Republic County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the Nebraska state line in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 4,674 at the 2020 census and covers 720.31 square miles (1,865.6 km2) centred near 39°48′N 97°38′W.
Belleville is the county seat, and its postal code is 66935. The county has eight incorporated cities, six unincorporated communities, two ghost towns and twenty civil townships, and it keeps Central time.
Towns & Villages in Republic County
Republic County has sixteen named places on the map: eight incorporated cities, six unincorporated communities (one a recognized Census-Designated Place) and two ghost towns that once had post offices of their own. All eight cities are governed as general-law Kansas cities rather than being split into classes by size.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belleville | City · seat | Belleville | 2,007 | 66935 |
| Scandia | City | Scandia | — | 66966 |
| Courtland | City | Courtland | — | 66939 |
| Cuba | City | — | — | 66940 |
| Munden | City | — | — | — |
| Narka | City | — | — | — |
| Republic | City | — | — | 66964 |
| Agenda | City | — | — | 66930 |
| Norway | CDP | Norway | — | — |
| Harbine | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kackley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Rydal | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Talmo | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wayne | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sherdahl | Unincorp. | White Rock | — | — |
| White Rock | Unincorp. | White Rock | — | — |
Sherdahl and White Rock are both ghost towns today, faded trading points in White Rock Township near the Nebraska line. The older list for this page also carried Haworth, Lewis MH Park, Tabor and Warwick alongside a duplicated second “Norway” entry; none of the four turned up in county gazetteers or the current Wikipedia community list, so they have been dropped rather than carried forward unverified.
Townships
Kansas keeps civil townships as census subdivisions even where they no longer have their own government. Scandia is the county’s most populous township, followed by Courtland and Belleville.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Scandia | 541 | Scandia |
| Courtland | 450 | Courtland |
| Big Bend | 242 | — |
| Belleville | 231 | Belleville |
| Richland | 318 | — |
| Freedom | 186 | — |
| Elk Creek | 175 | — |
| Albion | 174 | — |
| Rose Creek | 170 | — |
| Norway | 163 | Norway |
| Fairview | 155 | — |
| Beaver | 137 | — |
| Jefferson | 107 | — |
| Lincoln | 103 | — |
| White Rock | 88 | Sherdahl, White Rock |
| Farmington | 81 | — |
| Grant | 77 | — |
| Washington | 95 | — |
| Liberty | 52 | — |
| Union | 51 | — |
ZIP Codes
- 66935 — Belleville (also serves Rydal and the surrounding townships)
- 66966 — Scandia
- 66939 — Courtland
- 66940 — Cuba
- 66964 — Republic
- 66930 — Agenda
Munden, Narka and the county’s unincorporated places without their own post office share a ZIP with the nearest incorporated town.
Geography
Republic County sits in the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas, its landscape a mix of river-bottom farmland along the Republican River and rolling upland prairie away from the valley. The Republican River, which gave the county its name, cuts across the northwestern corner before continuing southeast toward Junction City. Almost all of the county is land; only about 0.55 percent is water.
Thayer County and Nuckolls County, Nebraska, sit directly across the state line to the north, with Jefferson County, Nebraska, meeting the county’s northeastern corner. Washington County borders it to the east, Cloud County to the south, and Jewell County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 4,674 residents in Republic County, down from earlier decades as the county’s farming towns have steadily lost population. Belleville, the seat, and Scandia are the two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs well below the Kansas median of $70,333, typical for a farm county this size. Population density works out to about 6.5 people per square mile of land, one of the lower figures in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy: wheat, corn, soybeans and cattle dominate the farmland that covers nearly all of Republic County. Belleville is home to the Republic County Fair and the Belleville High Banks race track, a half-mile dirt oval that has hosted stock-car racing since the 1950s and remains a summer draw for the wider region. Scandia and Courtland anchor the county’s Swedish and Bohemian immigrant heritage, visible in local churches and community halls built by the settlers who arrived after the Civil War.
History
Republic County was organized on February 27, 1860, and named for the Republican River, which in turn was named for the Pawnee Republic band that once lived along its banks. European settlement accelerated after the Civil War, when Belleville and the surrounding townships drew large numbers of Swedish and Bohemian (Czech) immigrants, whose descendants still shape the county’s church and community life. Before that wave of settlement, the river valley had been Native American hunting ground for centuries, part of the Great Plains territory contested by Spain, France and eventually the United States following the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau and the later Louisiana Purchase.
Getting There
US Route 81 runs north–south through the county, connecting Belleville to Nebraska at the state line and south toward Concordia. Kansas Highway 148 and Kansas Highway 14 cross the county east–west and north–south respectively.
- Concordia — 24 miles south
- Superior, Nebraska — 12 miles north
- Beloit — 40 miles southwest
- Manhattan — 85 miles southeast
The nearest commercial air service is Salina Regional Airport, roughly 75 miles to the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Republic County?
It is in north-central Kansas, directly on the Nebraska state line, about 75 miles north of Salina.
What is the population of Republic County?
4,674 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Republic County?
720.31 square miles (1,865.6 km2), of which about 99.45 percent is land.
What is the county seat of Republic County?
Belleville is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Republic County?
Eight incorporated cities, six unincorporated communities and two ghost towns, spread across twenty townships.
What ZIP codes are in Republic County?
The main ones are 66935 (Belleville), 66966 (Scandia), 66939 (Courtland), 66940 (Cuba), 66964 (Republic) and 66930 (Agenda).
Why is it called Republic County?
It takes its name from the Republican River, itself named for the Pawnee Republic band who lived along it.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.