Douglas County, Kansas

Douglas County (county code DG) is located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Lawrence.[3] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 118,785,[1] making it the fifth-most populous county in Kansas. The county was named after Stephen Douglas, a U.S. Senator from Illinois and advocate for the moderate popular sovereignty choice in the Kansas slavery debate.

Not to be confused with Douglass, Kansas.

Douglas County
County
Douglas County Courthouse in Lawrence
Douglas County Courthouse in Lawrence
Map of Kansas highlighting Douglas County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°52′N 95°14′W
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedAugust 25, 1855
Named forStephen Douglas
SeatLawrence
Largest cityLawrence
Area
 • Total475 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Land456 sq mi (1,180 km2)
 • Water19 sq mi (50 km2)  4.0%
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total118,785
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
119,363 Increase
 • Density260.5/sq mi (100.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code785
Congressional districts1st, 2nd
Websitedouglascountyks.org

History

Early history
See also: History of Kansas

For 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 via the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, although the former country kept 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.

19th century

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Douglas County was established. Douglas County was opened for settlement on May 15, 1854, and was named for Stephen A. Douglas,[4] a senator from Illinois. The county was practically at the center of the Bleeding Kansas years as leaders in Lecompton (the territorial capital) wanted Kansas to be a slave state, whereas leaders in Lawrence wanted Kansas to be a free state. The pro- and anti-slavery settlers held great animosity towards one another, leading to many events, such as the drafting of the Lecompton Constitution (which would have admitted Kansas into the Union as a slave state), the Wakarusa War (1855), the Sack of Lawrence (1856), Battle of Black Jack (1856), and the Lawrence Massacre (1863).

The first railroad in Douglas County, the Kansas Pacific, was built through that territory in 1864.[5]

Geography
Lone Star Lake, which is in southwestern Douglas County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 475 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 456 square miles (1,180 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49 km2) (4.0%) is water.[6] It is the fifth-smallest county in Kansas by land area. Much of its northern boundary is defined by the Kansas River, which flows through Lawrence and provides hydropower at the Bowersock Dam.

Lakes

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18608,637—
187020,592138.4%
188021,7005.4%
189023,96110.4%
190025,0964.7%
191024,724−1.5%
192023,998−2.9%
193025,1434.8%
194025,1710.1%
195034,08635.4%
196043,72028.3%
197057,93232.5%
198067,64016.8%
199081,79820.9%
200099,96222.2%
2010110,82610.9%
2020118,7857.2%
2021 (est.)119,363[2]0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1]

Douglas County comprises the Lawrence, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 99,962 people, 38,486 households, and 21,167 families residing in the county. The population density was 219 people per square mile (85 people/km2). There were 40,250 housing units at an average density of 88 per square mile (34/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.1% White, 4.2% Black or African American, 2.6% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.

There were 38,486 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 26.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,547, and the median income for a family was $53,991. Males had a median income of $35,577 versus $27,225 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,952. About 6.2% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

County

In recent years, since the 1990s, the Democratic Party has been dominant in Douglas County. Democrats control all County-wide offices in the county. Douglas County is currently served by county commissioners Patrick Kelly, Shannon Reid, and Karen Willey, all are Democrats.[11] According to the Kansas Secretary of State's office, as of July 2021, there were 35,146 registered Democrats, 22,324 registered Republicans, 900 registered Libertarians, and 21,474 Independents in the county.[12]

State

Democratic state representatives representing portions of the county include Eileen Horn (10th District), Barbara Ballard (44th District), Mike Amyx (45th District), and Dennis Highberger (46th District); Republican state representatives include Jim Karleskint (42nd District), and Ken Corbet (54th District). The three state senators representing the county, Marci Francisco (2nd District), Tom Holland (3rd District), and Anthony Hensley (19th District), are all Democrats.[13][14]

