Stevens County, Kansas

Stevens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,250.^[2] Its county seat is Hugoton.^[3] The county is named for the Reconstruction era Pennsylvania politician Thaddeus Stevens.^[1]

Stevens County
County
Stevens County Courthouse in Hugoton (2009)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°12′N 101°18′W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	August 3, 1886
Named for	Thaddeus Stevens[1]
Seat	Hugoton
Largest city	Hugoton
Area
• Total	727 sq mi (1,880 km2)
• Land	727 sq mi (1,880 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.02%
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	5,250
• Density	7.2/sq mi (2.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	620
Congressional district	1st
Website	StevensCoKS.org

History

19th century

On July 25, 1888, the Hay Meadow Massacre was a violent county seat fight between groups from Hugoton and Woodsdale, where 4 men were murdered. On August 3, 1886, Stevens County was created.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 727 square miles (1,880 km²). Of that 727 square miles (1,880 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) (0.02%) is water.^[4]

Major highways

• Kansas Highway 25
• Kansas Highway 51
• U.S. Highway 56

Bordering counties

• Grant County (north)
• Haskell County (northeast)
• Seward County (east)
• Texas County, Oklahoma (south)
• Morton County (west)
• Stanton County (northwest)

People

Census	Pop.		%±
1880	12		—
1890	1,418		11,716.7%
1900	620		−56.3%
1910	2,453		295.6%
1920	3,943		60.7%
1930	4,655		18.1%
1940	3,193		−31.4%
1950	4,516		41.4%
1960	4,400		−2.6%
1970	4,198		−4.6%
1980	4,736		12.8%
1990	5,048		6.6%
2000	5,463		8.2%
2010	5,724		4.8%
2020	5,250		−8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[2]

Age pyramid

Government

Presidential Elections Results^[9]

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2020	86.7% 1,760	11.7% 237	1.7% 34
2016	84.6% 1,599	11.6% 220	3.8% 72
2012	86.0% 1,749	12.4% 252	1.6% 33
2008	85.3% 1,815	13.3% 283	1.4% 29
2004	85.5% 1,936	13.7% 310	0.8% 19
2000	81.2% 1,714	16.3% 345	2.5% 52
1996	70.9% 1,548	18.5% 405	10.6% 231
1992	56.8% 1,408	15.7% 390	27.4% 679
1988	71.2% 1,642	26.5% 612	2.3% 53
1984	82.0% 1,863	17.0% 386	1.0% 22
1980	72.0% 1,502	22.9% 478	5.0% 105
1976	57.2% 1,262	40.9% 901	1.9% 42
1972	74.5% 1,392	21.8% 408	3.7% 69
1968	58.4% 1,157	26.6% 528	15.0% 297
1964	49.1% 992	49.8% 1,006	1.1% 22
1960	68.7% 1,405	30.8% 630	0.4% 9
1956	69.0% 1,273	30.6% 565	0.4% 7
1952	77.2% 1,480	22.1% 423	0.8% 15
1948	54.0% 822	43.8% 666	2.2% 33
1944	64.6% 760	35.2% 414	0.2% 2
1940	55.1% 851	43.6% 674	1.4% 21
1936	40.5% 701	59.1% 1,023	0.4% 6
1932	31.1% 578	65.9% 1,225	3.1% 57
1928	78.5% 1,133	20.8% 300	0.7% 10
1924	66.6% 913	22.0% 302	11.4% 157
1920	69.5% 876	27.4% 346	3.1% 39
1916	33.5% 391	55.3% 646	11.2% 131
1912	19.3% 117	39.2% 237	41.5% 251[lower-alpha 1]
1908	48.2% 258	40.2% 215	11.6% 62
1904	64.2% 122	21.1% 40	14.7% 28
1900	42.3% 66	57.1% 89	0.6% 1
1896	32.2% 48	67.8% 101	0.0% 0
1892	31.5% 85		68.5% 185
1888	41.0% 307	35.8% 268	23.2% 174

Presidential Elections Results

Education

Unified school districts

• Moscow USD 209
• Hugoton USD 210

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Stevens County (map legend)

Cities

• Hugoton
• Moscow

Unincorporated community

• Woodsdale

Townships

Stevens County is divided into six townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

Sources: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau; Census Data Explorer from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Township	FIPS	Population center	Population (2020)	Population density /km² (/sq mi)	Land area km² (sq mi)	Water area km² (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Banner	04125		201	1 (2)	277 (107)	0 (0)	0%	37°3′43″N 101°10′33″W
Center	12200	Hugoton	4,148	15 (38)	280 (108)	0 (0)	0.02%	37°10′39″N 101°13′17″W
Harmony	30150		84	0 (1)	280 (108)	0 (0)	0%	37°20′10″N 101°25′25″W
Moscow	48625		546	1 (3)	441 (170)	0 (0)	0.09%	37°18′28″N 101°12′13″W
Voorhees	74200		111	0 (1)	350 (135)	0 (0)	0%	37°3′41″N 101°25′12″W
West Center	76800		160	1 (2)	256 (99)	0 (0)	0%	37°11′31″N 101°27′24″W

Related pages

• List of counties in Kansas

References

1. Knapp, Tom (2009-04-03). "Stevens to honor Stevens, Town was named for famous legislator, who got it a post office". Intelligencer Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-12-08. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
2. "QuickFacts: Stevens County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
9. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

Notes

1. This total comprises 214 votes (35.4%) for Progressive Theodore Roosevelt and 37 votes (6.1%) for Socialist Eugene V. Debs.

Other websites

County

• Stevens County - Official website
• Stevens County - Directory of Public Officials

Other

• Hugoton Schools

Maps

• Stevens County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society