RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS

'Riley County' (standard abbreviation: 'RL') is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of 2000, the population was 62,843. The largest city and county seat is Manhattan.
Among notable current and former residents of Riley County are former Governor John W. Carlin, General Glen Edgerton and millionaire miner Horace A. W. Tabor.

Contents

History

Geography

Geographic features

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Unincorporated places

Fort Riley

Townships

Education

Colleges and universities

Unified school districts

See also

References

External links

History

Riley County, named for Mexican-American War general Bennet Riley, was one of the westernmost 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, stretching most of the way 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, Kansas. 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.^[1]

On May 30, 1879, the "Irving, Kansas Tornado" began in Riley county. This tornado measured F4 on the Fujita scale and had a damage path wide and long. Eighteen people were killed and sixty were injured.^[2]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,611 km² (622 mi²). 1,579 km² (610 mi²) of it is land and 32 km² (13 mi²) of it (2.02%) is water.

Geographic features

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

As of the census² of 2000, there were 62,843 people, 22,137 households, and 12,263 families residing in the county. The population density was 40/km² (103/mi²). There were 23,397 housing units at an average density of 15/km² (38/mi²). 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.

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2004 estimate):

★ Manhattan, 47,916 (county seat)

★ Ogden, 1,544

★ Riley, 760

★ Leonardville, 384

★ Randolph, 149

Unincorporated places

★ Ashland

★ Bala

★ Keats

★ Rocky Ford

★ Zeandale

Fort Riley

Located north of the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers in Geary County, the Fort Riley Military Reservation covers in Geary and Riley counties. The fort has a daytime population of nearly 25,000 and includes two census-designated places:

★ Fort Riley North

★ Fort Riley-Camp Whiteside

Townships

Riley County is divided into fourteen townships. The city of Manhattan 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) 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.

Township	FIPS	Population center	Population	Population density /km² (/mi²)	Land area km² (mi²)	Water area km² (mi²)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Ashland	02725		150	2 (4)	89 (35)	1 (0)	0.75%
Bala	03825	Leonardville	762	7 (18)	108 (42)	0 (0)	0.12%
Center	12100		81	1 (3)	82 (32)	0 (0)	0.04%
Fancy Creek	22950		126	2 (4)	83 (32)	0 (0)	0.07%
Grant	28075		833	9 (23)	92 (35)	7 (3)	7.38%
Jackson	34900	Randolph	326	4 (10)	84 (32)	10 (4)	10.30%
Madison	44125	Fort Riley North CDP (part)	8,173	22 (58)	366 (141)	0 (0)	0.11%
Manhattan	44275		3,275	37 (95)	89 (35)	3 (1)	3.28%
May Day	45225		78	1 (2)	81 (31)	0 (0)	0.04%
Ogden	52300	Ogden	2,423	69 (178)	35 (14)	1 (0)	2.32%
Sherman	65075		524	7 (18)	76 (29)	5 (2)	6.06%
Swede Creek	69650		157	1 (3)	125 (48)	4 (1)	3.00%
Wildcat	79175		750	10 (25)	77 (30)	0 (0)	0.10%
Zeandale	80900		357	2 (6)	154 (60)	2 (1)	0.97%

Education

Colleges and universities

★ Kansas State University

★ Manhattan Christian College

Unified school districts

★ Riley County USD 378

★ Manhattan USD 383

★ Blue Valley USD 384

See also

;Notable features and landmarks

★ Pillsbury Crossing

References

1. http://www.rileycountyks.gov/index.asp?NID=441
2. Joe Furr, "Historical Tornadoes"


★ Places in Riley County, Kansas United States Census Bureau

External links

;Local History and Genealogy
:
★ The Irving, KS Tornado
:
★ Cutler's History of Riley County, Kansas
:
★ Riley County GenWeb
:
★ Riley County Kansas AHGP
;Official websites
:
★ Riley County Government
;General county information
:
★ Blue Skyways
;County Level Data
:
★ Kansas Statistical Abstract