Kiowa County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the state’s south-central border with Oklahoma. It had a population of 2,460 at the 2020 census and covers 723 square miles (1,870 km2) of land plus 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of water, centred near 37°34′N 99°17′W.
Greensburg is the county seat, and its postal code is 67054. The county has three incorporated cities, four unincorporated communities, and a single consolidated township covering the whole county. Kiowa County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Kiowa County
Kiowa County has seven named places: three incorporated cities (Greensburg, Haviland, and Mullinville) and four unincorporated communities (Belvidere, Brenham, Joy, and Wellsford). Only the three cities carry their own ZIP code; the unincorporated places are served by the nearest post office town.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greensburg | City · seat | 1,251 | 67054 |
| Haviland | City | 932 | 67059 |
| Mullinville | City | 335 | 67109 |
| Belvidere | Unincorp. | — | 67054 |
| Brenham | Unincorp. | — | 67059 |
| Joy | Unincorp. | — | 67059 |
| Wellsford | Unincorp. | — | 67109 |
Townships
Kansas organizes rural land into civil townships, but Kiowa County consolidated its township government decades ago into one unit, Kiowa Rural Township, which covers the entire county outside the three incorporated cities. No separate per-township population figures are published.
ZIP Codes
- 67054 — Greensburg (also serves Belvidere)
- 67059 — Haviland (also serves Brenham and Joy)
- 67109 — Mullinville (also serves Wellsford)
Every community in the county is served by one of these three post offices; none of the unincorporated places has its own ZIP code.
Geography
Kiowa County lies in the High Plains of south-central Kansas, mostly flat to gently rolling farmland and rangeland with the Medicine Lodge River drainage crossing its eastern edge. The county sits inside the strewn field of the Brenham pallasite, a meteorite shower that fell roughly ten thousand years ago; fragments are still occasionally recovered from farmland soil and museum specimens are displayed locally. Rangeland gives way to cropland in the county’s central and eastern townships, with wheat and sorghum fields dominating the landscape most of the year.
The county borders Edwards County to the north, Pratt County to the east, Barber County to the southeast, Comanche County to the south, Clark County to the southwest, and Ford County to the west.
Demographics
Kiowa County had 2,460 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 3.4 people per square mile. Greensburg, the county seat, is the largest community; Haviland is second. The Kansas median household income was $70,333 (2023 ACS); Kiowa County, a sparsely populated farming county, has historically run below the state figure, though a current verified county-level estimate is not available here.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county’s economy — wheat, sorghum, and cattle ranching dominate the land use, supplemented by wind-energy development on the surrounding plains. Greensburg rebuilt as a nationally known model of green construction after a 2007 tornado, and Kiowa County Memorial Hospital and USD 422 (Greensburg schools) are among the county’s larger employers. The Big Well Museum and Discovery Center, built around the world’s largest hand-dug well, anchors Greensburg’s small tourism trade alongside the town’s cluster of LEED-certified public buildings. Grain elevators in Greensburg, Haviland, and Mullinville handle the county’s wheat harvest each summer, and county fair events in late summer remain the largest annual community gatherings.
History
Kiowa County was established on February 26, 1867, and named for the Kiowa people, who historically ranged across the southern Plains. The county was temporarily dissolved and attached to a neighboring county in 1875 before being reestablished and organized in 1886. The county seat, Greensburg, was largely destroyed by an EF5 tornado on May 4, 2007, and rebuilt with an emphasis on LEED-certified, energy-efficient buildings.
Getting There
US-54/US-400 runs east-west through the county and US-183 runs north-south, meeting at Greensburg; no state highways serve the county.
- Pratt, Kansas — 25 miles east
- Dodge City, Kansas — 30 miles west
- Medicine Lodge, Kansas — 35 miles southeast
- Wichita, Kansas — 105 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Dodge City Regional Airport; Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport offers wider service about two hours east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kiowa County, Kansas?
It is in south-central Kansas, on the Oklahoma border, roughly 105 miles west of Wichita.
What is the population of Kiowa County?
2,460 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Kiowa County?
723 square miles (1,870 km2) of land plus a small amount of water.
What is the county seat of Kiowa County?
Greensburg is the county seat.
How many towns are in Kiowa County?
Three incorporated cities — Greensburg, Haviland, and Mullinville — plus four unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Kiowa County?
67054 (Greensburg), 67059 (Haviland), and 67109 (Mullinville).
Why did Greensburg rebuild as a “green” town?
A 2007 EF5 tornado destroyed most of the city, and its rebuild emphasized energy-efficient, sustainable construction.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.