Scott County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the High Plains of the state’s western tier. It had a population of 5,151 at the 2020 census and covers 718 square miles (1,860 km2) centred near 38°28′N 100°54′W.
Scott City is the county seat, and its postal code is 67871. The county has one incorporated city, one census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities, organised into seven townships. Scott County lies in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Scott County
Scott County has one incorporated city — Scott City, which is also the county seat — plus the census-designated place of Shallow Water and a handful of unincorporated communities scattered across the county’s farmland. “CDP” below marks a Census Bureau statistical community with no city government; “Unincorp.” marks a place with no incorporated or CDP status at all, sometimes little more than a grain elevator and a few houses.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott City | City · seat | Scott | — | 67871 |
| Shallow Water | CDP | — | — | 67871 |
| Chevron | Unincorp. | — | — | 67871 |
| Grigston | Unincorp. | — | — | 67871 |
| Hutchins | Unincorp. | — | — | 67871 |
| Manning | Unincorp. | — | — | 67871 |
| Modoc | Unincorp. | — | — | 67871 |
| Pence | Unincorp. | — | — | 67871 |
Townships
Scott County is divided into seven civil townships. The figures below are 2020 census population for each township’s area, and for Scott Township that count excludes the incorporated city of Scott City, which is tallied separately by the Census Bureau even though it sits inside the township’s boundary.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Scott | 309 | Scott City (reported separately) |
| Beaver | 302 | — |
| Valley | 255 | — |
| Isbel | 110 | — |
| Keystone | 106 | — |
| Lake | 95 | — |
| Michigan | 88 | — |
ZIP Codes
- 67871 — Scott City (also serves every other community in the county, including Shallow Water, Chevron, Grigston, Hutchins, Manning, Modoc and Pence)
Scott County is served by a single ZIP code. No other community in the county has its own dedicated ZIP, so mail for the whole county routes through the Scott City post office.
Geography
The county sits on the High Plains of western Kansas, mostly flat to gently rolling farmland underlain by the Ogallala Aquifer. Ladder Creek cuts a canyon through the northern part of the county, feeding the spring-fed Lake Scott inside Lake Scott State Park, one of the few natural lakes in this part of Kansas. Almost all of the county’s area is land, with only a small fraction of a square mile classified as water.
Scott County borders Logan County to the northwest, Gove County to the northeast, Lane County to the east, Finney County to the south, Kearny County to the southwest, and Wichita County to the west.
Demographics
Scott County had a population of 5,151 at the 2020 census, giving it a density of roughly 7.2 people per square mile — typical for a sparsely settled county on the High Plains. Scott City is by far the largest community; Shallow Water, a small census-designated place just outside the city, is the second largest. Scott County’s median household income runs above the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting the county’s irrigated-crop and cattle-feeding economy, though the county-level figure itself is not independently verified here.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the local economy: irrigated corn and wheat, grain sorghum, and large cattle-feeding operations are the county’s main industries, supplemented by oil and gas production common across western Kansas. Scott City is home to Scott Community High School and Scott County Hospital, the county’s main public services. Lake Scott State Park, a few miles northwest of Scott City, draws visitors for camping, fishing and hiking and is the county’s best-known recreational site.
History
Scott County was organised on March 20, 1873, and named for Winfield Scott, the U.S. Army general and presidential candidate. Long before European settlement, the area around present-day Lake Scott State Park was home to El Cuartelejo, the ruins of a 17th-century Puebloan settlement and the northernmost known pueblo structure in the United States. The county was also the site of the 1878 fight remembered as the Battle of Punished Woman’s Fork, fought during the Northern Cheyenne Exodus.
Getting There
U.S. Route 83 runs north–south through Scott City and U.S. Route 96 crosses the county east–west, meeting at the county seat.
- Garden City — about 30 miles south
- Dodge City — about 55 miles southeast
- Hays — about 70 miles northeast
- Colby — about 55 miles north
Scott City Municipal Airport serves general aviation; the nearest commercial air service is Garden City Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Scott County, Kansas?
It is in western Kansas, on the High Plains, roughly 30 miles north of Garden City.
What is the population of Scott County?
5,151 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Scott County?
718 square miles (1,860 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Scott County?
Scott City is the county seat and the only incorporated city in the county.
How many towns are in Scott County?
One incorporated city (Scott City), one census-designated place (Shallow Water), and several small unincorporated communities including Chevron, Grigston, Hutchins, Manning, Modoc and Pence.
What ZIP codes are in Scott County?
The whole county is served by a single ZIP code, 67871, based in Scott City.
What is Scott County known for?
Lake Scott State Park and the El Cuartelejo pueblo ruins, the northernmost known Puebloan structure in the United States.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.