Leavenworth County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the Missouri River across from Platte County, Missouri. It had a population of 81,881 at the 2020 census and covers 463 square miles (1,200 km2) of land, centred near 39°14′N 95°02′W.
Leavenworth is the county seat, and its postal code is 66048. The county has 8 incorporated cities and towns, more than a dozen unincorporated communities, and 10 civil townships. It sits in the Central time zone, and its FIPS county code is 20103.
Towns & Villages in Leavenworth County
Leavenworth County’s population is concentrated in a handful of incorporated cities along the Missouri River and the US-73/K-7 corridor, with a scatter of small unincorporated communities and mobile-home parks in between. In the table, “City · seat” marks the county seat, “City” and “Town” are incorporated places, and “Unincorp.” marks a named community with no city government. Several of the smaller entries below are historic post-office or rail-siding names carried over from older county surveys; their current populations are not separately tabulated by the Census Bureau.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavenworth | City · seat | Kickapoo | 37,351 | 66048 |
| Lansing | City | Fairmount | — | 66043 |
| Tonganoxie | City | Tonganoxie | — | 66086 |
| Basehor | City | Sherman | — | 66007 |
| Bonner Springs | City | — | — | — |
| De Soto | City | — | — | — |
| Linwood | City | Stranger | — | 66052 |
| Easton | City | Easton | — | 66020 |
| Fort Leavenworth | Unincorp. | Kickapoo | — | 66027 |
| Fairmount | Unincorp. | Fairmount | — | — |
| Fall Leaf | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hoge | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Jarbalo | Unincorp. | High Prairie | — | — |
| Kickapoo | Unincorp. | Kickapoo | — | — |
| Lenape | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lowemont | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Millwood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Reno | Unincorp. | Reno | — | — |
| Springdale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wadsworth | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Bain City | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Cochrane | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Coldspur | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| East Fairmount | Unincorp. | Fairmount | — | — |
| Ettenson | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hiatt | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Highland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Little Kaw | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mahon | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Maltby | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Maywood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Richardson | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| South Basehor | Unincorp. | Sherman | — | — |
| Stone | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Xavier | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Clear Creek Court MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oak Lane MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Paradise MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wildwoods MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Woodmoor MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Zoch Trailer Court | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Bonner Springs and De Soto are both mostly located in neighbouring Wyandotte and Johnson counties, with only a small edge of each city crossing into Leavenworth County; both are listed here because the Census Bureau counts them as partly within the county.
Townships
Leavenworth County is divided into 10 civil townships. Fairmount Township, which wraps around Lansing and Fort Leavenworth, is by far the most populous.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Fairmount | 6,266 | Lansing, Fort Leavenworth |
| Tonganoxie | 4,852 | Tonganoxie |
| Stranger | 2,451 | Linwood |
| Sherman | 2,367 | Basehor, South Basehor |
| High Prairie | 1,768 | Jarbalo |
| Kickapoo | 1,760 | Kickapoo, north Leavenworth |
| Delaware | 1,361 | rural, north of Lansing |
| Easton | 1,245 | Easton |
| Reno | 1,143 | Reno |
| Alexandria | 859 | rural, near the Atchison County line |
ZIP Codes
- 66048 — Leavenworth (also serves Fort Leavenworth’s residential areas)
- 66043 — Lansing
- 66086 — Tonganoxie
- 66007 — Basehor (also serves South Basehor)
- 66027 — Fort Leavenworth
- 66052 — Linwood
- 66020 — Easton
Bonner Springs and De Soto residents inside the Leavenworth County line use those cities’ own ZIP codes, which are administered from Wyandotte and Johnson counties respectively.
Geography
Leavenworth County sits on the west bank of the Missouri River, in the northeastern corner of Kansas, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Stranger Creek crosses the county’s western half, draining south into the Kansas River basin, while the Missouri River forms the county’s entire eastern and northern boundary. The terrain is rolling glaciated plain, with bluffs overlooking the Missouri River near Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth. Land makes up 463 of the county’s 469 square miles, with the remainder in the Missouri River and smaller streams.
The county borders Platte County, Missouri to the north and east across the Missouri River; Wyandotte County to the southeast; Johnson County to the south; Douglas County to the southwest; Jefferson County to the west; and Atchison County, Kansas to the northwest.
Demographics
Leavenworth County had 81,881 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 177 people per square mile. Leavenworth city, at 37,351, is by far the county’s largest community, with Lansing its second-largest incorporated city. The county’s median household income runs close to the Kansas median of $70,333, buoyed by steady federal and military payrolls that are less exposed to local economic swings than the state’s farm-dependent counties.
Economy & Local Life
Federal government and military employment anchor the county’s economy. Fort Leavenworth, home to the Army’s Combined Arms Center, and the federal United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth are among the largest employers, alongside the state-run Lansing Correctional Facility. USD 453 (Leavenworth) is a major local employer, and the University of Saint Mary maintains its main campus in Leavenworth. Away from the fort and the prisons, the county’s rural townships remain in row-crop and livestock agriculture, and its river-corridor cities function increasingly as commuter suburbs for Kansas City and Topeka.
History
Leavenworth County was organized in 1855, one of the original counties laid out after Kansas Territory opened to settlement, and takes its name from nearby Fort Leavenworth, itself named for Army colonel Henry Leavenworth. The fort, established in 1827, predates the county and the state; it is generally cited as the oldest continuously operating US Army post west of the Missouri River. The county was a flashpoint during the Bleeding Kansas violence of the late 1850s, as pro-slavery and free-state settlers contested control of the territory’s early government. The federal penitentiary opened at Leavenworth in 1903, adding a second major federal institution to a county already built around the fort.
Getting There
US-73, US-24/40, K-7 and K-92 are the county’s main highways, connecting Leavenworth and the river towns to the wider Kansas City road network.
- Kansas City, Missouri — 30 miles east
- Topeka — 35 miles west
- Lawrence — 20 miles south
- St. Joseph, Missouri — 45 miles north
Kansas City International Airport (MCI), in neighboring Platte County, Missouri, is the nearest commercial airport, roughly 25 miles from Leavenworth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Leavenworth County?
It is in the northeastern corner of Kansas, on the west bank of the Missouri River, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
What is the population of Leavenworth County?
81,881 at the 2020 census.
How big is Leavenworth County?
463 square miles (1,200 km2) of land, plus 6.1 square miles (16 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Leavenworth County?
Leavenworth is the county seat and its largest city.
How many towns are in Leavenworth County?
Eight incorporated cities and towns, plus more than a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Leavenworth County?
66048, 66043, 66086, 66007, 66027, 66052 and 66020.
Why is Fort Leavenworth important to the county?
It is the oldest continuously operating US Army post west of the Missouri River, established in 1827, and remains one of the county’s largest employers.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.