Riley County, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Riley County
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Riley County Courthouse in Manhattan (2005)
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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 |
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| State |  Kansas |
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| Founded | August 25, 1855 | |
| Named for | Bennet C. Riley | |
| Seat | Manhattan | |
| Largest city | Manhattan | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 622 sq mi (1,610 km2) | |
| • Land | 610 sq mi (1,600 km2) | |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (30 km2) 2.0%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 71,959 | |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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72,208  |
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| • Density | 118.0/sq mi (45.6/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
Riley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Manhattan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,959. 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.
Contents
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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
- Marshall County (northeast)
- Pottawatomie County (east)
- Wabaunsee County (southeast)
- Geary County (south)
- Clay County (west)
- Washington County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,224 | — | |
| 1870 | 5,105 | 317.1% | |
| 1880 | 10,430 | 104.3% | |
| 1890 | 13,183 | 26.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,828 | 4.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,783 | 14.1% | |
| 1920 | 20,650 | 30.8% | |
| 1930 | 19,882 | −3.7% | |
| 1940 | 20,617 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 33,405 | 62.0% | |
| 1960 | 41,914 | 25.5% | |
| 1970 | 56,788 | 35.5% | |
| 1980 | 63,505 | 11.8% | |
| 1990 | 67,139 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 62,843 | −6.4% | |
| 2010 | 71,115 | 13.2% | |
| 2020 | 71,959 | 1.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 71,402 | 0.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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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.
Education
Colleges and universities
- Kansas State University
- Manhattan Christian College
- Manhattan Area Technical College
Unified school districts
- Riley County USD 378
- Manhattan-Ogden USD 383
- Blue Valley USD 384
Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Riley County.
Cities
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.
- Leonardville
- Manhattan‡ (county seat)
- Ogden
- Randolph
- Riley
Unincorporated communities
† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.
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
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 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.
| Township | FIPS | Population center |
Population | Population density /km2 (/sq mi) |
Land area km2 (sq mi) |
Water area km2 (sq mi) |
Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | 02725 | 150 | 2 (4) | 89 (35) | 1 (0) | 0.75% | 39°6′48″N 96°37′42″W / 39.11333°N 96.62833°W | |
| Bala | 03825 | Leonardville | 762 | 7 (18) | 108 (42) | 0 (0) | 0.12% | 39°20′34″N 96°53′47″W / 39.34278°N 96.89639°W |
| Center | 12100 | 81 | 1 (3) | 82 (32) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°29′22″N 96°52′54″W / 39.48944°N 96.88167°W | |
| Fancy Creek | 22950 | 126 | 2 (4) | 83 (32) | 0 (0) | 0.07% | 39°24′55″N 96°53′14″W / 39.41528°N 96.88722°W | |
| Grant | 28075 | 833 | 9 (23) | 92 (35) | 7 (3) | 7.38% | 39°17′52″N 96°41′31″W / 39.29778°N 96.69194°W | |
| Jackson | 34900 | Randolph | 326 | 4 (10) | 84 (32) | 10 (4) | 10.30% | 39°26′43″N 96°45′1″W / 39.44528°N 96.75028°W |
| Madison | 44125 | Fort Riley CDP (part) | 8,173 | 22 (58) | 366 (141) | 0 (0) | 0.11% | 39°15′32″N 96°50′26″W / 39.25889°N 96.84056°W |
| Manhattan | 44275 | 3,275 | 37 (95) | 89 (35) | 3 (1) | 3.28% | 39°12′45″N 96°35′46″W / 39.21250°N 96.59611°W | |
| May Day | 45225 | 78 | 1 (2) | 81 (31) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°32′39″N 96°53′41″W / 39.54417°N 96.89472°W | |
| Ogden | 52300 | Ogden | 2,423 | 69 (178) | 35 (14) | 1 (0) | 2.32% | 39°7′6″N 96°41′54″W / 39.11833°N 96.69833°W |
| Sherman | 65075 | 524 | 7 (18) | 76 (29) | 5 (2) | 6.06% | 39°22′30″N 96°43′58″W / 39.37500°N 96.73278°W | |
| Swede Creek | 69650 | Cleburne (hist.) | 157 | 1 (3) | 125 (48) | 4 (1) | 3.00% | 39°32′24″N 96°42′9″W / 39.54000°N 96.70250°W |
| Wildcat | 79175 | 750 | 10 (25) | 77 (30) | 0 (0) | 0.10% | 39°13′26″N 96°42′28″W / 39.22389°N 96.70778°W | |
| Zeandale | 80900 | 357 | 2 (6) | 154 (60) | 2 (1) | 0.97% | 39°7′39″N 96°27′19″W / 39.12750°N 96.45528°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
In Spanish: Condado de Riley para niños
