Gray County, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gray County
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Former Gray County Courthouse in Cimarron (2015)
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Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
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 Kansas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | March 13, 1881 |
| Named for | Alfred Gray |
| Seat | Cimarron |
| Largest city | Cimarron |
| Area | |
| • Total | 869 sq mi (2,250 km2) |
| • Land | 869 sq mi (2,250 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1 km2) 0.05%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,653 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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5,743  |
| • Density | 6.505/sq mi (2.5117/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Gray County is a county located in the state of Kansas. The main town and biggest city is Cimarron. In 2020, about 5,653 people lived here. The county got its name from Alfred Gray, an important politician from Kansas in the 1800s.
Contents
History of Gray County
For thousands of years, the Great Plains of North America were home to nomadic Native American groups. They moved around to hunt and find food.
In 1854, the area became the Kansas Territory. Then, in 1861, Kansas officially became the 34th U.S. state.
Gray County was created in 1881. It was named after Alfred Gray. Between 1887 and 1893, there was an argument called the county seat war. This was a fight over which town should be the main county seat. Some famous figures from the Old West, like Bat Masterson and Bill Tilghman, were involved. In the end, Cimarron became the permanent county seat of Gray County.
Geography of Gray County
Gray County covers about 869 square miles. Most of this area is land, with only a tiny bit (0.05%) being water.
Since 2001, a company called NextEra Energy Resources has run the biggest wind farm in Kansas here. It has 170 wind turbines that create a lot of electricity. This wind farm is on a large piece of land near Montezuma.
Neighboring Counties
Gray County shares borders with these counties:
- Finney County (to the north)
- Hodgeman County (to the northeast)
- Ford County (to the east)
- Meade County (to the south)
- Haskell County (to the west)
Population in Gray County
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 2,415 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,264 | −47.7% | |
| 1910 | 3,121 | 146.9% | |
| 1920 | 4,711 | 50.9% | |
| 1930 | 6,211 | 31.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,773 | −23.2% | |
| 1950 | 4,894 | 2.5% | |
| 1960 | 4,380 | −10.5% | |
| 1970 | 4,516 | 3.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,138 | 13.8% | |
| 1990 | 5,396 | 5.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,904 | 9.4% | |
| 2010 | 6,006 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 5,653 | −5.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 5,743 | −4.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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In 2000, there were 5,904 people living in Gray County. Most people were White (about 92%). About 10% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Many households (about 42%) had children under 18 living with them. Most families (about 68%) were married couples. The average family size was about 3 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 31% of people were under 18. The median age was 33 years old. This means half the people were younger than 33 and half were older.
Religion in Gray County
Gray County has the highest number of people who follow the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite in the United States. In 2010, over 1,000 people in Gray County belonged to this church. It is the largest church group in the county.
Education in Gray County
Students in Gray County attend schools that are part of different school districts. These are called Unified School Districts (USDs).
Unified School Districts
- Cimarron–Ensign USD 102
- Montezuma USD 371
- Copeland USD 476
- Ingalls USD 477
Communities in Gray County
Gray County has several cities and towns, as well as smaller, unincorporated communities.
Cities and Towns
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller places that don't have their own local government.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Gray (Kansas) para niños
