Comanche County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the Oklahoma border in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 1,689 at the 2020 census and covers 790 square miles (2,000 km2) centred near 37°11′N 99°16′W.
Coldwater is the county seat, and its postal code is 67029. The county has three incorporated cities, one unincorporated community, and four townships. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Comanche County
Comanche County has four named places on the ground: three incorporated cities and one unincorporated community. All three cities also serve as township namesakes.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater | City · seat | Coldwater | 962 | 67029 |
| Protection | City | Protection | 355 | 67127 |
| Wilmore | City | Avilla | 81 | 67155 |
| Buttermilk | Unincorp. | Powell | — | — |
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Coldwater | — | Coldwater |
| Protection | — | Protection |
| Avilla | — | Wilmore |
| Powell | — | Buttermilk |
ZIP Codes
- 67029 — Coldwater
- 67127 — Protection
- 67155 — Wilmore
Buttermilk has no ZIP of its own and is served by the Protection or Coldwater post offices depending on the mail route.
Geography
Comanche County lies on the Gyp Hills, a red-rock plateau cut by shallow canyons and mesas, with the Medicine Lodge River and Mule Creek draining the county’s east and centre. Land use is overwhelmingly rangeland and wheat farming, and the county carries almost no surface water beyond a handful of small creeks and stock ponds. The Gyp Hills’ gypsum-capped buttes and red-clay canyons make the western half of the county rougher, more grazing than cropland, while the eastern townships flatten into wheat ground typical of south-central Kansas.
Comanche County borders Kiowa County to the north, Barber County to the east, Clark County to the west, and Harper County, Oklahoma, and Woods County, Oklahoma, to the south. The Oklahoma line runs the full length of the county’s southern edge, making Comanche one of only a handful of Kansas counties bordering two Oklahoma counties at once.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 1,689 residents, the smallest population Comanche County has recorded since settlement. Coldwater (962) and Protection (355) are the two largest communities, together holding most of the county’s population. Comanche County’s median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, typical of the state’s sparsely populated Gyp Hills counties. Population density is roughly 2.1 people per square mile, among the lowest in Kansas.
Economy & Local Life
Wheat farming and cattle ranching drive the county’s economy, with the Gyp Hills’ rugged, thin-soiled terrain better suited to grazing than row crops in its western reaches. USD 300 Comanche County operates the county’s public schools out of Coldwater, the only district serving the county. Hunting leases for deer and turkey bring seasonal visitors to the canyon country each fall, and the Clark State Fishing Lake area just west of the county line draws anglers from Coldwater and Protection alike. Grain elevators in Coldwater and Protection handle the annual wheat harvest, the county’s single biggest economic event.
History
Kansas lawmakers created Comanche County in 1867, naming it for the Comanche people, though it was not organized as a functioning county government until 1885, when Coldwater was chosen as seat. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reached the county in 1887, and the new rail line spurred the county’s first real settlement boom, bringing homesteaders into the Gyp Hills’ grazing and wheat country behind it. Like much of southwestern Kansas, the county lost a large share of its population during the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, when drought and dust storms drove out entire townships, and it has continued to decline gradually since as farms consolidated into larger operations.
Getting There
U.S. Route 183 runs north-south through Coldwater and Protection, with county roads connecting the smaller communities. Nearby anchors:
- Pratt, Kansas — 45 miles northeast
- Medicine Lodge, Kansas — 30 miles east
- Alva, Oklahoma — 35 miles south
- Dodge City, Kansas — 60 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Dodge City Regional Airport; Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, about 130 miles east, offers the closest major hub service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Comanche County, Kansas?
It sits in south-central Kansas on the Oklahoma state line, in the Gyp Hills region.
What is the population of Comanche County?
1,689 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Comanche County?
790 square miles (2,000 km2), of which 788 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Comanche County?
Coldwater is the county seat.
How many towns are in Comanche County?
Three incorporated cities — Coldwater, Protection, and Wilmore — plus the unincorporated community of Buttermilk.
What ZIP codes are in Comanche County?
67029 (Coldwater), 67127 (Protection), and 67155 (Wilmore).
Why is Comanche County named that?
It was named for the Comanche people when Kansas created the county in 1867.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.