Cloud County, Kansas

Cloud County
Cloud County
County
	Cloud County Courthouse in Concordia (2013)
	Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
	Kansas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 39°29′N 97°39′W / 39.483°N 97.650°W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	March 27, 1867
Named for	William F. Cloud
Seat	Concordia
Largest city	Concordia
Area
• Total	718 sq mi (1,860 km2)
• Land	715 sq mi (1,850 km2)
• Water	2.6 sq mi (7 km2) 0.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	9,032
• Density	12.6/sq mi (4.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	785
Congressional district	1st
Website	cloudcountyks.org

Cloud County (county code CD) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 9,032 people lived there.^[1] Its county seat is Concordia. Concordia is also the biggest city in Cloud County.^[2]

History

19th century

In 1867, Cloud County was created.

Cloud county was originally named "Shirley" county. However, civic leaders feared that sounded too much like the name of a prostitute.^[3] They changed the name to "Cloud" county. They named it after Colonel William F. Cloud.^[4]

Cloud County was created from the existing Washington County, Kansas. This was in a joint convention with Republic and Cloud counties. The county was legally organized on September 6, 1866. Elk Creek was chosen as the temporary county seat.^[5]

In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a railroad from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This railroad connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km²). Of that, 715 square miles (1,850 km²) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) (0.4%) is water.^[6]

Geographic features

The Republican River goes through the county. It enters from Republic County to the north. It exits to Clay County to the east. The Solomon River goes through the southwestern part of the county. It goes from Mitchell County to Ottawa County. Jamestown Lake is partially in the northwestern part of the county and partially in southwestern Republic county.

Major highways

U.S. Route 81 goes through Cloud County. It goes through Concordia and connects north to Belleville, Kansas or south to Salina, Kansas. The southern part of the county also has U.S. Route 24,. It connectd Clay Center, Kansas from the east and Beloit, Kansas to the west.

There are four other state highways in the county: K-9, K-28, K-189, and K-194.

People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	2,323	—
1880	15,343	560.5%
1890	19,295	25.8%
1900	18,071	−6.3%
1910	18,388	1.8%
1920	17,714	−3.7%
1930	18,006	1.6%
1940	17,247	−4.2%
1950	16,104	−6.6%
1960	14,407	−10.5%
1970	13,466	−6.5%
1980	12,494	−7.2%
1990	11,023	−11.8%
2000	10,268	−6.8%
2010	9,533	−7.2%
2020	9,032	−5.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[7] 1790-1960^[8] 1900-1990^[9] 1990-2000^[10] 2010-2020^[1]

Population pyramid

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential Elections Results

**Presidential Elections Results**^[11]
Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2020	76.0% 3,242	21.6% 920	2.4% 101
2016	73.8% 2,919	19.2% 761	7.0% 275
2012	72.8% 2,954	24.0% 974	3.2% 130
2008	70.1% 3,121	27.7% 1,233	2.2% 97
2004	71.5% 3,221	26.9% 1,210	1.6% 72
2000	64.8% 2,918	29.2% 1,314	6.0% 271
1996	54.7% 2,743	32.2% 1,615	13.2% 660
1992	39.1% 2,131	31.6% 1,720	29.3% 1,597
1988	59.3% 3,043	39.4% 2,022	1.2% 63
1984	66.4% 3,860	32.4% 1,880	1.2% 71
1980	61.6% 3,581	30.8% 1,793	7.6% 443
1976	48.7% 2,954	49.1% 2,976	2.2% 131
1972	66.4% 3,832	31.3% 1,806	2.3% 135
1968	56.2% 3,282	36.5% 2,132	7.3% 429
1964	44.4% 2,680	54.8% 3,314	0.8% 49
1960	60.6% 4,045	39.0% 2,607	0.4% 25
1956	68.6% 4,466	30.9% 2,008	0.5% 35
1952	75.2% 5,580	24.2% 1,793	0.6% 44
1948	56.2% 4,018	40.4% 2,891	3.4% 246
1944	63.7% 4,377	34.8% 2,391	1.6% 107
1940	60.4% 5,275	38.1% 3,327	1.4% 126
1936	47.9% 4,208	51.8% 4,546	0.4% 31
1932	39.9% 3,120	57.1% 4,457	3.0% 235
1928	68.3% 5,286	30.7% 2,376	1.1% 83
1924	62.6% 4,342	17.8% 1,238	19.6% 1,359
1920	69.8% 4,090	26.2% 1,534	4.0% 234
1916	39.9% 2,870	53.4% 3,837	6.7% 483
1912	21.8% 899	40.2% 1,658	38.0% 1,569
1908	52.2% 2,170	40.0% 1,663	7.7% 321
1904	67.6% 2,470	17.1% 626	15.3% 560
1900	51.9% 2,315	45.8% 2,045	2.3% 103
1896	44.1% 1,718	54.7% 2,129	1.2% 46
1892	45.0% 1,915		55.0% 2,342
1888	59.6% 2,542	24.6% 1,052	15.8% 675

Education

Unified school districts

Colleges and Universities

Cloud County Community College

Historic

Miltonvale Wesleyan College (closed 1972)
Concordia Normal School (closed 1876)
Concordia Business College (closed sometime after 1930)

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Cloud County (map legend)

Cities

Popular culture

Cloud County has also been listed as one of the places for Smallville in the Superman story line.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "QuickFacts: Cloud County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
↑ Brackman, Barbara (1997). Kansas Trivia. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 21. ISBN 9781418553814.
↑ Kansas Skyways Archived 2009-02-23 at the Wayback Machine "Cloud County History"
↑ History of the State of Kansas by William G. Cutler, Kansas Collection of Books
↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

Other websites

County

Maps

Cloud County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

[2020QF-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "QuickFacts: Cloud County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2023.

[GR6-2] "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.

[3] Brackman, Barbara (1997). Kansas Trivia. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 21. ISBN 9781418553814.

[4] Kansas Skyways Archived 2009-02-23 at the Wayback Machine "Cloud County History"

[5] History of the State of Kansas by William G. Cutler, Kansas Collection of Books

[GR1-6] "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.

[7] "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2014.

[8] "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.

[9] "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2014.

[10] "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2014.

[11] "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

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