, about east of Lawrence. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 375.-Beginnings:Linwood was founded as "Journeycake," being named after Charles Journeycake, the last Delaware chief...
, 382 - EastonEaston, KansasEaston is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. The population was 362 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Easton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, 357 - Bonner Springs, which is also located in Wyandotte and Johnson Counties.
Unincorporated places
- Coldspur
- Fairmount
- Fall Leaf
- Jarbalo
- Kickapoo
- Lowemont
- Millwood
- Reno
- Springdale
Townships
Leavenworth County is divided into ten townshipsCivil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
. The cities of Lansing
Lansing, Kansas
Lansing is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Leavenworth County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265...
and Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
| Township | FIPS | Population center |
Population | Population density /km² (/sq mi) |
Land area km² (sq mi) | Water area km² (sq mi) | Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 01100 | 859 | 7 (18) | 123 (48) | 1 (0) | 0.62% | 39°16′8"N 95°7′33"W | |
| Delaware | 17450 | 1,361 | 22 (57) | 62 (24) | 3 (1) | 4.19% | 39°14′50"N 94°52′40"W | |
| Easton | 19625 | 1,245 | 11 (30) | 109 (42) | 0 (0) | 0.11% | 39°21′57"N 95°7′27"W | |
| Fairmount | 22325 | Basehor Basehor, Kansas Basehor is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is a suburb of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,613.-History:... |
6,266 | 61 (159) | 102 (39) | 0 (0) | 0.39% | 39°8′4"N 94°56′26"W |
| High Prairie | 32125 | 1,768 | 14 (37) | 124 (48) | 0 (0) | 0.27% | 39°15′30"N 95°0′34"W | |
| Kickapoo | 36700 | 1,760 | 15 (40) | 114 (44) | 3 (1) | 2.39% | 39°20′45"N 94°59′29"W | |
| Reno | 58950 | 1,143 | 10 (27) | 111 (43) | 2 (1) | 1.56% | 39°1′8"N 95°8′8"W | |
| Sherman | 65000 | 2,367 | 22 (57) | 108 (42) | 3 (1) | 2.44% | 39°0′59"N 95°0′27"W | |
| Stranger | 68500 | 2,451 | 19 (50) | 127 (49) | 0 (0) | 0.17% | 39°8′16"N 95°2′2"W | |
| Tonganoxie | 70825 | Tonganoxie (part) Tonganoxie, Kansas Tonganoxie is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,996.-Geography:Tonganoxie is located at... |
4,852 | 35 (91) | 137 (53) | 1 (0) | 0.66% | 39°7′0"N 95°6′35"W |
| Sources: | ||||||||
Unified school districts
- Fort Leavenworth USD 207 (Web site)
- Easton USD 449 (Web site)
- Leavenworth USD 453 (Web site)
- Basehor-Linwood USD 458 (Web site)
- Tonganoxie USD 464 (Web site)
- Lansing USD 469 (Web site)
Colleges/Universities
- United States Army Command and General Staff College
- University of Saint MaryUniversity of Saint Mary (Kansas)The University of Saint Mary is a private liberal arts university in Leavenworth, Kansas. It is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, who established it as Saint Mary College. Though it was originally a school for women, the school is now coeducational. St. Mary's Academy for high...
Historical
- Leavenworth Normal SchoolLeavenworth Normal SchoolLeavenworth Normal School located in Leavenworth, Kansas was a state-funded normal school operated by the Kansas state government from 1870 until 1876....
closed
Notable people
- Sean Malto, professional skateboarder
- Wayne SimienWayne SimienWayne Anthony Simien, Jr. is an American former professional basketball player, who last played with Spain's Cáceres Ciudad de Baloncesto. He was a member of the Miami Heat team that won the 2005–06 NBA championship.-High school career:Growing up, Simien was a University of Kansas fan due to his...
, professional basketball player
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Leavenworth County, KansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in Leavenworth County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Leavenworth County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States...
- LenapeLenapeThe Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
& Christian MunseeChristian MunseeThe Christian Munsee were a group of Lenape native American Indians, primarily Munsee-speaking, who converted to Christianity, following the teachings of the Moravian missionaries... - Ernest Fox NicholsErnest Fox NicholsErnest Fox Nichols was a U.S. educator and physicist. He was born in Leavenworth County, Kansas, and received his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University in 1888. After working for a year in the Chemistry Department at Kansas State, he matriculated to graduate school at Cornell...
- Educator & MIT physicist - Fort LeavenworthFort LeavenworthFort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
(Frontier Army Museum) - Freedom's FrontierBleeding KansasBleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri roughly between 1854 and 1858...
, NE Kansas National Heritage Area - Kansas SamplerKansas Sampler-Kansas Sampler Foundation:The Kansas Sampler Foundation is a public non-profit 501 organization. The Foundation is located at the Kansas Sampler Center near Inman, Kansas...
, shares insights on community character
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
Official sitesAdditional information
Maps
- 2010 Leavenworth County Map, KDOT
- 2011 Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
- 2011 Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
- 2005 Kansas School District Boundary Map, KSDE