Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County (county code JO) is a county in northeast Kansas. The county is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. It contains many of the richer suburbs of Kansas City. As of the 2020 census, 609,863 people lived there.[3] Its county seat is Olathe.[4] The most populous city is Overland Park.
Johnson County | |
|---|---|
![Former Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe (2009). It opened in 1952, closed in 2020, then demolished in 2021 after a new courthouse was finished.[1][2]](/wiki/File:Johnson_county_kansas_courthouse_2009.jpg) | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Kansas | |
 Kansas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 38°52′N 94°52′W / 38.867°N 94.867°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | August 25, 1855 |
| Named for | Thomas Johnson |
| Seat | Olathe |
| Largest city | Overland Park |
| Area | |
| • Total | 480 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
| • Land | 473 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
| • Water | 6.5 sq mi (17 km2) 1.4% |
| Population | |
| • Total | 609,863 |
| • Density | 1,289.4/sq mi (497.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | jocogov.org |
In 2010, Money magazine ranked Overland Park 7th and Shawnee 17th in its list of the 100 Best Cities in the United States in which to live.[5] In 2008 the same magazine had ranked Olathe 11th.[6]
History
change| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 4,364 | — | |
| 1870 | 13,684 | 213.6% | |
| 1880 | 16,853 | 23.2% | |
| 1890 | 17,385 | 3.2% | |
| 1900 | 18,104 | 4.1% | |
| 1910 | 18,288 | 1.0% | |
| 1920 | 18,314 | 0.1% | |
| 1930 | 21,179 | 15.6% | |
| 1940 | 33,327 | 57.4% | |
| 1950 | 62,783 | 88.4% | |
| 1960 | 143,792 | 129.0% | |
| 1970 | 220,073 | 53.0% | |
| 1980 | 270,269 | 22.8% | |
| 1990 | 357,048 | 32.1% | |
| 2000 | 451,086 | 26.3% | |
| 2010 | 544,179 | 20.6% | |
| 2020 | 609,863 | 12.1% | |
2011 estimate | |||
Johnson County is named for Thomas Johnson. It was one of the first counties in the Kansas Territory in 1855. The well known gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok lived in the county for a time. He was the constable of Monticello Township in 1858. Johnson County was the site of many battles dealing with slavery during Bleeding Kansas.
The county was mostly rural until the early 20th century. There was a large amount of urban development from 1914 though World War II. After the war, the development grew even greater.
Laws
changeJohnson County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was changed in 1986.[7]
Geography
changeThe county has a total area of 480.15 square miles (1,243.6 km2). Of this, 476.78 sq mi (1,234.9 km2) (or 99.30%) is land, and 3.37 sq mi (8.7 km2) (or 0.70%) is water.[8]
Adjacent counties
change- Wyandotte County (north)
- Jackson County, Missouri (east)
- Cass County, Missouri (southeast)
- Miami County (south)
- Franklin County (southwest)
- Douglas County (west)
- Leavenworth County (northwest)
Cities and towns
changeIncorporated cities
changeName and population (2020 Census):[9]
- Overland Park,* 197,238
- Olathe, 141,290 (county seat)
- Shawnee,* 67,311
- Lenexa,* 57,434
- Leawood,* 33,902
- Gardner, 23,287
- Prairie Village,* 22,957
- Merriam,* 11,098
- Mission,* 9,954
- Spring Hill, 7,952
- Bonner Springs 7,837 (also in Wyandotte County and Leavenworth County)
- Roeland Park,* 6,871
- De Soto, 6,118
- Fairway,* 4,170
- Mission Hills,* 3,594
- Westwood,* 1,750
- Edgerton, 1,748
- Lake Quivira,* 1,014 (also in Wyandotte County)
- Westwood Hills,* 400
- Mission Woods,* 203
*Cities included in Shawnee Mission. The main Shawnee Mission post office is in Mission.
Unincorporated places
change- Bonita
- Clare
- Ocheltree
- Stanley
- Stilwell
Townships
changeJohnson County was divided into nine townships. Two of these no longer exist. They were made part of independent municipalities. All of the cities are considered governmentally independent. They are not included in the census numbers for the townships.
| Township | FIPS | Population center |
Population (2020) |
Population density /km² (/sq mi) |
Land area km² (sq mi) |
Water area km² (sq mi) |
Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aubry | 03225 | 4,650 | 54 (140) | 86 (33) | 1 (0) | 1.29% | 38°45′35″N 94°42′49″W / 38.75972°N 94.71361°W | |
| Gardner | 25450 | 2,593 | 35 (92) | 73 (28) | 1 (0) | 1.40% | 38°46′33″N 94°53′56″W / 38.77583°N 94.89889°W | |
| Lexington | 39800 | 1,497 | 11 (29) | 133 (51) | 4 (2) | 3.03% | 38°54′49″N 94°59′17″W / 38.91361°N 94.98806°W | |
| McCamish | 43625 | 980 | 9 (24) | 104 (40) | 1 (0) | 0.79% | 38°48′14″N 95°0′37″W / 38.80389°N 95.01028°W | |
| Monticello | 47950 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Olathe | 52600 | 894 | 34 (88) | 26 (10) | 0 (0) | 0.70% | 38°53′38″N 94°52′48″W / 38.89389°N 94.88000°W | |
| Oxford | 53825 | 2,027 | 283 (732) | 7 (3) | 0 (0) | 4.35% | 38°49′43″N 94°39′45″W / 38.82861°N 94.66250°W | |
| Shawnee | 64525 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Spring Hill | 67650 | 2,004 | 35 (89) | 58 (22) | 1 (0) | 1.11% | 38°47′35″N 94°47′3″W / 38.79306°N 94.78417°W |
References
change- ↑ "Demolition of old Johnson County Courthouse completed". Johnson County Government. August 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021.
- ↑ "The New Johnson County Courthouse opens in Olathe, Kansas". Building Design & Construction. February 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "QuickFacts: Johnson County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Money Magazine". CNN. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Best Places to Live 2008 – Kansas". Money Magazine. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ↑ "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ↑ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ↑ https://data.census.gov
Other websites
change
- Official sites
- Johnson County
- Johnson County History
- Johnson County Library
- Johnson County Genealogical Society and Library Archived 2013-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Frontier Military Historic Byway[permanent dead link]
- Additional information
- Blue Skyways Archived 2012-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
- Kansas Statistical Abstract Archived 2005-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Maps
- Johnson County Map, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
- Kansas School District Boundary Map Archived 2012-04-03 at the Wayback Machine, KSDE