Kansas, the Sunflower State
Land area: 81,823 sq. mi. (13)
Population (2020): 2,937,880 (35), up 2.97% since 2010
Population density: 35.91 per sq. mi. (41)
U.S. Representatives (2023-32): 4
Entered Union: 29-Jan-1861 (34)
I’ve finally spent some time in Kansas. In 1992, I entered north of Atchison, which is most famous for lending its name to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, and I crossed into Missouri just east of there. Then in 1995, I covered the 13 miles or so of old Route 66 that run through the state just west of Joplin, Mo., and north of Commerce, Okla. Well, I got back in 1998 and explored a lot more of the state, from Marysville (the last surviving Pony Express barn) down to Wichita and beyond. I finished what used to be called the Wheat State in October 2008, from the geographic center of the conterminous U.S. near Lebanon to the World’s Largest Ball of Sisal Twine in Cawker City to a taste of the Wild West in Dodge City.
No. of Counties I’ve Visited: 105 of 105
| County |
Pop. (2020) |
Latest Visit | |
County Seat |
Visited? |
| Allen | 12,526 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Iola | yes |
| Anderson | 7,836 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Garnett | |
| Atchison | 16,348 | 17-Aug-1992 | | Atchison | yes |
| Barber | 4,228 | 22-Jul-2021 | | Medicine Lodge | yes |
| Barton | 25,493 | 1-Oct-2008 | | Great Bend | |
| Bourbon | 14,360 | 5-Jul-2020 | | Fort Scott | yes |
| Brown | 9,508 | 2-Sep-2011 | | Hiawatha | yes |
| Butler | 67,380 | 14-Jan-2022 | | El Dorado | yes |
| Chase | 2,572 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Cottonwood Falls | |
| Chautauqua | 3,379 | 20-Aug-2005 | | Sedan | |
| Cherokee | 19,362 | 19-Oct-2022 | | Columbus | yes |
| Cheyenne | 2,616 | 10-Oct-2007 | | St. Francis | yes |
| Clark | 1,991 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Ashland | yes |
| Clay | 8,117 | 11-Oct-2007 | | Clay Center | yes |
| Cloud | 9,032 | 11-Oct-2007 | | Concordia | yes |
| Coffey | 8,360 | 2-Sep-2011 | | Burlington | yes |
| Comanche | 1,689 | 22-Jul-2021 | | Coldwater | yes |
| Cowley | 34,549 | 13-Jan-2022 | | Winfield | yes |
| Crawford | 38,972 | 19-Oct-2022 | | Girard | |
| Decatur | 2,764 | 10-Oct-2007 | | Oberlin | yes |
| Dickinson | 18,402 | 16-Sep-2021 | | Abilene | yes |
| Doniphan | 7,510 | 5-Oct-2023 | | Troy | yes |
| Douglas | 118,785 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Lawrence | |
| Edwards | 2,907 | 1-Oct-2008 | | Kinsley | |
| Elk | 2,483 | 22-Jul-2021 | | Howard | yes |
| Ellis | 28,934 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Hays | yes |
| Ellsworth | 6,376 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Ellsworth | |
| Finney | 38,470 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Garden City | yes |
| Ford | 34,287 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Dodge City | yes |
| Franklin | 25,996 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Ottawa | yes |
| Geary | 36,739 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Junction City | |
| Gove | 2,718 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Gove | |
| Graham | 2,415 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Hill City | yes |
| Grant | 7,352 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Ulysses | yes |
| Gray | 5,653 | 22-Jul-2021 | | Cimarron | yes |
| Greeley | 1,284 | 2-Oct-2008 | | Tribune | yes |
| Greenwood | 6,016 | 15-Sep-2021 | | Eureka | yes |
| Hamilton | 2,518 | 7-Jul-2020 | | Syracuse | yes |
| Harper | 5,485 | 22-Jul-2021 | | Anthony | yes |
| Harvey | 34,024 | 16-Sep-2021 | | Newton | yes |
| Haskell | 3,780 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Sublette | yes |
| Hodgeman | 1,723 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Jetmore | yes |
| Jackson | 13,232 | 2-Sep-2011 | | Holton | yes |
| Jefferson | 18,368 | 13-Aug-2005 | | Oskaloosa | |