Presidential elections
Presidential election results
United States presidential election results for Douglas County, Kansas[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 17,286 28.84% 40,785 68.04% 1,870 3.12%
2016 14,688 28.78% 31,195 61.13% 5,148 10.09%
2012 17,401 35.91% 29,267 60.39% 1,796 3.71%
2008 17,929 33.42% 34,398 64.13% 1,314 2.45%
2004 20,544 41.00% 28,634 57.14% 933 1.86%
2000 17,062 42.83% 18,249 45.81% 4,527 11.36%
1996 16,116 42.63% 18,116 47.93% 3,568 9.44%
1992 12,949 30.64% 19,439 45.99% 9,877 23.37%
1988 16,149 49.90% 15,752 48.68% 460 1.42%
1984 18,975 58.87% 12,880 39.96% 378 1.17%
1980 14,106 49.01% 9,360 32.52% 5,318 18.48%
1976 14,277 51.28% 11,922 42.82% 1,643 5.90%
1972 15,316 55.64% 11,646 42.31% 565 2.05%
1968 10,533 53.79% 6,936 35.42% 2,114 10.80%
1964 7,825 45.09% 9,416 54.26% 112 0.65%
1960 11,337 66.43% 5,690 33.34% 38 0.22%
1956 11,029 71.85% 4,283 27.90% 39 0.25%
1952 11,095 74.34% 3,765 25.23% 64 0.43%
1948 9,287 64.25% 4,778 33.06% 389 2.69%
1944 8,224 67.47% 3,886 31.88% 79 0.65%
1940 9,146 70.28% 3,727 28.64% 141 1.08%
1936 8,324 62.21% 4,961 37.07% 96 0.72%
1932 7,346 58.67% 4,833 38.60% 342 2.73%
1928 8,887 78.70% 2,297 20.34% 108 0.96%
1924 8,052 75.25% 1,922 17.96% 726 6.79%
1920 6,266 73.23% 2,197 25.67% 94 1.10%
1916 4,975 53.87% 3,834 41.52% 426 4.61%
1912 1,133 21.78% 1,888 36.29% 2,182 41.94%
1908 3,279 60.63% 2,010 37.17% 119 2.20%
1904 3,574 74.27% 989 20.55% 249 5.17%
1900 3,453 58.56% 2,333 39.56% 111 1.88%
1896 3,582 57.40% 2,573 41.23% 85 1.36%
1892 3,114 57.31% 0 0.00% 2,320 42.69%
1888 3,189 60.02% 1,669 31.41% 455 8.56%
1884 3,366 60.85% 1,676 30.30% 490 8.86%
1880 3,049 64.08% 1,462 30.73% 247 5.19%

Douglas County has a political history more typical of Vermont and Maine than of the Great Plains. This is due to the county's strong New England roots. It voted for the Republican candidate in every Presidential election between 1864 and 1960, except in 1912 when the GOP was mortally divided and the county supported Progressive Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt would later rejoin the GOP. The county reverted to form and gave Republican presidential nominees over 60 percent of the vote in every election between 1920 and 1960 (except 1932 when Herbert Hoover received 58.7 percent).

This tradition was broken in 1964, when the conservative sentiment and Western origins of Barry Goldwater drove the county into Lyndon B. Johnson's hands, making Johnson the first Democrat ever to carry the county. Even then, however, Goldwater managed 45 percent of the county's vote. With more moderate GOP candidates, the GOP carried the county in every election between 1968 and 1988. During this time, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Michael Dukakis in 1988 were the only Democrats to come reasonably close to carrying the county.

However, the growing transformation of Lawrence into a liberal academic center has pulled the county into the Democratic column in every election since 1992. This was typical of many counties around the country dominated by college towns. In 2004, John Kerry became only the second Democrat to win a majority of the county's vote. Since then, Douglas County has been one of the most Democratic counties in Kansas. In 2016 and 2020, for instance, Donald Trump turned in the worst showings on record for a Republican in the county without the presence of a credible third-party challenger on the ballot. In most elections since the turn of the millennium, only Wyandotte County has been more Democratic. In the 2018 governor's race, however, Douglas County was Democratic nominee Laura Kelly's strongest county.

Since the 1990s, Douglas and Wyandotte have frequently been the only two counties in the state to vote for Democratic presidential candidates although that has changed as of 2020.

Laws

The county overwhelmingly voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 81% to 19%, outpacing its support of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.[16]

Law enforcement

The Douglas County Sheriff's office has two divisions, Corrections, which operates a 185-bed jail, and Operations. The Operations Division includes a dive team, a patrol, and a warrants unit.[17] The department works with other local police agencies at the University of Kansas, Lawrence Police Department (Kansas), Eudora, and Baldwin City.[17] As of 2021 the sheriff is Jay T. Armbrister.[17]

Education
Scenic view of Rural Douglas County

Unified school districts

Douglas County is served by seven school districts.

Universities and colleges

The University of Kansas's main campus is located in Lawrence, as is Haskell Indian Nations University. Baker University, the state's oldest university, is located in Baldwin City.

