Ellis County, Kansas

Ellis County, Kansas
Ellis County Courthouse in Hays
Location in the state of Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 26, 1867
Seat	Hays
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	900.47 sq mi (2,332 km²) 899.97 sq mi (2,331 km²) 0.50 sq mi (1 km²), 0.06%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	28,452 29.9/sq mi (11.6/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.EllisCo.net

Ellis County (county code EL) is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 28,452. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays. The Hays Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Ellis County.

History

In 1942, the Walker Army Airfield was built northwest of Walker. Thousands were stationed at the airfield for training of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress during World War II. The airfield was abandoned and most of it razed.

Law and government

Ellis County was a prohibition, or "dry", 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. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1988.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 900.47 square miles (2,332.2 km²), of which 899.97 square miles (2,330.9 km²) (or 99.94%) is land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km²) (or 0.06%) is water.

Politics

Ellis County is an anomaly in western Kansas, having voted several times for Democratic presidential candidates, even when the vast majority of the state's 105 counties went for the Republican nominee. Ellis County bucked the national and statewide trend by voting for Michael Dukakis over winner George H.W. Bush in the 1988 presidential election, one of only two Kansas counties to go for Dukakis. Ellis County gave a plurality to Bill Clinton over Bush and Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential election, but has been in the Republican column in each of the past four elections, giving 66 percent to Republican John McCain to 32 percent for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 election, higher than the 57 percent McCain won statewide.

2005 Kansas Department of Transportation Map of Ellis County (map legend)

Adjacent counties

• Rooks County (north)
• Osborne County (northeast)
• Russell County (east)
• Rush County (south)
• Ness County (southwest)
• Trego County (west)

Major highways

• Interstate 70
• US-183

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	1,336		—
1880	6,179		362.5%
1890	7,942		28.5%
1900	8,626		8.6%
1910	12,170		41.1%
1920	14,138		16.2%
1930	15,907		12.5%
1940	17,508		10.1%
1950	19,043		8.8%
1960	21,270		11.7%
1970	24,730		16.3%
1980	26,098		5.5%
1990	26,004		−0.4%
2000	27,507		5.8%
2010	28,452		3.4%
Est. 2012	29,053		2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population pyramid

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 27,507 people, 11,193 households, and 6,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 12,078 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.10% White, 0.67% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.37% of the population.

There were 11,193 households out of which 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.50% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.40% under the age of 18, 18.40% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 19.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,339, and the median income for a family was $44,498. Males had a median income of $29,885 versus $21,269 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,259. About 6.50% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2004 estimate):

• Hays, 19,841 (county seat)
• Ellis, 1,830
• Victoria, 1,175
• Schoenchen, 213

Unincorporated places

The town of Antonino

• Antonino
• Catharine
• Emmeram
• Munjor
• Pfeifer
• Smoky Hill City
• Toulon
• Walker
• Yocemento

Townships

Ellis County is divided into nine townships. The cities of Ellis and Hays 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
Big Creek	06650		1,798	7 (18)	252 (97)	0 (0)	0.01%	38°52′40″N 99°20′39″W
Buckeye	08950		285	1 (2)	352 (136)	0 (0)	0.06%	39°1′24″N 99°18′25″W
Catherine	11050		318	2 (4)	208 (80)	0 (0)	0.03%	39°0′32″N 99°11′44″W
Ellis	20475		386	1 (2)	457 (176)	0 (0)	0.02%	38°58′47″N 99°30′57″W
Freedom	24625		125	1 (3)	117 (45)	0 (0)	0%	38°43′48″N 99°7′36″W
Herzog	31525		894	3 (7)	325 (126)	1 (0)	0.18%	38°55′29″N 99°7′19″W
Lookout	42700		569	2 (5)	317 (122)	0 (0)	0.10%	38°45′43″N 99°25′12″W
Victoria	73800		845	6 (16)	139 (54)	0 (0)	0%	38°49′56″N 99°8′31″W
Wheatland	77650		401	3 (7)	140 (54)	0 (0)	0%	38°46′45″N 99°16′19″W
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division.

Education

Unified school districts

• Ellis USD 388
• Victoria USD 432
• Hays USD 489

Private schools

• Holy Family Elementary in Hays
• St. Mary's Elementary in Ellis
• Thomas More Prep-Marian High in Hays

Universities and Colleges

• Fort Hays State University
• North Central Kansas Technical College

Trivia

Ellis County is the official German Capital of Kansas. German immigrants settled in Hays, Ellis, Victoria, and nearby villages in the 1870s and 1880s.

Gallery

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See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ellis County, Kansas
• Walker Army Airfield, an abandoned World War II airfield.

Information on this and other counties in Kansas

• List of counties in Kansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kansas
• Kansas locations by per capita income

Other information for Kansas

• List of cities in Kansas
• List of unified school districts in Kansas
• List of colleges and universities in Kansas

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 sites

• Ellis County

Additional information

• Blue Skyways
• Ellis County Sheriff's Department Wanted Page
• Kansas Statistical Abstract

Maps

• Ellis County Maps: Current, Historic Collection
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic Collection
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1915-1918
• Kansas School District Maps: Current
• Victory Highway Guide - San Francisco to Kansas City; Mohawk-Hobbs; 1926