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Butler County, Kansas

Butler County, Kansas

Butler County Courthouse in El Dorado (2011)
Map of Kansas highlighting Butler County

Location within the U.S. state of Kansas

Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedAugust 25, 1855
Named afterAndrew Pickens Butler
SeatEl Dorado
Largest cityAndover
Area

• Total

1,447 sq mi (3,750 km2)
 • Land1,430 sq mi (3,700 km2)
 • Water17 sq mi (44 km2)  1.2%
Population

• Total

67,380
 

• Estimate

(2023)[2]

68,632 Increase
 • Density47.1/sq mi (18.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code316
Congressional district4th
Websitebucoks.com

Butler County is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas and is the largest county in the state by total area.[3] Its county seat is El Dorado and its most populous city is Andover.[4] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 67,380.[1] The county was named for Andrew Butler, a U.S. Senator from South Carolina who coauthored the Kansas–Nebraska Act.

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles.

In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1848, after the Mexican–American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Spain brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

In 1855, Butler County was founded. It was named in honor of a U.S. Senator from South Carolina, Andrew Butler (1796-1857), who was one of the authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and a strong advocate of Kansas becoming a slave state.[5]

In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado, in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to Arkansas City.[6] The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942.[7] The original branch line connected Florence, Burns, De Graff, El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Rock, Akron, Winfield, Arkansas City.

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north–south from Herington to Caldwell.[8] This branch line connected Herington, Lost Springs, Lincolnville, Antelope, Marion, Aulne, Peabody, Elbing, Whitewater, Furley, Kechi, Wichita, Peck, Corbin, Wellington, Caldwell. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas. This line is called the "OKT". The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Butler County (near Potwin, Towanda, Augusta, Douglass), with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).[9][10] A pumping station named Burns was built two miles north of Potwin, and new power lines were built from a high-voltage line 0.3 mile east of De Graff.[11]

In an unusual technical glitch, a farmstead approximately four miles northeast of Potwin became the default site of 600 million IP addresses (due to their lack of fine granularity) when the Massachusetts-based digital mapping company MaxMind changed the putative geographic center of the contiguous United States from 39.8333333,-98.585522 to 38.0000,-97.0000.[12][13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,447 square miles (3,750 km2), of which 1,430 square miles (3,700 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.2%) is water.[14] It is the largest county by area in Kansas.[15]

Sources: National Atlas,[16] U.S. Census Bureau[17]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860437—
18703,035594.5%
188018,586512.4%
189024,05529.4%
190023,363−2.9%
191023,059−1.3%
192043,84290.1%
193035,904−18.1%
194032,013−10.8%
195031,001−3.2%
196038,39523.9%
197038,6580.7%
198044,78215.8%
199050,58012.9%
200059,48217.6%
201065,88010.8%
202067,3802.3%
2023 (est.)68,632[2]1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20]
1990-2000[21] 2010-2020[1]

Butler County is part of the Wichita metropolitan area.

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 67,380. The median age was 38.3 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.3 males age 18 and over. 53.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 46.1% lived in rural areas.[22][23]

The racial makeup of the county was 86.3% White, 2.2% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 7.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.3% of the population.[24]

There were 24,660 households in the county, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[22]

There were 26,901 housing units, of which 8.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.4% were owner-occupied and 25.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.2%.[22]

As of the census of 2000, 59,482 people, 21,527 households, and 16,059 families resided in the county. The population density was 42 inhabitants per square mile (16/km2). There were 23,176 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6.2/km2). The county's racial makeup was 94.94% White, 1.38% Black or African American, 0.91% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.69% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.

There were 21,527 households, of which 37.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.40% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males.

The county's median household income was $45,474, and the median family income was $53,632. Males had a median income of $38,675 versus $26,109 for females. The county's per capita income was $20,150. About 5.40% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.00% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections

[edit]

Like of most of Kansas’ counties, Butler County is solidly Republican. In 2008, John McCain carried the county by a nearly two-to-one margin over Barack Obama. Since 1992, no Democratic candidate has received so much as forty percent of the county's vote.[25] The last Democratic candidate to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Butler 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.[26]

Unified school districts

[edit]

School districts include:[27]

School districts with offices in neighboring counties[27]
2005 map of Butler County[28] (map legend)

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Butler County.[28]

Unincorporated communities

[edit]

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

  • Aikman
  • Alki
  • Amador
  • Browntown
  • Chelsea (now under El Dorado Lake)
  • Dixon
  • Durachen
  • Edgecomb
  • Frazier
  • Indianola
  • Little Walnut
  • Magna City
  • Oil Hill
  • Nellans
  • Numa
  • Oil Valley
  • Ophir
  • Palmyra
  • Pine Grove
  • Plum Grove
  • Providence
  • Quito
  • Ramsey
  • Salter
  • Sycamore Springs
  • Vanora
  • Wingate

