Osage County, Kansas

Osage County (county code OS) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 15,766 people lived there.^[2] Its county seat is Lyndon.^[3] Its most populous city is Osage City. The county was originally organized in 1855 as Weller County, and was renamed in 1859 after the Osage River that runs through it, which is itself named for the Osage Native American Tribe.^[4]

Osage County
County
Osage County Courthouse in Lyndon (2009)
Nickname:  Land of Lakes [1]
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°39′N 95°44′W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	1859
Named for	Osage Nation
Seat	Lyndon
Largest city	Osage City
Area
• Total	720 sq mi (1,900 km2)
• Land	706 sq mi (1,830 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  2.0%
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	15,766
• Density	22.3/sq mi (8.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	OsageCo.org

History

In 1859, Osage County was created.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 720 square miles (1,900 km²). Of that, 706 square miles (1,830 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.0%) is water.^[5]

People

Census	Pop.		%±
1860	1,113		—
1870	7,648		587.2%
1880	19,642		156.8%
1890	25,062		27.6%
1900	23,659		−5.6%
1910	19,905		−15.9%
1920	18,621		−6.5%
1930	17,538		−5.8%
1940	15,118		−13.8%
1950	12,811		−15.3%
1960	12,886		0.6%
1970	13,352		3.6%
1980	15,319		14.7%
1990	15,248		−0.5%
2000	16,712		9.6%
2010	16,295		−2.5%
2020	15,766		−3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[2]

Osage County is included in the Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Government

Presidential elections

Osage County is strongly Republican. In only six presidential elections from 1888 to the present day has the county failed to back the Republican Party candidate, most recently in Lyndon B. Johnson's national landslide. of 1964.

Presidential election results

Presidential election results^[10]

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2020	71.0% 5,705	26.6% 2,136	2.4% 194
2016	67.5% 4,826	24.5% 1,753	8.0% 574
2012	64.1% 4,427	32.8% 2,268	3.1% 211
2008	63.9% 4,820	33.6% 2,534	2.5% 190
2004	64.3% 4,800	34.0% 2,537	1.7% 126
2000	57.0% 3,770	38.3% 2,530	4.7% 313
1996	48.8% 3,487	35.0% 2,502	16.2% 1,157
1992	34.5% 2,561	31.0% 2,297	34.5% 2,563[a]
1988	54.3% 3,496	44.1% 2,840	1.5% 99
1984	66.6% 4,288	32.2% 2,072	1.3% 83
1980	60.4% 3,817	33.0% 2,088	6.6% 419
1976	50.5% 2,945	47.3% 2,755	2.2% 128
1972	71.1% 4,073	26.6% 1,522	2.3% 133
1968	56.2% 3,157	29.6% 1,664	14.3% 801
1964	49.1% 2,681	50.1% 2,737	0.8% 42
1960	64.0% 3,880	35.5% 2,150	0.5% 31
1956	67.3% 4,136	32.2% 1,979	0.5% 32
1952	68.8% 4,589	30.5% 2,036	0.6% 41
1948	55.6% 3,474	42.5% 2,659	1.9% 121
1944	64.4% 4,107	34.7% 2,212	0.9% 58
1940	60.5% 4,991	38.6% 3,186	0.9% 70
1936	49.9% 4,232	49.8% 4,224	0.4% 30
1932	45.4% 3,707	51.4% 4,199	3.2% 259
1928	73.2% 5,900	25.6% 2,058	1.2% 98
1924	63.2% 4,957	26.1% 2,050	10.7% 836
1920	62.8% 4,507	33.6% 2,414	3.6% 256
1916	44.7% 3,770	50.7% 4,276	4.6% 390
1912	17.6% 850	40.8% 1,969	41.6% 2,005[b]
1908	50.3% 2,671	43.1% 2,288	6.6% 351
1904	65.0% 3,670	26.9% 1,516	8.1% 459
1900	51.2% 3,128	47.5% 2,901	1.4% 85
1896	45.0% 2,903	53.9% 3,481	1.1% 71
1892	43.8% 2,604		56.2% 3,345
1888	57.5% 3,442	23.1% 1,380	19.5% 1,165

Education

Unified school districts

• Osage City USD 420
• Lyndon USD 421
• Santa Fe Trail USD 434
• Burlingame USD 454
• Marais des Cygnes Valley USD 456

Media

Osage County is served by a weekly newspaper, The Osage County Herald-Chronicle is a weekly newspaper for Osage County. The newspaper publishes about 4,500 papers, making it the 3rd biggest paid weekly newspaper in the state of Kansas.

The Herald-Chronicle was created by the merger of The Osage County Herald and The Osage County Chronicle in February 2007.

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Osage County (map legend)

Cities

• Burlingame
• Carbondale
• Lyndon
• Melvern
• Olivet
• Osage City
• Overbrook
• Quenemo
• Scranton