Cherokee County, Kansas

Cherokee County (county code CK) is a U.S. county in Southeast Kansas. In 2020 census, 19,362 people lived there.[1] Its county seat is Columbus.[2] The biggest city in Cherokee County is Baxter Springs. Baxter Springs became the first "cow town" in Kansas during the 1870s and the period of cattle drives.

Cherokee County, Kansas
Map
Map of Kansas highlighting Cherokee County
Location in the state of Kansas
Map of the USA highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded February 18, 1860
Seat Columbus
Largest City Baxter Springs
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

591 sq mi (1,531 km²)
588 sq mi (1,523 km²)
3.5 sq mi (9 km²), 0.6%
Population
 -  Density


Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Named for: Cherokee Native Americans

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 591 square miles (1,530 km2). Of that, 588 square miles (1,520 km2) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) (0.6%) is water.[3]

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas,[4] U.S. Census Bureau[5]

People

Historical populations
Census Pop.
18601,501
187011,038635.4%
188021,90598.5%
189027,77026.8%
190042,69453.7%
191038,162−10.6%
192033,609−11.9%
193031,457−6.4%
194029,817−5.2%
195025,144−15.7%
196022,279−11.4%
197021,549−3.3%
198022,3043.5%
199021,374−4.2%
200022,6055.8%
201021,603−4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1]

Government

Presidential elections

For most of its history, Cherokee County had more of a Democratic lean in presidential elections than the rest of the state, particularly before 1968. Since then, its only voted for Democratic candidates twice in 1976 & 1992, when it was their second & fourth best county in the state, respectively. From 1996 on, the county has swung powerfully Republican similar to the rest of Southeast Kansas, with Hillary Clinton posted the worst percentage for a Democratic candidate ever at only 23.3%.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 73.9% 6,766 24.0% 2,194 2.1% 191
2016 70.9% 6,182 23.0% 2,005 6.1% 531
2012 63.7% 5,456 34.2% 2,930 2.2% 185
2008 60.9% 5,886 37.2% 3,594 1.9% 185
2004 61.4% 6,083 37.6% 3,726 1.1% 104
2000 54.9% 5,014 41.4% 3,783 3.6% 333
1996 45.8% 4,138 41.7% 3,771 12.5% 1,134
1992 36.8% 3,589 41.9% 4,083 21.4% 2,085
1988 51.0% 4,281 48.4% 4,069 0.6% 52
1984 60.7% 5,801 38.3% 3,663 0.9% 89
1980 54.8% 5,296 41.1% 3,969 4.1% 397
1976 42.9% 3,957 55.9% 5,154 1.2% 107
1972 67.0% 6,019 31.3% 2,806 1.7% 155
1968 47.5% 4,211 40.5% 3,597 12.0% 1,064
1964 39.3% 3,730 60.2% 5,720 0.5% 47
1960 56.5% 5,753 42.8% 4,366 0.7% 73
1956 58.4% 5,824 41.2% 4,112 0.4% 39
1952 57.4% 6,261 42.1% 4,597 0.5% 56
1948 47.8% 4,616 50.2% 4,854 2.0% 193
1944 54.7% 5,458 44.7% 4,468 0.6% 62
1940 49.3% 6,600 49.8% 6,670 0.9% 126
1936 40.6% 5,445 58.9% 7,894 0.5% 69
1932 34.1% 4,045 62.6% 7,442 3.3% 393
1928 66.2% 7,478 30.5% 3,442 3.3% 376
1924 52.9% 5,437 29.9% 3,071 17.2% 1,770
1920 55.8% 5,466 39.1% 3,832 5.0% 492
1916 37.6% 4,350 53.4% 6,188 9.0% 1,047
1912 26.5% 1,994 35.2% 2,641 38.3% 2,878[a]
1908 44.3% 3,893 43.4% 3,819 12.3% 1,083
1904 55.8% 4,586 27.4% 2,253 16.8% 1,378
1900 45.2% 4,478 53.5% 5,302 1.3% 131
1896 40.2% 3,505 58.6% 5,108 1.2% 106
1892 41.4% 2,696 58.6% 3,812
1888 45.6% 2,935 31.7% 2,038 22.7% 1,461

Communities

 
2005 KDOT Map of Cherokee County (map legend)

Cities

Ghost town

  • Treece, officially disincorporated in 2012 by the state of Kansas[11][12]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Cherokee County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  4. National Atlas Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files".
  6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  10. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  11. Rydjord, John (1972). Kansas Place-Names. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. p. 494. ISBN 0-8061-0994-7.
  12. Former residents say goodbye to contaminated town of Treece; The Wichita Eagle; September 27, 2012. Archived September 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
Notes

Other websites

County
Historical
Maps