Butler County is divided into twenty-nine townships. The cities of Augusta and El Dorado are considered governmentally independent and are 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
Augusta 03325 1,405 17 (43) 84 (32) 1 (0) 0.68% 37°41′32″N 96°59′15″W / 37.69222°N 96.98750°W
Benton 06200 Benton 2,211 24 (61) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0% 37°47′0″N 97°6′11″W / 37.78333°N 97.10306°W
Bloomington 07500 544 6 (15) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0% 37°35′57″N 96°54′1″W / 37.59917°N 96.90028°W
Bruno 08825 Andover 9,744 107 (278) 91 (35) 0 (0) 0.10% 37°41′37″N 97°6′48″W / 37.69361°N 97.11333°W
Chelsea 12750 190 1 (2) 261 (101) 17 (7) 6.15% 37°55′27″N 96°44′34″W / 37.92417°N 96.74278°W
Clay 13575 83 1 (2) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.22% 37°31′21″N 96°45′39″W / 37.52250°N 96.76083°W
Clifford 14175 259 2 (6) 108 (42) 0 (0) 0.18% 38°2′7″N 96°58′41″W / 38.03528°N 96.97806°W
Douglass 18425 Douglass 2,306 25 (64) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.32% 37°31′1″N 97°0′33″W / 37.51694°N 97.00917°W
El Dorado 20100 1,700 12 (32) 140 (54) 2 (1) 1.46% 37°48′38″N 96°52′23″W / 37.81056°N 96.87306°W
Fairmount 22275 Elbing 511 5 (14) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.14% 38°2′34″N 97°5′53″W / 38.04278°N 97.09806°W
Fairview 22450 491 5 (14) 92 (36) 0 (0) 0.14% 37°52′15″N 96°59′46″W / 37.87083°N 96.99611°W
Glencoe 26400 239 1 (4) 161 (62) 1 (0) 0.60% 37°41′29″N 96°36′57″W / 37.69139°N 96.61583°W
Hickory 31750 90 1 (1) 162 (62) 1 (0) 0.67% 37°37′5″N 96°37′45″W / 37.61806°N 96.62917°W
Lincoln 40500 317 1 (3) 257 (99) 2 (1) 0.64% 37°57′6″N 96°53′1″W / 37.95167°N 96.88361°W
Little Walnut 41625 Leon 1,002 11 (28) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.44% 37°41′34″N 96°46′37″W / 37.69278°N 96.77694°W
Logan 41775 154 2 (4) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.16% 37°37′15″N 96°45′13″W / 37.62083°N 96.75361°W
Milton 46875 Whitewater 1,136 12 (31) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.15% 37°57′21″N 97°7′14″W / 37.95583°N 97.12056°W
Murdock 49225 378 4 (10) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0% 37°51′42″N 97°6′23″W / 37.86167°N 97.10639°W
Pleasant 56200 Rose Hill (part) 4,649 50 (129) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.11% 37°35′49″N 97°6′54″W / 37.59694°N 97.11500°W
Plum Grove 56850 Potwin 661 7 (19) 92 (36) 1 (0) 0.58% 37°56′46″N 97°0′51″W / 37.94611°N 97.01417°W
Prospect 57775 2,033 10 (26) 203 (78) 16 (6) 7.20% 37°49′25″N 96°45′35″W / 37.82361°N 96.75972°W
Richland 59250 Rose Hill (part) 2,399 26 (66) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.02% 37°31′37″N 97°6′29″W / 37.52694°N 97.10806°W
Rock Creek 60475 299 3 (8) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0% 37°31′19″N 96°53′3″W / 37.52194°N 96.88417°W
Rosalia 61125 589 4 (9) 162 (63) 1 (0) 0.58% 37°46′47″N 96°37′22″W / 37.77972°N 96.62278°W
Spring 67275 1,566 17 (43) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.13% 37°41′36″N 96°52′52″W / 37.69333°N 96.88111°W
Sycamore 69700 Cassoday 333 1 (3) 295 (114) 2 (1) 0.76% 38°1′15″N 96°40′19″W / 38.02083°N 96.67194°W
Towanda 71150 Towanda 2,727 29 (76) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.14% 37°47′32″N 96°59′43″W / 37.79222°N 96.99528°W
Union 72050 Latham 226 1 (4) 161 (62) 1 (0) 0.72% 37°32′2″N 96°38′41″W / 37.53389°N 96.64472°W
Walnut 74900 760 8 (21) 92 (36) 1 (0) 0.77% 37°36′4″N 96°59′31″W / 37.60111°N 96.99194°W
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on August 2, 2002.
Community information for Kansas
  1. ^ a b c "QuickFacts; Butler County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Kansas Land Area County Rank".
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. Standard Publishing Company. pp. 261.
  6. ^ Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.
  7. ^ Railway Abandonment 1942
  8. ^ "Rock Island Rail History". Archived from the original on June 19, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  9. ^ Keystone Pipeline - Marion County Commission calls out Legislative Leadership on Pipeline Deal; April 18, 2010. Archived October 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Keystone Pipeline - TransCanada inspecting pipeline; December 10, 2010.
  11. ^ Keystone Pipeline - Burns Pumping Station - New Powerline Map; Trow Engineering Consultants and TransCanda; 2010.
  12. ^ Hill, Kashmir (April 10, 2016). "How an internet mapping glitch turned a random Kansas farm into a digital hell". Fusion. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  13. ^ Kansas couple sues over internet glitch targeting their home; The Wichita Eagle; August 8, 2016.
  14. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  15. ^ Kansas Land Area County Rank
  16. ^ National Atlas Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files". Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  18. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  19. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  20. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  21. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  22. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  23. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  24. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  25. ^ The New York Times Electoral Map (Zoom in on Kansas)
  26. ^ "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
  27. ^ a b Geography Division (January 15, 2021). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Butler County, KS (PDF) (Map). Suitland, Maryland: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2025. - Text list
  28. ^ a b "General Highway Map of Butler County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). May 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2024.
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