Douglas County is a county in Kansas, United States, home to the University of Kansas and the city of Lawrence, in the northeastern part of the state. It had a population of 118,785 at the 2020 census and covers 475 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 456 square miles are land and 19 square miles are water, centred near 38°57′35″N 95°15′51″W.
Lawrence is the county seat and largest city, and its postal code is 66044. The county holds 4 incorporated cities and about 18 unincorporated communities, plus 9 organized townships. Douglas County sits in the Central time zone and takes its name from Illinois senator Stephen A. Douglas.
Towns & Villages in Douglas County
Douglas County has 4 incorporated cities — Lawrence, Baldwin City, Eudora and Lecompton — and roughly 18 unincorporated communities scattered across its nine townships. None of the unincorporated places is a separately tabulated census-designated place, so most carry no individually reported 2020 population figure; those cells are marked with a dash below.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | City · seat | — | 94,934 | 66044–66047, 66049 |
| Eudora | City | Eudora | — | 66025 |
| Baldwin City | City | Palmyra | 4,826 | 66006 |
| Lecompton | City | Lecompton | — | 66050 |
| Big Springs | Unincorp. | — | — | 66044 |
| Bismark Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Black Jack | Unincorp. | Palmyra | — | — |
| Clearfield | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Clinton | Unincorp. | Clinton | — | — |
| Globe | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Grover | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hesper | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kanwaka | Unincorp. | Kanwaka | — | — |
| Lake View | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lone Star | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Midland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Noria | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sibleyville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Stull | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Vinland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Weaver | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Worden | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Kanwaka, Clinton and Lecompton double as both an unincorporated community and the name of their home township, a common pattern in eastern Kansas where the first post office or crossroads store gave its name to the surrounding survey township.
Townships
Douglas County has nine organized townships. Township population figures cover only the unincorporated territory outside the county’s four cities; the totals below are the 2020 census figures for that unincorporated area.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Palmyra | 5,760 | Baldwin City, Black Jack |
| Eudora | 5,571 | Eudora |
| Wakarusa | 2,237 | Big Springs |
| Lecompton | 1,761 | Lecompton |
| Willow Springs | 1,409 | Hesper |
| Kanwaka | 1,317 | Kanwaka, Stull |
| Marion | 836 | Vinland |
| Clinton | 531 | Clinton |
| Grant | 442 | Globe |
ZIP Codes
- 66044 — Lawrence (also serves Big Springs)
- 66045 — Lawrence (University of Kansas campus)
- 66046 — Lawrence
- 66047 — Lawrence
- 66049 — Lawrence
- 66025 — Eudora
- 66006 — Baldwin City (also serves Black Jack and Vinland)
- 66050 — Lecompton
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own and use the code of the nearest city post office.
Geography
Douglas County lies in the Kansas River valley, at the edge of the Osage Cuestas region where the flat glaciated plains north of the river give way to rolling, timbered hills to the south. The Kansas River (the Kaw) crosses the county west to east through Lawrence, and the Wakarusa River drains the southern half before joining the Kansas River near Eudora. Clinton Lake, formed by a dam on the Wakarusa southwest of Lawrence, is the county’s largest reservoir.
Douglas County borders Jefferson County to the north, Leavenworth County to the northeast, Johnson County to the east, Miami County to the southeast, Franklin County to the south, Osage County to the southwest, and Shawnee County to the northwest.
Demographics
Douglas County had a population of 118,785 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth most populous county in Kansas. Lawrence is by far the largest community; Eudora is the county’s second-largest city. The county’s median household income runs above the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting Lawrence’s university-anchored economy. Population density works out to roughly 260 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
The University of Kansas is the county’s dominant employer, drawing students and staff to Lawrence and shaping the surrounding rental and retail economy. Haskell Indian Nations University, a federally chartered tribal university, is also based in Lawrence. Outside the city, Douglas County’s economy runs on row-crop and livestock farming, with Baldwin City and Eudora serving as smaller commercial and residential centers within commuting range of both Lawrence and the Kansas City metro. Baldwin City is home to Baker University, Kansas’s oldest four-year university.
History
Douglas County was organized on August 25, 1855, one of the original counties created under the Kansas territorial legislature, and named for Illinois senator Stephen A. Douglas. Lawrence, founded that same year by the New England Emigrant Aid Company as a free-state stronghold, became a flashpoint of the “Bleeding Kansas” conflict: pro-slavery forces sacked the town in 1856, and Confederate guerrilla William Quantrill’s raiders burned much of it and killed roughly 150 men and boys in the Lawrence Massacre of August 1863.
Getting There
Interstate 70 (the Kansas Turnpike) crosses the county east–west through Lawrence, with US-59, US-40, US-56, US-24, K-10, K-32 and K-33 serving the smaller communities.
- Topeka — about 25 miles west
- Kansas City, Kansas — about 35 miles east
- Baldwin City — about 15 miles south of Lawrence
- Eudora — about 12 miles east of Lawrence
Kansas City International Airport, roughly an hour’s drive east, is the nearest major commercial airport; Lawrence Municipal Airport, opened in 1929, handles general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Douglas County, Kansas?
It is in the northeastern part of the state, along the Kansas River between Topeka and the Kansas City metro area.
What is the population of Douglas County?
118,785 at the 2020 census, the fifth-highest of any Kansas county.
How big is Douglas County?
475 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 456 square miles are land and 19 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Douglas County?
Lawrence is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Douglas County?
Four incorporated cities — Lawrence, Baldwin City, Eudora and Lecompton — plus roughly 18 unincorporated communities across nine townships.
What ZIP codes are in Douglas County?
Lawrence uses 66044 through 66047 and 66049; Baldwin City is 66006, Eudora is 66025 and Lecompton is 66050.
What university is in Douglas County?
The University of Kansas, founded in 1866, is based in Lawrence, along with Haskell Indian Nations University and, in Baldwin City, Baker University.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.