Washington County, Kansas

Washington County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the Nebraska border in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 5,530 at the 2020 census and covers 899 square miles (2,330 km2), centred near 39°48′N 97°06′W.

Washington is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 66968. The county contains 10 incorporated cities and several unincorporated communities, and is divided into 25 civil townships. Washington County observes Central time.

Towns & Villages in Washington County

Washington County has 10 incorporated cities, from the county seat of Washington down to tiny Palmer and Mahaska, plus a scattering of unincorporated communities and one recognized ghost town, Strawberry. In the table below, City means an incorporated third-class city under Kansas law and Unincorp. means an unincorporated place with no municipal government of its own.

Hollenberg, near Hanover, is best known as the site of the Hollenberg Pony Express Station rather than as a town in its own right; it has never grown beyond a handful of houses. Strawberry, in the township of the same name, is a recognized ghost town with no remaining population.

Townships

Washington County is divided into 25 civil townships. Populations below are from the 2020 census.

ZIP Codes

• 66968 — Washington
• 66945 — Hanover (also serves Hollenberg)
• 66937 — Clifton
• 66953 — Linn
• 66943 — Greenleaf
• 66933 — Barnes
• 66944 — Haddam
• 66962 — Palmer
• 66958 — Morrowville
• 66946 — Hollenberg
• 66955 — Mahaska

Vining, Kimeo, Strawberry, Calderhead, Chepstow, Enosdale, and Spence have no post office of their own; residents use the ZIP code of the nearest listed town.

Geography

Washington County lies in the glaciated till plains of north-central Kansas, drained by the Little Blue River and its tributary Mill Creek — both of which lend their names to civil townships. The terrain is gently rolling prairie given over almost entirely to row-crop farming and cattle grazing. Of the county’s 899 square miles, 895 square miles are land and 3.9 square miles are water, mostly small streams and farm ponds rather than any single large lake.

Washington County borders Nebraska to the north, sharing lines with Jefferson County, Nebraska and Gage County, Nebraska to the north, and Thayer County, Nebraska to the northwest. Within Kansas, Marshall County lies to the east, Riley County to the southeast, Clay County to the south, Cloud County to the southwest, and Republic County to the west.

Demographics

Washington County’s population was 5,530 at the 2020 census, continuing a long, slow decline typical of rural north-central Kansas counties. Washington, the county seat, is the largest community, followed by Hanover. Median household income in the county trails the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting an economy still centred on agriculture rather than higher-wage industry. Population density works out to roughly 6 people per square mile across the county’s 895 square miles of land.

Economy & Local Life

Agriculture drives the local economy — wheat, corn, soybeans, and cattle grazing across the county’s farmland, supported by grain elevators and farm-supply businesses in Washington, Hanover, and Clifton. The Washington County Hospital and the county’s public school district are among the largest local employers. The Washington County Fair, held in Washington each summer, and Pony Express Days in Hanover, which commemorates the county’s Pony Express history, are the county’s best-known annual events.

History

Washington County was organized on February 20, 1857, and named for George Washington. Before white settlement, the area lay within the range of Plains tribes including the Kansa, Pawnee, and Otoe. In its earliest years, the Oregon-California Trail, the Overland Stage Line, and the Pony Express all crossed the county. The Hollenberg Pony Express Station, built near Hanover in 1857, is one of the few unaltered original Pony Express stations still standing anywhere on the route and is preserved today as a Kansas State Historic Site. More recently, the Keystone Pipeline, built through the county in 2010, ruptured in December 2022 near the county’s Mill Creek and Little Blue River bottomland, spilling crude oil before the line was reopened on December 29, 2022.

Getting There

U.S. Route 36 crosses Washington County east–west through the county seat, and K-15 runs north–south through Washington toward the Nebraska line at Hollenberg.

• Marysville, Kansas — about 25 miles east via US-36
• Concordia, Kansas — about 30 miles west via US-36
• Manhattan, Kansas — about 45 miles southeast via K-15 and K-16
• Fairbury, Nebraska — about 20 miles north via K-15

The nearest commercial airport is Manhattan Regional Airport, roughly 45–50 miles southeast of Washington.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Washington County, Kansas?
Washington County sits in north-central Kansas on the Nebraska state line, centred near 39°48′N 97°06′W.

What is the population of Washington County?
Washington County had a population of 5,530 at the 2020 census.

How big is Washington County?
The county covers 899 square miles (2,330 km2), one of the larger counties in Kansas by land area.

What is the county seat of Washington County?
Washington is the county seat, and the county was named for it in turn after George Washington.

How many towns are in Washington County?
The county has 10 incorporated cities plus several unincorporated communities, including Hollenberg and the ghost town of Strawberry.

What ZIP codes are in Washington County?
The county has 11 ZIP codes, including 66968 (Washington), 66945 (Hanover), 66937 (Clifton), and 66953 (Linn).

What is the Hollenberg Pony Express Station?
It is an 1857 way station near Hanover, one of the few unaltered original Pony Express stations still standing, now preserved as a Kansas State Historic Site.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.