Riley County, Kansas

Riley County (standard abbreviation: RL) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Manhattan.[3] As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,959.[1] The county was named after Bennet Riley, the 7th governor of California, and a Mexican–American War hero. Riley County is home to Fort Riley and Kansas State University.

Riley County
County
Riley County Courthouse in Manhattan (2005)
Riley County Courthouse in Manhattan (2005)
Flag of Riley County
Flag
Map of Kansas highlighting Riley County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°06′47″N 96°37′41″W
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedAugust 25, 1855
Named forBennet C. Riley
SeatManhattan
Largest cityManhattan
Area
 • Total622 sq mi (1,610 km2)
 • Land610 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Water12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.0%
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total71,959
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
72,208 Increase
 • Density118.0/sq mi (45.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websiterileycountyks.gov

History

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, across Kansas Territory into present-day Colorado.[4]

The first Territorial Capital of Kansas Territory was located in the boundaries of Riley County, in the former town of Pawnee. The site now falls within the boundaries of Fort Riley, a U.S. Army post.[5]

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.[4] 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.[4][6]

On May 30, 1879, the "Irving, Kansas Tornado" began in Riley County. This tornado is estimated to have been an F4 on the Fujita scale, with a damage path 800 yards (700 m) wide and 100 miles (200 km) long. Eighteen people were killed and sixty were injured.[7]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 610 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.0%) is water.[8]

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.

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18601,224—
18705,105317.1%
188010,430104.3%
189013,18326.4%
190013,8284.9%
191015,78314.1%
192020,65030.8%
193019,882−3.7%
194020,6173.7%
195033,40562.0%
196041,91425.5%
197056,78835.5%
198063,50511.8%
199067,1395.7%
200062,843−6.4%
201071,11513.2%
202071,9591.2%
2021 (est.)72,208[2]0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]

Riley County is part of the Manhattan, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. People aged 15 to 34 years old make up 53.6% of the population of Riley County, one of the highest rates in the United States.[13]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,843 people, 22,137 households, and 12,263 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 inhabitants 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.

Government

Riley County is governed by three county commissioners, John Ford, Marvin Rodriguez, and Ron Wells.[14]

Presidential elections
Presidential election results
United States presidential election results for Riley County, Kansas[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 11,610 46.12% 12,765 50.71% 796 3.16%
2016 10,107 46.00% 9,341 42.51% 2,526 11.50%
2012 11,507 54.53% 8,977 42.54% 617 2.92%
2008 12,111 52.43% 10,495 45.43% 494 2.14%
2004 12,672 60.60% 7,908 37.82% 331 1.58%
2000 10,672 58.47% 6,188 33.90% 1,393 7.63%
1996 11,113 56.68% 6,746 34.41% 1,748 8.92%
1992 8,394 38.51% 7,933 36.39% 5,470 25.10%
1988 9,507 55.90% 7,283 42.82% 217 1.28%
1984 11,308 64.77% 5,975 34.22% 175 1.00%
1980 8,904 52.94% 5,224 31.06% 2,690 15.99%
1976 9,518 57.45% 6,540 39.47% 510 3.08%
1972 11,120 66.16% 5,333 31.73% 356 2.12%
1968 8,296 62.17% 4,258 31.91% 791 5.93%
1964 6,396 52.70% 5,597 46.12% 144 1.19%
1960 9,068 71.97% 3,482 27.63% 50 0.40%
1956 9,385 76.84% 2,784 22.80% 44 0.36%
1952 9,799 80.31% 2,352 19.28% 50 0.41%
1948 9,227 68.01% 4,052 29.87% 288 2.12%
1944 6,511 70.43% 2,659 28.76% 74 0.80%
1940 7,420 68.59% 3,293 30.44% 105 0.97%
1936 6,077 59.11% 4,104 39.92% 99 0.96%
1932 5,337 54.65% 4,101 42.00% 327 3.35%
1928 6,592 77.91% 1,791 21.17% 78 0.92%
1924 5,455 70.03% 1,646 21.13% 689 8.84%
1920 4,875 73.57% 1,610 24.30% 141 2.13%
1916 3,320 52.34% 2,637 41.57% 386 6.09%
1912 425 11.14% 1,170 30.67% 2,220 58.19%
1908 2,276 61.71% 1,289 34.95% 123 3.34%
1904 2,251 75.26% 523 17.49% 217 7.26%
1900 2,119 61.69% 1,279 37.23% 37 1.08%
1896 1,890 55.87% 1,443 42.65% 50 1.48%
1892 1,574 51.67% 0 0.00% 1,472 48.33%
1888 1,856 62.49% 772 25.99% 342 11.52%

Owing to its history of Yankee anti-slavery settlement in “Bleeding Kansas” days, Riley County became strongly Republican following Kansas statehood, except when over half of its voters supported Progressive Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 who himself was a Republican who had broken away from the party in that election cycle. Being relatively resistant to the Democratic populism of William Jennings Bryan, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Riley County stood as the westernmost of thirty-eight US counties to have never voted Democratic for President since the Civil War. However, it was the only one whose status as “never Democratic” stood significantly threatened in 2016 and 2020: Hillary Clinton's losing margin of only 3.5 percent was the second-closest any Democrat has come to claiming the county behind her husband in the divided 1992 election.

