| Riley County, Kansas | |
Location in the state of Kansas |
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Kansas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | August 25, 1855 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Manhattan |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
622.11 sq mi (1,611 km²) 609.55 sq mi (1,579 km²) 12.55 sq mi (33 km²), 2.02% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
71,115 103.0/sq mi (39.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | RileyCountyKS.gov |
Riley County (standard abbreviation: RL) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 71,115 for the 2010 census.[1] The largest city and county seat is Manhattan. The county is part of the Manhattan, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Riley County is home to two of Kansas' largest employers: Fort Riley and Kansas State University. Among notable current and former residents of Riley County are former Governor John W. Carlin, General Glen Edgerton and millionaire miner Horace A. W. Tabor.
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Riley County, named for Mexican-American War general Bennet Riley, was on the western edge of the 33 original counties established by the Kansas Territorial Legislature in August 1855. For organizational purposes, Riley County initially had attached to it Geary County and all land west of Riley County, stretching most of the way across Kansas Territory into present-day Colorado.
The first Territorial Capital of Kansas Territory was located in the boundaries of Riley County, in the former town of Pawnee, Kansas. The site now falls within the boundaries of Fort Riley, a U.S. Army post.
Manhattan was selected as county seat in contentious fashion. In late 1857, an election was held to select the county seat, with Ogden prevailing. However, Manhattanites suspected election fraud, and were eventually able to prove that a number of votes were illegally cast. Sheriff David A. Butterfield was forced to secure the county's books and records for Manhattan, and Manhattan was finally officially declared the county seat in 1858.[2]
On May 30, 1879, the "Irving, Kansas Tornado" began in Riley county. This tornado measured F4 on the Fujita scale and had a damage path 800 yards (700 m) wide and 100 miles (200 km) long. Eighteen people were killed and sixty were injured.[3]
Riley County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 2004.[4]
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 622.11 square miles (1,611.3 km2), of which 609.55 square miles (1,578.7 km2) (or 97.98%) is land and 12.55 square miles (32.5 km2) (or 2.02%) is water.[5]
The eastern border of the county follows the former course of the Big Blue River. The river was dammed in the 1960s and Tuttle Creek Lake was created as a result. The county falls within the Flint Hills region of the state.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,224 |
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| 1870 | 5,105 | 317.1% | |
| 1880 | 10,430 | 104.3% | |
| 1890 | 13,183 | 26.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,828 | 4.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,783 | 14.1% | |
| 1920 | 20,650 | 30.8% | |
| 1930 | 19,882 | −3.7% | |
| 1940 | 20,617 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 33,405 | 62.0% | |
| 1960 | 41,914 | 25.5% | |
| 1970 | 56,788 | 35.5% | |
| 1980 | 63,505 | 11.8% | |
| 1990 | 67,139 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 62,843 | −6.4% | |
| 2010 | 71,115 | 13.2% | |
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As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 62,843 people, 22,137 households, and 12,263 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile (40/km²). There were 23,397 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.78% White, 6.88% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 3.22% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 1.89% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. 4.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 22,137 households out of which 27.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.20% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.60% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 18.80% under the age of 18, 34.50% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 13.30% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 114.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,042, and the median income for a family was $46,489. Males had a median income of $26,856 versus $23,835 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,349. About 8.50% of families and 20.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 6.70% of those age 65 or over.
Name and population (2004 estimate):
These former places were flooded when Tuttle Creek Lake was created in the 1950s and 1960s. Randolph was also flooded, but moved a mile west of its original location.
Located north of the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers in Geary County, the Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres (407 km2) in Geary and Riley counties. The fort has a daytime population of nearly 25,000 and includes two census-designated places:
Riley County is divided into fourteen townships. The city of Manhattan is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. 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.
| Township | FIPS | Population center |
Population | Population density /km² (/sq mi) |
Land area km² (sq mi) |
Water area km² (sq mi) |
Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | 02725 | 150 | 2 (4) | 89 (35) | 1 (0) | 0.75% | ||
| Bala | 03825 | Leonardville | 762 | 7 (18) | 108 (42) | 0 (0) | 0.12% | |
| Center | 12100 | 81 | 1 (3) | 82 (32) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | ||
| Fancy Creek | 22950 | 126 | 2 (4) | 83 (32) | 0 (0) | 0.07% | ||
| Grant | 28075 | 833 | 9 (23) | 92 (35) | 7 (3) | 7.38% | ||
| Jackson | 34900 | Randolph | 326 | 4 (10) | 84 (32) | 10 (4) | 10.30% | |
| Madison | 44125 | Fort Riley North CDP (part) | 8,173 | 22 (58) | 366 (141) | 0 (0) | 0.11% | |
| Manhattan | 44275 | 3,275 | 37 (95) | 89 (35) | 3 (1) | 3.28% | ||
| May Day | 45225 | 78 | 1 (2) | 81 (31) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | ||
| Ogden | 52300 | Ogden | 2,423 | 69 (178) | 35 (14) | 1 (0) | 2.32% | |
| Sherman | 65075 | 524 | 7 (18) | 76 (29) | 5 (2) | 6.06% | ||
| Swede Creek | 69650 | 157 | 1 (3) | 125 (48) | 4 (1) | 3.00% | ||
| Wildcat | 79175 | 750 | 10 (25) | 77 (30) | 0 (0) | 0.10% | ||
| Zeandale | 80900 | 357 | 2 (6) | 154 (60) | 2 (1) | 0.97% |
Information on this and other counties in Kansas
Other information for Kansas
| Washington County | Marshall County | |||
| Clay County | Pottawatomie County | |||
| Riley County, Kansas | ||||
| Geary County | Wabaunsee County |
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