Neosho County is a county in Kansas, United States, in the southeastern part of the state, where the Neosho River crosses fertile prairie farmland. It had a population of 15,904 at the 2020 census and covers 578 square miles (1,500 km2) centred near 37°34′N 95°17′W.
Erie is the county seat, and its postal code is 66733. The county has seven incorporated cities and a handful of unincorporated communities, and it observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Neosho County
Neosho County has seven incorporated cities, led by Chanute, plus several unincorporated communities scattered across its rural townships. The table below lists Type as City (including the county seat) or Unincorp. for places with no city government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chanute | City | 8,722 | 66720 |
| Erie | City · seat | 1,047 | 66733 |
| St. Paul | City | 614 | 66771 |
| Thayer | City | 432 | 66776 |
| Galesburg | City | — | 66740 |
| Stark | City | — | 66775 |
| Earlton | City | — | — |
| Kimball | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morehead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Odense | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shaw | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ladore | Unincorp. (ghost town) | — | — |
Earlton has no post office of its own and is served by the Erie ZIP. Two names on the county’s older lists, “Rollin” and the duplicated “South Mound,” do not correspond to a place independently confirmed in Neosho County and are omitted here; “Urbana” likewise could not be independently confirmed and is left out pending a better source.
ZIP Codes
- 66720 — Chanute (also serves the surrounding rural area)
- 66733 — Erie (also serves Earlton)
- 66740 — Galesburg
- 66771 — St. Paul
- 66775 — Stark
- 66776 — Thayer
Six ZIP codes cover the county’s roughly 576 square miles, with the 66720 (Chanute) ZIP holding the large majority of residents.
Geography
Neosho County sits on rolling prairie in southeast Kansas, drained by the Neosho River, which runs south through the middle of the county past Erie, and by several smaller creeks feeding it. Cropland and pasture cover most of the rural land, with Chanute Lake supplying part of the county’s water and popular for local fishing. The terrain is gentler than the Flint Hills to the west, making it well suited to row-crop farming alongside cattle grazing. Neighboring counties are Allen County to the north, Bourbon County to the northeast, Crawford County to the east, Labette County to the south, Montgomery County to the southwest, Wilson County to the west, and Woodson County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 15,904 residents, making Neosho one of Kansas’s mid-sized rural counties. Chanute, with 8,722 residents, is by far the largest community, followed by the county seat, Erie, at 1,047. Median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, typical for the county’s farming and small-manufacturing economy. Population density is about 28 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Chanute anchors the county’s economy as a regional trade and healthcare hub, home to Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center and Neosho County Community College. Agriculture remains central across the rest of the county, with cattle grazing and row crops (corn, soybeans, wheat) on the prairie land outside the cities. Chanute’s Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum and the Chanute Municipal Golf Course reflect a small-city civic life built up during the early-20th-century oil and railroad boom.
History
Neosho County was organized on June 3, 1861, and named for the Neosho River, whose name is thought to derive from an Osage or Kansa word for the waterway. The first railroad reached the county in 1870, spurring the growth of Chanute and Erie as shipping points for grain and, later, oil and natural gas from fields discovered around the turn of the 20th century. That boom drew workers and rail traffic through the early 1900s and left Chanute, in particular, with a larger commercial core than its population alone would suggest today. The county stayed legally dry under local prohibition until 1998, longer than most of the rest of the state.
Getting There
US-169 runs north–south through Chanute, and US-59 crosses the county’s western edge, connecting to Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri.
- Iola — 20 miles north
- Parsons — 25 miles south
- Yates Center — 25 miles west
- Pittsburg — 30 miles east
Chanute Martin Johnson Airport offers general aviation only; the nearest commercial service is Joplin Regional Airport in Missouri, about 60 miles east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Neosho County?
It is in southeastern Kansas, along the Neosho River between Allen and Labette counties.
What is the population of Neosho County?
15,904 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Neosho County?
578 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 571 square miles is land.
What is the Neosho County seat?
Erie is the county seat.
How many towns are in Neosho County?
Seven incorporated cities — Chanute, Earlton, Erie, Galesburg, St. Paul, Stark, and Thayer — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Neosho County?
66720 (Chanute), 66733 (Erie), 66740 (Galesburg), 66771 (St. Paul), 66775 (Stark), and 66776 (Thayer).
What is Neosho County’s largest city?
Chanute, with 8,722 residents at the 2020 census, is more than five times the size of the county seat, Erie.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.