Osage County, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Osage County
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Osage County Courthouse in Lyndon (2009)
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| Nickname(s):
Land of Lakes
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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 | 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)
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| • Total | 15,766 |
| • Density | 22.3/sq mi (8.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Osage County is a county in Kansas, a state in the United States. Its main town, called the county seat, is Lyndon. The biggest city in the county is Osage City.
In 2020, about 15,766 people lived in Osage County. The county was first set up in 1855. It was called Weller County back then. Later, in 1859, it was renamed Osage County. This new name honors the Osage tribe, a Native American group.
Contents
History of Osage County
Early Times
For thousands of years, the Great Plains of North America were home to nomadic Native Americans. These groups moved around to hunt and gather food.
From the 1500s to the 1700s, France claimed a lot of land in North America. This included parts of what is now Kansas. In 1762, after a big war, France secretly gave this land to Spain. This was part of a deal called the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
The 1800s
In 1802, Spain gave most of the land back to France. Then, in 1803, the United States bought a huge area from France. This was called the Louisiana Purchase. Most of modern-day Kansas was part of this purchase. It was a very big deal for the United States.
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was created. This was a step towards Kansas becoming a state. Finally, in 1861, Kansas officially became the 34th U.S. state. Osage County was officially formed in 1859, just before Kansas became a state.
Geography of Osage County
Osage County covers a total area of about 720 square miles. Most of this land is dry land, about 706 square miles. The rest, about 14 square miles, is water. This means about 2% of the county is covered by water.
Neighboring Counties
Osage County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Shawnee County (to the north)
- Douglas County (to the northeast)
- Franklin County (to the east)
- Coffey County (to the south)
- Lyon County (to the southwest)
- Wabaunsee County (to the northwest)
People of Osage County
| Historical population | |||
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| 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% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 15,824 | −2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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Osage County is part of the larger Topeka area. This is known as the Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 2000, there were about 16,712 people living in the county. These people lived in 6,490 homes. About 4,737 of these were families. The county had about 24 people living per square mile.
Many homes had children under 18 living there. Most homes were married couples living together. The average age of people in the county was 39 years old.
Education in Osage County
Students in Osage County attend schools in several different school districts. These are called Unified School Districts (USDs).
School Districts
- Osage City USD 420
- Lyndon USD 421
- Santa Fe Trail USD 434
- Burlingame USD 454
- Marais des Cygnes Valley USD 456
Media in Osage County
Osage County has its own weekly newspaper. It is called The Osage County Herald-Chronicle. About 4,500 copies of this newspaper are printed each week. This makes it one of the largest paid weekly newspapers in Kansas.
The Herald-Chronicle was formed in 2007. It was created when two older newspapers joined together. These were The Osage County Herald and The Osage County Chronicle.
Communities in Osage County
Osage County has several cities and smaller communities. Some of these are incorporated cities. Others are unincorporated communities.
Cities in Osage County
- Burlingame
- Carbondale
- Lyndon (this is the county seat)
- Melvern
- Olivet
- Osage City
- Overbrook
- Quenemo
- Scranton
Unincorporated Communities
These communities are not officially governed as cities. Some are called Census-Designated Places (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.
Osage County is also divided into sixteen smaller areas called townships.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Osage (Kansas) para niños
