Lyon County is a county in Kansas, United States, in the Flint Hills region of the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 32,179 at the 2020 census and covers 855 square miles (2,210 km2) centred near 38°21′N 96°10′W.
Emporia is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 66801. The county has 9 incorporated cities, 2 unincorporated communities, and 11 civil townships. Lyon County observes Central time; its FIPS code is 20111.
Towns & Villages in Lyon County
Lyon County’s population is concentrated in Emporia, home to Emporia State University; the remaining eight cities are small farm towns of a few hundred people or fewer. A handful of mobile-home communities near Emporia (Belmont MH Estates, Genes MH Park, Lincoln MH Village, Paradise MH Park, Southgate MH Park, Westhill MH Park) and the crossroads settlement of Emporia Junction are listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as populated places but are not separately incorporated. CDP = Census-Designated Place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia | City · seat | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Americus | City | Americus | — | 66835 |
| Olpe | City | Center | — | 66865 |
| Hartford | City | Fremont | — | 66854 |
| Neosho Rapids | City | Elmendaro | — | 66864 |
| Allen | City | Jackson | — | 66833 |
| Reading | City | Reading | — | 66868 |
| Admire | City | Agnes City | — | 66830 |
| Bushong | City | Pike | — | — |
| Plymouth | Unincorp. | Pike | — | — |
| Miller | Unincorp. | Waterloo | — | — |
| Emporia Junction | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Belmont MH Estates | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Genes MH Park | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Lincoln MH Village | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Paradise MH Park | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Southgate MH Park | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Westhill MH Park | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
| Berkeley Hills | Unincorp. | Emporia | — | 66801 |
Two names on the old list — Lang and Merrick — could not be independently verified as current populated places in Lyon County and are omitted here; see the notes for this page.
Townships
Emporia city is governmentally independent of township government and is excluded from the township population figures below.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Americus | 1,503 | Americus |
| Pike | 1,034 | Bushong, Plymouth |
| Jackson | 979 | Allen |
| Emporia | 907 | Emporia Junction, mobile-home communities |
| Fremont | 903 | Hartford |
| Elmendaro | 788 | Neosho Rapids |
| Center | 1,198 | Olpe |
| Reading | 487 | Reading |
| Agnes City | 430 | Admire |
| Waterloo | 284 | Miller |
| Ivy | 269 | — |
ZIP Codes
- 66801 — Emporia (also serves Emporia Junction and the county’s mobile-home communities)
- 66830 — Admire
- 66833 — Allen
- 66835 — Americus
- 66854 — Hartford
- 66864 — Neosho Rapids
- 66865 — Olpe
- 66868 — Reading
Bushong, Plymouth and Miller have no post office of their own and are served by ZIP codes in a neighboring town.
Geography
Lyon County sits in the Flint Hills, a belt of tallgrass prairie underlain by limestone that resisted the plow and left much of the county in native grassland grazed by cattle. The Cottonwood and Neosho rivers meet at Emporia, and the two valleys carry most of the county’s cropland and towns. Lyon County borders six counties: Wabaunsee to the north, Coffey to the east, Greenwood to the south, Chase to the west, plus Osage to the northeast and Morris to the northwest.
Live neighboring county profiles: Wabaunsee County (north), Coffey County (east), Greenwood County (south), and Chase County (west). Osage County and Morris County, Kansas do not currently have their own pages on this site.
Demographics
Lyon County had 32,179 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 38 people per square mile. Emporia is by far the largest community, followed distantly by Americus. The county’s median household income runs well below the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting Emporia State University’s large share of student and part-time-wage residents alongside the county’s farm-town population.
Economy & Local Life
Emporia State University and the Emporia public school system are among the county’s largest employers. Outside the city, the economy is cattle grazing on Flint Hills pasture and row-crop farming in the river bottoms. Emporia hosts the Unbound Gravel bicycle race (formerly the Dirty Kanza) each June, which draws thousands of riders to town.
History
Lyon County was organized in 1862 out of what had been Breckinridge County, renamed for Union General Nathaniel Lyon, killed at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in August 1861 — the first Union general to die in the Civil War. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached the county in 1871, cementing Emporia’s role as a regional rail and trade hub. Emporia is also known as the hometown of newspaper editor William Allen White, whose Emporia Gazette editorials brought the town national attention in the early 20th century.
Getting There
Interstate 35 (the Kansas Turnpike) and U.S. Route 50 cross at Emporia, with U.S. Route 56 also running through the county.
- Topeka — 30 miles north
- Wichita — 65 miles southwest
- Kansas City — 100 miles northeast
- Manhattan — 45 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Manhattan Regional Airport; Emporia Municipal Airport handles general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lyon County, Kansas?
It is in the Flint Hills of east-central Kansas, about 100 miles southwest of Kansas City, at the junction of the Kansas Turnpike and U.S. Route 50.
What is the population of Lyon County?
32,179 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lyon County?
855 square miles (2,210 km2), of which 847 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Lyon County?
Emporia, the county’s largest city, is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lyon County?
Nine incorporated cities, plus a handful of unincorporated communities including Plymouth and Miller.
What ZIP codes are in Lyon County?
66801 (Emporia), 66830, 66833, 66835, 66854, 66864, 66865 and 66868.
Why is it called Lyon County?
It was named for Union General Nathaniel Lyon, killed at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in 1861.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.