| Jewell | 2,932 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Mankato | |
| Johnson | 609,863 | 16-Sep-2021 | | Olathe | yes |
| Kearny | 3,983 | 7-Jul-2020 | | Lakin | yes |
| Kingman | 7,470 | 6-Jul-2020 | | Kingman | yes |
| Kiowa | 2,460 | 22-Jul-2021 | | Greensburg | yes |
| Labette | 20,184 | 19-Oct-2022 | | Oswego | yes |
| Lane | 1,574 | 2-Oct-2008 | | Dighton | yes |
| Leavenworth | 81,881 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Leavenworth | |
| Lincoln | 2,939 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Lincoln | yes |
| Linn | 9,591 | 5-Jul-2020 | | Mound City | yes |
| Logan | 2,762 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Oakley | yes |
| Lyon | 32,179 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Emporia | yes |
| McPherson | 30,223 | 16-Sep-2021 | | McPherson | yes |
| Marion | 11,823 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Marion | |
| Marshall | 10,038 | 22-Aug-1998 | | Marysville | yes |
| Meade | 4,055 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Meade | yes |
| Miami | 34,191 | 6-Aug-2006 | | Paola | |
| Mitchell | 5,796 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Beloit | |
| Montgomery | 31,486 | 19-Oct-2022 | | Independence | yes |
| Morris | 5,386 | 16-Sep-2021 | | Council Grove | yes |
| Morton | 2,701 | 21-Jul-2021 | | Elkhart | yes |
| Nemaha | 10,273 | 2-Sep-2011 | | Seneca | yes |
| Neosho | 15,904 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Erie | yes |
| Ness | 2,687 | 2-Oct-2008 | | Ness City | yes |
| Norton | 5,459 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Norton | |
| Osage | 15,766 | 16-Sep-2021 | | Lyndon | yes |
| Osborne | 3,500 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Osborne | yes |
| Ottawa | 5,735 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Minneapolis | |
| Pawnee | 6,253 | 1-Oct-2008 | | Larned | yes |
| Phillips | 4,981 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Phillipsburg | |
| Pottawatomie | 25,348 | 11-Oct-2007 | | Westmoreland | |
| Pratt | 9,157 | 6-Jul-2020 | | Pratt | yes |
| Rawlins | 2,561 | 10-Oct-2007 | | Atwood | yes |
| Reno | 61,898 | 16-Sep-2021 | | Hutchinson | yes |
| Republic | 4,674 | 11-Oct-2007 | | Belleville | yes |
| Rice | 9,427 | 1-Oct-2008 | | Lyons | yes |
| Riley | 71,959 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Manhattan | yes |
| Rooks | 4,919 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Stockton | yes |
| Rush | 2,956 | 1-Oct-2008 | | La Crosse | yes |
| Russell | 6,691 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Russell | yes |
| Saline | 54,303 | 24-Aug-2018 | | Salina | yes |
| Scott | 5,151 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Scott City | yes |
| Sedgwick | 523,824 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Wichita | yes |
| Seward | 21,964 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Liberal | yes |
| Shawnee | 178,909 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Topeka | yes |
| Sheridan | 2,447 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Hoxie | yes |
| Sherman | 5,927 | 6-Oct-2024 | | Goodland | yes |
| Smith | 3,570 | 30-Sep-2008 | | Smith Center | yes |
| Stafford | 4,072 | 1-Oct-2008 | | Saint John | |
| Stanton | 2,084 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Johnson | yes |
| Stevens | 5,250 | 21-Jul-2021 | | Hugoton | yes |
| Sumner | 22,382 | 13-Jan-2022 | | Wellington | yes |
| Thomas | 7,930 | 7-Oct-2024 | | Colby | yes |
| Trego | 2,808 | 24-Aug-2018 | | WaKeeney | yes |
| Wabaunsee | 6,877 | 14-Jan-2022 | | Alma | |
| Wallace | 1,512 | 29-Sep-2008 | | Sharon Springs | yes |
| Washington | 5,530 | 11-Oct-2007 | | Washington | |
| Wichita | 2,152 | 2-Oct-2008 | | Leoti | yes |
| Wilson | 8,624 | 15-Sep-2021 | | Fredonia | yes |
| Woodson | 3,115 | 5-Jul-2020 | | Yates Center | yes |
| Wyandotte | 169,245 | 8-Jun-2020 | | Kansas City | yes |
Iowa | Kentucky
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