Seward County is a county in Kansas, United States, on the state’s southwestern border with Oklahoma. It had a population of 21,964 at the 2020 census and covers 640 square miles (1,700 km2) centred near 37°12′N 100°50′W.
Liberal is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 67901. The county has 2 incorporated cities, 1 unincorporated community, and 3 townships. It sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 20175.
Towns & Villages in Seward County
Seward County has a small number of named places: two incorporated cities and one unincorporated community, plus a handful of long-closed mobile-home and trailer parks that once had informal names on old maps. City · seat marks the county seat; Unincorp. marks a community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | City · seat | Liberal | 19,957 | 67901 |
| Kismet | City | Fargo | 452 | 67857 |
| Hayne | Unincorp. | Seward | — | — |
Arkalon, once a rail siding town on the Cimarron River, is now a ghost town with no remaining population. The old site’s list of “MH Park” and “Trailer Court” entries (Cimarron MH Park, Dirks MH Park, Downtown MH Park, Dunlap MH Park, Four U MH Park, Gas Light Village MH Park, Gitgood Trailer Park, Hi-Klass MH Park, Sage MH Park, Scantlins MH Park, Southlawn Trailer Court, Sunnyside MH Park, Supreme Cattle Feed MH Park, Western MH Park North, and Western MH Park South) are mobile-home parks inside Liberal’s city limits, not separate settlements, and are omitted here as duplicates of Liberal.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 19,957 | Liberal |
| Fargo | 452 | Kismet |
| Seward | — | Hayne |
ZIP Codes
- 67901 — Liberal (also serves the surrounding rural county)
- 67857 — Kismet
Hayne and the county’s rural addresses outside those two towns are served by one of these two post offices, depending on location.
Geography
Seward County sits on the High Plains of southwest Kansas, a flat to gently rolling tableland drained by the Cimarron River, which crosses the county’s southern reaches. Of the county’s 640 square miles, 639 are land and 1.0 is water. The Hugoton Gas Field, one of the largest natural gas fields in North America, underlies the county and much of the surrounding region.
Seward County borders Haskell County to the north, Meade County to the east, Stevens County to the west, Beaver County, Oklahoma to the southeast, and Texas County, Oklahoma to the southwest.
Demographics
Seward County’s population was 21,964 at the 2020 census, with a density of about 34 people per square mile. Liberal, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by Kismet. The county’s median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting its meatpacking- and agriculture-based economy. Seward County has the highest Hispanic share of population of any Kansas county, a shift driven largely by decades of employment growth at the county’s meatpacking plant.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, mainly wheat and cattle, anchored the county’s early economy, followed by broom-corn farming and, after 1920, natural gas production from the Hugoton Field. The National Beef packing plant, opened in Liberal in 1992, is now the county’s largest employer and drove much of the population growth of the past three decades. Liberal also hosts the annual International Pancake Day race, held every Shrove Tuesday since 1950 in a friendly transatlantic contest with Olney, England.
History
Seward County was organized on March 20, 1873, and named for William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Early settlement clustered along the railroad; when the Rock Island line bypassed the original county seat, the seat moved to Liberal in 1892. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s hit the county hard, worsening the economic strain of the Great Depression across southwest Kansas, before natural gas and, later, meatpacking rebuilt the local economy.
Getting There
U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 83 cross at Liberal, and Kansas Highway 51 also serves the county.
- Guymon, Oklahoma — 32 miles southwest
- Garden City, Kansas — 55 miles north
- Dodge City, Kansas — 75 miles northeast
- Amarillo, Texas — 120 miles south
Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, just south of Liberal, offers the nearest commercial air service; Garden City Regional Airport is the closest larger regional hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Seward County, Kansas?
It is in the southwestern corner of Kansas, on the Oklahoma state line.
What is the population of Seward County?
21,964 at the 2020 census.
How big is Seward County?
640 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 639 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Seward County?
Liberal is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Seward County?
Two incorporated cities, Liberal and Kismet, plus the unincorporated community of Hayne.
What ZIP codes are in Seward County?
67901 for Liberal and 67857 for Kismet.
Why is Liberal, Kansas known for Pancake Day?
Since 1950, Liberal has raced women flipping pancakes against Olney, England every Shrove Tuesday, a tradition that began as a friendly transatlantic rivalry.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.