Sheridan County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the high plains of the northwestern part of the state. It had a population of 2,447 at the 2020 census and covers 896 square miles (2,320 km2) of land, centred near 39°21′N 100°26′W.
Hoxie is the county seat, and its postal code is 67740. The county has two incorporated cities and several unincorporated communities spread across 14 townships. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Sheridan County
Sheridan County has two incorporated cities and five unincorporated communities. CDP stands for census-designated place; Unincorp. means the settlement has no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoxie | City · seat | Kenneth | 1,181 | 67740 |
| Selden | City | Sheridan | 179 | 67757 |
| Angelus | Unincorp. | Bowcreek | — | — |
| Lucerne | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
| Seguin | Unincorp. | Adell | — | — |
| Studley | Unincorp. | Prairie Dog | — | — |
| Tasco | Unincorp. | Solomon | — | — |
Townships
Sheridan County has 14 civil townships. Population figures are from the 2020 census; the sum runs slightly ahead of the county total because township and city counts overlap where a township contains an incorporated place.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth | 1,430 | Hoxie |
| Sheridan | 269 | Selden |
| Solomon | 248 | Tasco |
| Valley | 139 | — |
| Logan | 115 | — |
| Springbrook | 108 | — |
| Parnell | 104 | — |
| West Saline | 91 | — |
| Prairie Dog | 71 | Studley |
| East Saline | 66 | — |
| Union | 60 | Lucerne |
| Bowcreek | 54 | Angelus |
| Bloomfield | 45 | — |
| Adell | 13 | Seguin |
ZIP Codes
- 67740 — Hoxie (also serves Angelus and Bowcreek Township)
- 67757 — Selden (also serves Studley)
The remaining unincorporated communities — Lucerne, Seguin and Tasco — use a Hoxie or Selden postal route rather than a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Sheridan County lies on the flat to gently rolling high plains of northwestern Kansas, drained by the Solomon River and its Saline River tributaries. Nearly all of the land is farmland or shortgrass rangeland; the county’s water area is a fraction of one percent of its total, mostly small farm ponds and stream channels rather than any large lake.
Sheridan County borders Decatur County to the north, Norton County to the northeast, Graham County to the east, Gove County to the south, and Thomas County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 2,447 residents, down from earlier decades as the county’s farm population has steadily aged and declined, a pattern common across the western Kansas plains. Hoxie and Selden are the county’s two largest communities by a wide margin; every other named place is a rural crossroads. Sheridan County’s median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, typical for a sparsely populated wheat-and-cattle county far from any metro area. Density works out to roughly 2.7 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Wheat, grain sorghum and cattle ranching anchor the county’s economy, supplemented by irrigated corn where groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer supports it. Hoxie, the seat, hosts the county’s schools, the county courthouse, and most local retail and grain-elevator business. USD 412 Hoxie serves the county’s students.
History
Sheridan County was created by the Kansas legislature in 1873, part of a batch of 22 counties carved from the state’s then-unorganized western half, and was formally organized in 1880. It is named for General Philip Sheridan, the Union cavalry commander of the Civil War who later led military campaigns on the Great Plains. Settlement came slowly; the county’s population has never exceeded a few thousand, and its economy has stayed tied to dryland and irrigated agriculture from the start.
Getting There
U.S. Route 24 runs east–west through Hoxie, the county’s main highway link. Kansas Highway 23 crosses the county north–south.
- Colby — 30 miles west
- Norton — 30 miles northeast
- Hays — 55 miles southeast
- WaKeeney — 35 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Hays Regional Airport, roughly an hour’s drive southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sheridan County?
It is in the high plains of northwestern Kansas, United States, about 30 miles east of the Colorado border.
What is the population of Sheridan County?
2,447 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Sheridan County?
896 square miles (2,320 km2), almost entirely farmland and rangeland.
What is the county seat of Sheridan County?
Hoxie is the county seat.
How many towns are in Sheridan County?
Two incorporated cities, Hoxie and Selden, plus five smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Sheridan County?
67740 (Hoxie) and 67757 (Selden) cover the county.
Who is Sheridan County named after?
General Philip Sheridan, the Union Army cavalry commander of the American Civil War.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.