Sherman County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the Colorado line in the northwest corner of the state. It had a population of 5,927 at the 2020 census and covers 1,056 square miles (2,740 km2) centred near 39°21′N 101°43′W.
Goodland is the county seat, and its postal code is 67735. The county has two incorporated cities, one census-designated place and two unincorporated communities, all in the Mountain time zone.
Towns & Villages in Sherman County
Sherman County has five named places: two cities (one the county seat), one census-designated place (CDP) and two unincorporated communities. Goodland holds the large majority of the county’s population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodland | City · seat | — | 67735 |
| Kanorado | City | — | 67741 |
| Edson | CDP | — | 67735 |
| Ruleton | Unincorp. | — | 67735 |
| Caruso | Unincorp. | — | 67735 |
The old list on this page repeated Edson twice; the duplicate has been removed. All five names carried over are genuine Sherman County places.
ZIP Codes
- 67735 — Goodland (also serves Edson, Ruleton and Caruso)
- 67741 — Kanorado
Edson, Ruleton and Caruso are unincorporated or too small to carry their own ZIP code and are served by the Goodland post office.
Geography
Sherman County sits on the High Plains of northwestern Kansas, a mostly flat, wheat- and cattle-country tableland with almost no natural surface water — only about 0.2 square miles of the county’s area is water. The land rises gently from east to west toward the Colorado line, with few defined watercourses cutting the tableland; most of the county drains through shallow, intermittent draws rather than a named river. The county lies on the Colorado border and is one of just four Kansas counties on Mountain time rather than Central.
Sherman County borders Cheyenne County to the north, Rawlins County to the northeast, Thomas County to the east, Logan County to the southeast, Wallace County to the south, and Kit Carson County, Colorado, to the west.
Demographics
Sherman County had 5,927 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of roughly 5.6 people per square mile. Goodland is by far the largest community, followed by Kanorado. The population was 84.8% White and 1.7% Black or African American, with 13.0% identifying as Hispanic or Latino of any race; median age was 38.4, with 24.4% of residents under 18 and 19.8% aged 65 or older. The county’s median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, typical of a small, agriculture-dependent High Plains county.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy — wheat, corn, sorghum and cattle ranching on the surrounding High Plains. Goodland is also a stopover town on Interstate 70, with truck-stop, motel and retail trade serving cross-country travelers. Two public school districts serve the county, Unified School District 314 (Sherman County) and Unified School District 352 (Goodland), and Northwest Kansas Technical College operates a campus in Goodland, training students in trades tied to the region’s farming and trucking economy.
History
The Kansas Legislature created Sherman County in 1873, naming it for Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman, though it was not formally organized with its own county government until September 20, 1886, a common gap for sparsely settled northwestern Kansas counties of the era. Goodland grew as a railroad town on the Rock Island Line in the 1880s and became the county seat. Long a dry county, Sherman County kept prohibition on the books until 1986, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic beverages by the individual drink under a 30% food-sales requirement.
Getting There
Interstate 70, US Route 24 and Kansas Highway 27 all pass through the county, meeting at Goodland.
- Colby — 33 miles east
- Burlington, Colorado — 43 miles west
- St. Francis — 34 miles north
- Oakley — 48 miles southeast
The nearest commercial air service is Renner Field/Goodland Municipal Airport for general aviation; the nearest larger commercial airport is in Denver, Colorado, roughly a three-hour drive west on Interstate 70.
Government & Politics
Sherman County has voted Republican in nearly every presidential election for a century; the lone exception in recent memory was 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson narrowly carried the county, the only Democratic win there since 1936.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sherman County, Kansas?
It is in the northwest corner of Kansas on the Colorado state line, along Interstate 70.
What is the population of Sherman County?
5,927 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Sherman County?
1,056 square miles (2,735 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Sherman County?
Goodland is the county seat.
How many towns are in Sherman County?
Two incorporated cities (Goodland and Kanorado), one census-designated place (Edson) and two unincorporated communities (Ruleton and Caruso).
What ZIP codes are in Sherman County?
67735 (Goodland) and 67741 (Kanorado).
What time zone is Sherman County in?
Mountain time — one of only four Kansas counties on Mountain rather than Central time.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.