Kingman County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the south-central plains between Wichita and the Oklahoma border. It had a population of 7,470 at the 2020 census and covers 867 square miles (2,245 km2), of which 863 square miles are land and 3.3 square miles are water, centred near 37°34′N 98°08′W.
Kingman is the county seat, and its postal code is 67068. The county has one city that also serves as an incorporated hub for a scatter of smaller towns and unincorporated communities; it sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 20095.
Towns & Villages in Kingman County
Kingman County’s population is spread across one main city and a handful of small towns and unincorporated places along the Chikaskia and Ninnescah river valleys. Most of the county’s land remains agricultural, and several of the names below are rural post offices or crossroads rather than incorporated places.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingman | City · seat | — | 67068 |
| Cunningham | City | — | 67035 |
| Nashville | City | — | 67112 |
| Norwich | City | — | 67118 |
| Penalosa | City | — | — |
| Spivey | City | — | 67142 |
| Zenda | City | — | 67159 |
| Murdock | Unincorp. | — | 67111 |
| Waterloo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rago | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willowdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list’s remaining entries — Adams, Alameda, Basil, Belmont, Calista, Cleveland, Georgia, Green Acres Trailer Court, Lansdowne, Midway, Mount Vernon, Orsemus, Saint Leo, Skellyville, and Varner — could not be independently verified as current place names on the ground and are omitted here rather than published unverified; a duplicate “Murdock” entry in the old list has been merged into one row.
ZIP Codes
- 67068 — Kingman
- 67035 — Cunningham
- 67118 — Norwich
- 67142 — Spivey
- 67111 — Murdock
- 67112 — Nashville
- 67159 — Zenda
Penalosa and smaller unincorporated places without their own post office, such as Waterloo, Rago, and Willowdale, are served by the ZIP code of the nearest town above.
Geography
Kingman County lies on the gently rolling plains of south-central Kansas, drained by the Ninnescah River and Chikaskia River. Most of the land is in cropland and pasture, with sand dune country along the Ninnescah in the county’s east. The county borders Reno County to the north, Sedgwick County to the east, Sumner County to the southeast, Harper County to the south, Barber County to the southwest, and Pratt County to the west.
Demographics
Kingman County’s population was 7,470 at the 2020 census. Kingman, the county seat, is the largest community, among the county’s other incorporated cities. Median household income in the county runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting the county’s largely agricultural economy. Population density is roughly 9 people per square mile, one of the lower densities in south-central Kansas.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Kingman County’s economy, chiefly wheat, sorghum, and cattle, alongside oil and gas production that has operated in the county for decades. Kingman, the county seat, hosts the county’s schools, hospital, and most retail and government services. The county remained legally dry for alcohol sales until Kingman voters approved limited sales in 2004.
History
Kingman County was organized in 1872 and named for Samuel A. Kingman, a chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. Like much of south-central Kansas, it was settled in the 1870s and 1880s by homesteaders drawn by railroad promotion of the plains, and its economy shifted from open-range cattle to row-crop farming as settlement filled in. Two unified school districts, Kingman–Norwich USD 331 and Cunningham–Norwich USD 332, still serve the county today.
Getting There
U.S. Route 54 crosses the county east–west through Kingman and Cunningham, linking the county to Wichita.
- Wichita — 40 miles east
- Pratt — 22 miles west
- Hutchinson — 40 miles north
- Medicine Lodge — 35 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kingman County?
It is in south-central Kansas, between Wichita and the Oklahoma border.
What is the population of Kingman County?
7,470 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Kingman County?
867 square miles (2,245 km2), including 3.3 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Kingman County?
Kingman is the county seat.
How many towns are in Kingman County?
Seven incorporated cities, plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Kingman County?
67068, 67035, 67118, 67142, 67159, and 67111 are the main ZIP codes.
What river runs through Kingman County?
The Ninnescah River and the Chikaskia River both cross the county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.