Rooks County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the high plains of the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 4,919 at the 2020 census and covers 895 square miles (2,320 km2), of which 891 square miles (2,310 km2) are land, centred near 39°22′N 99°25′W.
Stockton is the county seat and its postal code is 67669. Plainville is the county’s largest city. Rooks County has six incorporated cities, one census-designated place, and one unincorporated community, and it observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Rooks County
Eight named places appear on the map of Rooks County: six incorporated cities, the Codell census-designated place (CDP), and the unincorporated community of Webster. Most sit along U.S. Route 24 or U.S. Route 183, which cross near Stockton.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton | City · seat | 1,480 | 67669 |
| Plainville | City | 1,746 | 67663 |
| Palco | City | 208 | 67657 |
| Damar | City | — | 67632 |
| Woodston | City | — | 67675 |
| Zurich | City | — | 67663 |
| Codell | CDP | — | 67663 |
| Webster | Unincorp. | — | 67675 |
Zurich and Codell sit close to Plainville and are usually reached through its 67663 ZIP; Webster, near Webster Reservoir, is served through Woodston’s 67675 ZIP. City-level 2020 census counts for Zurich and Codell were not separately confirmed for this profile and are marked accordingly rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 67669 — Stockton
- 67663 — Plainville (also serves Zurich and Codell)
- 67657 — Palco
- 67632 — Damar
- 67675 — Woodston (also serves Webster)
Five standard ZIP codes cover the entire county; no place in Rooks County has its own PO-box-only or unique ZIP code.
Geography
Rooks County lies on the gently rolling Smoky Hills section of the Kansas high plains. The South Fork Solomon River crosses the northern part of the county and feeds Webster Reservoir, a flood-control lake near the Webster community; Woodston Reservoir sits along a smaller tributary in the county’s southeast. Farmland and pasture cover most of the landscape between the river valleys.
Rooks County borders Phillips County to the north, Smith County to the northeast, Osborne County to the east, Ellis County to the south, Trego County to the southwest, and Graham County to the west.
Demographics
The county’s population was 4,919 at the 2020 census, down from earlier decades as the county’s farm population has aged and thinned. Plainville and Stockton are the two largest communities and together hold a majority of the county’s residents. Median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, typical of the state’s rural wheat-belt counties. Population density is roughly 5.5 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Wheat, grain sorghum, and cattle ranching anchor the county’s economy, alongside oil and gas production that has run through the area since the mid-20th century. Rooks County Health Center in Plainville is the county’s main employer outside agriculture, and USD 269 (Palco) and USD 273 (Plainville-Stockton-Woodston-Zurich-Damar-Codell) run the county’s public schools. Rooks County Fair, held each summer in Stockton, is the county’s best-known annual event.
History
Rooks County was organized on February 26, 1867, and named for Private John Rooks (also recorded as Daquaivion Rooks) of the 11th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, who died at the Battle of Prairie Grove during the Civil War. Like much of the central Kansas plains, the county was settled after the Civil War by homesteaders and Union Pacific-era railroad land sales, with towns platted along the rail lines that eventually became Stockton, Plainville, Woodston, Palco, Damar, and Zurich. Farming and ranching families that settled the county in the 1870s and 1880s largely stayed, and many of today’s family farms trace back to those original homestead claims.
Voting in Rooks County has run heavily Republican for nearly a century; no Democratic presidential candidate has carried the county since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. The Rooks County Courthouse in Stockton, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, remains the county’s civic center.
Getting There
U.S. Route 24 crosses the county east-west and U.S. Route 183 runs north-south, meeting near Stockton. Nearby anchors:
- Hays — 30 miles south
- Russell — 45 miles southeast
- Colby — 55 miles west
- Salina — 100 miles southeast
Hays Regional Airport, about 30 miles south of Stockton, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rooks County located?
Rooks County is in north-central Kansas, on the high plains between Hays and the Nebraska border.
What is the population of Rooks County?
4,919 people, at the 2020 census.
How big is Rooks County?
895 square miles (2,320 km2), of which 891 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Rooks County?
Stockton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Rooks County?
Six incorporated cities — Damar, Palco, Plainville, Stockton, Woodston, and Zurich — plus the Codell census-designated place and the unincorporated community of Webster.
What ZIP codes are in Rooks County?
67632, 67657, 67663, 67669, and 67675.
What is Rooks County’s largest city?
Plainville, with 1,746 residents at the 2020 census.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.