Coffey County is a county in Kansas, United States, home to the Wolf Creek Generating Station, the state’s only nuclear power plant. It had a population of 8,360 at the 2020 census and covers 654 square miles (1,690 km2), centred near 38°12′N 95°45′W.
Burlington is the county seat, and its postal code is 66839. The county has six incorporated cities, five named unincorporated communities and 14 civil townships. It lies in the Central time zone, FIPS code 20031.
Towns & Villages in Coffey County
Coffey County has six incorporated cities — Burlington, Gridley, Lebo, LeRoy, New Strawn and Waverly — plus a scatter of unincorporated communities and named mobile-home-park settlements carried over from the county’s own place records. The table below uses City · seat for the county seat, City for the other incorporated places, and Unincorp. for everything else.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | City · seat | Lincoln | 2,634 | 66839 |
| New Strawn | City | Rock Creek | 414 | 66839 |
| LeRoy | City | Le Roy | — | — |
| Lebo | City | Liberty | — | — |
| Gridley | City | — | — | — |
| Waverly | City | — | — | — |
| Ottumwa | Unincorp. | Ottumwa | — | — |
| Agricola | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Aliceville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Halls Summit | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sharpe | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Beto Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Barrett MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Botham MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Desloover MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lebo MH Park | Unincorp. | Liberty | — | — |
| Toy MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Walters MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Jacobs Creek Landing | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Burlington and New Strawn share the 66839 ZIP routing. The remaining incorporated cities keep their own ZIP codes, not independently verified for this profile.
Townships
Coffey County is divided into 14 civil townships. Populations below could not be confirmed against the 2020 census in this pass and are shown as —; township boundaries and names are current.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | — | Burlington |
| Rock Creek | — | New Strawn |
| Le Roy | — | LeRoy |
| Liberty | — | Lebo |
| Ottumwa | — | Ottumwa |
| Avon | — | — |
| Hampden | — | — |
| Key West | — | — |
| Neosho | — | — |
| Pleasant | — | — |
| Pottawatomie | — | — |
| Spring Creek | — | — |
| Star | — | — |
| Burlington | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 66839 — Burlington (also serves New Strawn)
Gridley, Lebo, LeRoy and Waverly each carry their own local ZIP code; these were not independently confirmed for this profile and are omitted rather than guessed.
Geography
Coffey County sits in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, rolling tallgrass prairie cut by the Neosho River, which is impounded near Burlington to form John Redmond Reservoir and the adjacent Coffey County Lake, the cooling reservoir for Wolf Creek Generating Station. The county totals 654 square miles, with 627 square miles of land and 27 square miles of water.
Coffey County borders Lyon County to the northwest, Osage County to the north, Franklin County to the northeast, Anderson County to the east, Allen County to the southeast, Woodson County to the south, and Greenwood County to the southwest.
Demographics
Coffey County had 8,360 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 13 people per square mile of land. Burlington (2,634) and New Strawn (414) are the county’s two largest communities. County-level household income was not independently verified for this profile; for comparison, the Kansas statewide median household income was $70,333 (2023 American Community Survey).
Economy & Local Life
Wolf Creek Generating Station, operated by Evergy, is the county’s largest single employer and the only nuclear power plant in Kansas. Beyond the plant, the county’s economy runs on Flint Hills cattle ranching and row-crop farming (wheat, soybeans, corn), with Burlington serving as the retail and government hub. Burlington High School hosts Allen County Community College extension classes, and John Redmond Reservoir and Coffey County Lake draw fishing and boating visitors from across eastern Kansas.
History
Coffey County was organized on August 25, 1855, during the Kansas Territory period, and named for Asbury M. Coffey, a territorial legislator associated with the Free-State movement during the Bleeding Kansas conflict. Like much of the Flint Hills, the county’s early economy centered on open-range cattle ranching, which remains a defining feature of its landscape today.
Getting There
Interstate 35 crosses the county’s northeast corner near New Strawn, and US Routes 50 and 75 along with Kansas Highways K-31 and K-58 serve the rest of the county.
- Emporia — about 35 miles northwest
- Ottawa — about 40 miles northeast
- Topeka — about 55 miles north
- Wichita — about 90 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Topeka Regional Airport, roughly 55 miles to the north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Coffey County, Kansas?
It is in east-central Kansas, in the Flint Hills, between Emporia and the Kansas-Missouri border region.
What is the population of Coffey County?
8,360 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Coffey County?
654 square miles (1,690 km2), of which 627 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Coffey County?
Burlington, which is also the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Coffey County?
Six incorporated cities — Burlington, Gridley, Lebo, LeRoy, New Strawn and Waverly — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Coffey County?
66839 covers Burlington and New Strawn; the other cities have their own ZIP codes.
What is Coffey County known for?
Wolf Creek Generating Station, the only nuclear power plant in Kansas, sits on Coffey County Lake near Burlington.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.