In the 2018 Kansas gubernatorial election, Democratic candidate Laura Kelly won Riley County by a 24-point margin, and in the 2018 US House Election in KS-01, Republican candidate Roger Marshall lost Riley County by a 2-point margin.

2020 became a historic election for Riley County, as, even though he lost the state, Joe Biden won the county 50.7% to 46.1%, the first Democratic presidential win in Riley County's history.

In the 2022 anti-abortion constitutional amendment referendum, preliminary results showed "No" leading by a margin of 36.8%.[16]

Laws

Riley County is the only county in Kansas without an elected sheriff; the county police department handles all the sheriff's functions.[17]

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 percent food sales requirement. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 2004.[18]

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 68% to 32%, outpacing its support of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.[19]

Education

Colleges and universities

Unified school districts

Communities
2005 KDOT Map of Riley County (map legend)

‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

These former places were flooded when Tuttle Creek Lake was created in the 1950s to 1960s. Randolph (above) was also flooded, but moved a mile west of its original location.

  • Cleburne
  • Garrison Cross
  • Stockdale
  • Winkler[20]

Fort Riley

Located north of the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers in Geary County, 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 a census-designated place.

Townships
Riley County Township map (1887)

Riley County is divided into fourteen townships. The city of Manhattan which is surrounded by Manhattan Township is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for Manhattan Township or any other 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.

Sources: 2000 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau.
TownshipFIPSPopulation
center		 PopulationPopulation
density
/km2 (/sq mi)		 Land area
km2 (sq mi)		Water area
km2 (sq mi)		Water % Geographic coordinates
Ashland027251502 (4)89 (35)1 (0)0.75%39°6′48″N 96°37′42″W
Bala03825Leonardville7627 (18)108 (42)0 (0)0.12%39°20′34″N 96°53′47″W
Center12100811 (3)82 (32)0 (0)0.04%39°29′22″N 96°52′54″W
Fancy Creek229501262 (4)83 (32)0 (0)0.07%39°24′55″N 96°53′14″W
Grant280758339 (23)92 (35)7 (3)7.38%39°17′52″N 96°41′31″W
Jackson34900Randolph3264 (10)84 (32)10 (4)10.30%39°26′43″N 96°45′1″W
Madison44125Fort Riley CDP (part)8,17322 (58)366 (141)0 (0)0.11%39°15′32″N 96°50′26″W
Manhattan442753,27537 (95)89 (35)3 (1)3.28%39°12′45″N 96°35′46″W
May Day45225781 (2)81 (31)0 (0)0.04%39°32′39″N 96°53′41″W
Ogden52300Ogden2,42369 (178)35 (14)1 (0)2.32%39°7′6″N 96°41′54″W
Sherman650755247 (18)76 (29)5 (2)6.06%39°22′30″N 96°43′58″W
Swede Creek69650Cleburne (hist.)1571 (3)125 (48)4 (1)3.00%39°32′24″N 96°42′9″W
Wildcat7917575010 (25)77 (30)0 (0)0.10%39°13′26″N 96°42′28″W
Zeandale809003572 (6)154 (60)2 (1)0.97%39°7′39″N 96°27′19″W

Notable people

Among notable current and former residents of Riley County are former Governor John W. Carlin, General Glen Edgerton, millionaire miner Horace A. W. Tabor, NFL receiver Jordy Nelson.

See also
Community information for Kansas

References
  1. "QuickFacts; Riley County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 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. Olson, Kevin (2012). Frontier Manhattan. University Press of Kansas. pp. 54, 107–108. ISBN 978-0-7006-1832-3.
  5. Nichols, Roy Franklin (1931). Franklin Pierce: Young Hickory of the Granite Hills. Newtown, Connecticut: American Political Biography Press. p. 418. ISBN 0-945707-06-1.
  6. Riley County Official Website – History
  7. Joe Furr, "Historical Tornadoes"
  8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  12. "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 28, 2014.
  13. "What States and Counties Have the Most Millennials?". November 14, 2016.
  14. "Elected Officials". Riley County. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  15. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
  16. https://www.rileycountyks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21695/UNOFFICIAL-FINAL-REPORT-?bidId=
  17. https://www.sheriffs.org/sites/default/files/tb/Office_of_Sheriff_State-by-State_Election_Chart.pdf
  18. "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 28, 2007.
  19. 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.
  20. Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. pp. 926.

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