Reno County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the Great Bend Prairie in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 61,898 at the 2020 census and covers 1,272 square miles (3,290 km2) centred near 37°54′N 98°00′W.
Hutchinson is the county seat, and its postal code is 67501. The county has 15 incorporated cities, several unincorporated communities, and 31 civil townships. Reno County is in the Central time zone, and its FIPS code is 20155.
Towns & Villages in Reno County
Reno County has 15 incorporated cities plus a handful of unincorporated communities and one census-designated place (Yoder). Hutchinson, the seat, is by far the largest; most other cities and unincorporated places have a few hundred residents or fewer.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson | City · seat | Reno Twp. | 40,006 | 67501 / 67502 |
| South Hutchinson | City | — | 2,521 | 67505 |
| Buhler | City | — | 1,325 | 67522 |
| Haven | City | Haven Twp. | 1,170 | 67543 |
| Nickerson | City | — | 1,058 | 67561 |
| Pretty Prairie | City | — | 660 | 67570 |
| Turon | City | — | — | 67583 |
| Arlington | City | Arlington Twp. | 435 | 67514 |
| Partridge | City | — | — | 67566 |
| Abbyville | City | — | — | 67510 |
| Sylvia | City | Sylvia Twp. | — | 67581 |
| Plevna | City | Plevna Twp. | — | 67568 |
| Langdon | City | Langdon Twp. | — | — |
| The Highlands | City | — | — | — |
| Willowbrook | City | — | — | — |
| Yoder | CDP | Yoder Twp. | — | 67585 |
| Castleton | Unincorp. | Castleton Twp. | — | — |
| Darlow | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Huntsville | Unincorp. | Huntsville Twp. | — | — |
| Lerado | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Medora | Unincorp. | Medora Twp. | — | — |
| Saint Joe | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Yaggy | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Kent and Adam’s Corner are recorded ghost towns in the county and no longer have residents. Several roadside communities from the old scraped list — Adams Corner, Charters Corner, Cruppers Corner, Kilbourns Corner, McVays Corner, Obeeville, and Whiteside — are historical crossroads names with no verifiable current population and are omitted here; a cluster of manufactured-home parks (Brookhaven MH Village, Coach Lamp Village, Hinmans MH Park, Macs MH Park, Melody Acres MH Park, Reynolds MH Park, Sands MH Park, Showalter MH Park, Sunview MH Park, Western Acres MH Park, Greenlawn Trailer Park, Hutchinson Regency MH Park) are private residential parks rather than places, also omitted.
Townships
Reno County has 31 civil townships. The table below gives each township’s 2020 population and its main settlement where one exists; many rural townships have no incorporated community.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Reno | 4,496 | Hutchinson (part), South Hutchinson (part) |
| Clay | 3,302 | Rural, north of Hutchinson |
| Little River | 1,881 | Nickerson (part) |
| Haven | 1,592 | Haven |
| Medora | 1,594 | Medora |
| Grant | 1,307 | Buhler (part) |
| Valley | 887 | Rural |
| Albion | 837 | Rural |
| Yoder | 742 | Yoder |
| Lincoln | 703 | Rural |
| Center | 672 | Partridge (part) |
| Sumner | 547 | Rural |
| Miami | 521 | Rural |
| Salt Creek | 483 | Rural |
| Arlington | 621 | Arlington |
| Sylvia | 393 | Sylvia |
| Westminster | 243 | Rural |
| Plevna | 235 | Plevna |
| Ninnescah | 226 | Rural |
| Langdon | 160 | Langdon |
| Medford | 144 | Rural |
| Enterprise | 139 | Rural |
| Loda | 119 | Rural |
| Huntsville | 118 | Huntsville |
| Walnut | 114 | Rural |
| Troy | 112 | Rural |
| Hayes | 106 | Rural |
| Roscoe | 108 | Rural |
| Bell | 87 | Rural |
| Grove | 64 | Rural |
| Castleton | 256 | Castleton |
ZIP Codes
- 67501 — Hutchinson
- 67502 — Hutchinson (also serves outlying north Reno County)
- 67504 — Hutchinson (PO Box only)
- 67505 — South Hutchinson
- 67522 — Buhler
- 67543 — Haven
- 67561 — Nickerson
- 67570 — Pretty Prairie
- 67583 — Turon
- 67566 — Partridge
- 67514 — Arlington
- 67510 — Abbyville
- 67581 — Sylvia
- 67568 — Plevna
- 67585 — Yoder (PO Box only)
Langdon, The Highlands, Willowbrook, and the unincorporated communities share ZIP codes with the nearest post office town above rather than having their own.
Geography
Reno County sits on the flat to gently rolling Great Bend Prairie of south-central Kansas. The Arkansas River briefly clips the county’s northeast corner, and the Little Arkansas River rises in the county’s eastern townships; sand hills cross the southwestern part of the county near Turon and Sylvia. Most of the land is farmed in wheat, sorghum, and corn.
Reno County borders Rice County to the north, McPherson County and Harvey County to the east, Sedgwick County to the southeast, Kingman County to the south, Pratt County to the southwest, and Stafford County to the west.
Demographics
Reno County had 61,898 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 49 people per square mile. Hutchinson (40,006) and South Hutchinson (2,521) are the two largest communities, together holding roughly two-thirds of the county’s population. Kansas’s 2023 median household income was the Kansas median of $70,333; Reno County, an older manufacturing and agricultural county, typically runs below that state figure.
Economy & Local Life
Hutchinson anchors the county’s economy: salt mining (the Kanopolis-formation salt beds under the city are home to Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum), grain processing, and aviation-parts manufacturing are all long-standing employers, alongside Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and Hutchinson Community College. The Kansas State Fair, held in Hutchinson every September, is the county’s biggest annual event and one of the largest fairs in the state. Outside Hutchinson, the county’s smaller cities are farm-service towns supporting wheat and livestock operations; Yoder is home to an Old Order Amish community.
History
Reno County was organized on February 26, 1867, and named for Union Civil War general Jesse L. Reno, who was killed at the Battle of South Mountain in 1862. The Chisholm and other cattle trails once crossed the area before settlement; Hutchinson grew rapidly after the 1887 discovery of large rock-salt deposits beneath the city, which are still mined today. Reno County has voted Republican in nearly every presidential election since statehood, with 1976 the lone modern Democratic exception.
Getting There
U.S. Route 50 and K-61 cross Hutchinson; K-14 and K-96 also serve the county.
- Wichita — 45 miles southeast
- Great Bend — 40 miles northwest
- Newton — 25 miles east
- Pratt — 35 miles southwest
Hutchinson Regional Airport offers commercial service; Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, about 50 miles southeast, has the nearest larger range of flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Reno County, Kansas?
It is in south-central Kansas, on the Great Bend Prairie, centred near 37°54′N 98°00′W.
What is the population of Reno County?
61,898 at the 2020 census.
How big is Reno County?
1,272 square miles (3,290 km2), the third-largest county in Kansas by land area.
What is the county seat of Reno County?
Hutchinson is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Reno County?
15 incorporated cities, one census-designated place (Yoder), and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Reno County?
Hutchinson uses 67501 and 67502, with the rest of the county’s cities and towns each carrying their own ZIP code (67505, 67510, 67514, 67522, 67543, 67561, 67566, 67568, 67570, 67581, 67583, 67585).
Why is Hutchinson known for salt?
A thick rock-salt formation lies roughly 650 feet beneath Hutchinson; it has been mined commercially since 1887 and now also houses Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.