Parks

Clinton Lake, completed in 1980, offers boating, fishing and other water sports and various parks surrounding the lake provides camping and trails for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding.[18]

Lone Star Lake is a small country lake to the southwest of Lawrence offers fishing, boating and camping. Just northeast of Baldwin City is Douglas State Fishing Lake which provides hunting, fishing and limited camping. Other parks around the county include Black Jack Park which includes the Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve and Robert Hall Pearson Memorial Park, Broken Arrow Park in Lawrence and Wells Overlook Park just south of Lawrence.[19]

Events

Major events in the county include the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin City every third full weekend in October.[20] Lecompton's Territorial Days take place every year in June[21] and Lawrence has many parades throughout the year including Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.[22][23]

Transportation

Major highways
  • I-70 / Kansas Turnpike, runs east to west just north of Lawrence.
  • US-59 runs north to south through the middle of the county and the middle of Lawrence.
  • US-40 virtually follows the Oregon Trail heading west out of Lawrence.
  • US-56 runs east to west in the southern half of the county, going through Baldwin City and skirts the Santa Fe Trail.
  • K-10 runs from the I-70 Lecompton Exchange along the south and west border of Lawrence to US-59 then north until 23rd Street where it heads east out of town into Johnson County.

Other major highways include:

  • US-24 which is in Grant township leading from Leavenworth to Jefferson County.
  • K-32 starts just outside Lawrence and leads into Leavenworth County.
  • K-33 is in extreme southeast Douglas County and leads into Franklin County.

County Highways
Main article: County Highways in Douglas County, Kansas

Douglas County also maintains an extensive network of county highways to serve the rural areas of the county. None of these county highways is in the Lawrence city limits.

Communities
2005 KDOT Map of Douglas County (map legend)

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Townships

Douglas County is divided into nine townships. The city of Lawrence 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) of significant size included in that township's population total.

TownshipFIPSPopulation
center		 PopulationPopulation
density
/km2 (/sq mi)		 Land area
km2 (sq mi)		Water area
km2 (sq mi)		Water % Geographic coordinates
Clinton143255317 (17)80 (31)26 (10)24.41%38°54′18″N 95°24′20″W
Eudora21700Eudora5,57143 (113)128 (49)2 (1)1.57%38°55′42″N 95°6′15″W
Grant2765044210 (27)43 (16)0 (0)0.74%39°0′8″N 95°13′19″W
Kanwaka360751,31712 (30)114 (44)8 (3)6.69%38°57′37″N 95°23′16″W
Lecompton39175Lecompton1,76120 (51)90 (35)2 (1)2.45%39°2′31″N 95°24′27″W
Marion447008365 (12)185 (72)1 (0)0.52%38°49′4″N 95°24′35″W
Palmyra54225Baldwin City5,76027 (70)212 (82)2 (1)0.79%38°47′0″N 95°10′40″W
Wakarusa744002,23719 (49)119 (46)2 (1)1.81%38°55′49″N 95°14′43″W
Willow Springs795001,40910 (26)141 (54)1 (0)0.54%38°47′23″N 95°18′17″W
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on August 2, 2002.
Map of Douglas County, 1889, from History of Kansas.

Historic townships

The county originally had only four townships. Lecompton comprised the area of Lecompton, Kanwaka, and Clinton townships; Washington took the place of Marion and Willow Springs townships; Wakarusa comprised both Wakarusa and Eudora townships; and Calhoun was the original name of Palmyra township. Grant township was annexed from Jefferson County in 1874.

Notable people
See also: List of people from Lawrence, Kansas
  • Isaac F. Hughes, Douglas County commissioner and City Council member in both Lawrence, Kansas, and Los Angeles, California.

See also
Community information for Kansas

References
  1. "QuickFacts; Douglas County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  2. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 108.
  5. Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. Standard Publishing Company. p. 539. ISBN 9780722249055.
  6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  10. "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 24, 2014.
  11. "Who We Are | Douglas County Kansas".
  12. "VR Statistics Count Report" (PDF). State of Kansas Secretary of State.
  13. "Douglas County - State Representatives" (PDF).
  14. "Douglas County - State Senators" (PDF).
  15. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
  16. Panetta, Grace (August 3, 2022). "14 of the 19 Kansas counties that rejected an anti-abortion amendment voted for Trump in 2020". Business Insider. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  17. "Douglas County Sheriff's Office". Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  18. "Clinton Lake". Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  19. "Douglas County, Kansas - County Parks". douglas-county.org. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  20. "Baldwin City, KS - Maple Leaf Festival". Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  21. "Home". Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  22. "Lawrence St Patrick's Day Parade". Lawrence St Patrick's Day Parade. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  23. "Lawrence Christmas Parade". Lawrence Christmas Parade. Retrieved October 30, 2022.

Further reading
See also: List of books about Kansas, including historical information about its counties and cities
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