Bourbon County, Kansas

**Bourbon County** (county code **BB**) is a county  in Southeast Kansas. In 2020, 14,360 people lived there. Its county seat is Fort Scott. Fort Scott is also the biggest city in Bourbon County.

### 19th century

In 1855, **Bourbon County** was founded.

### 21st century

Bourbon virus is a new strain of thogotovirus. It was first found in Bourbon County. In spring 2014, an otherwise healthy man was bitten by a tick. The man got the virus. He died 11 days later from organ failure.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.6%) is water.

### Major highways

Sources:  National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Route 54
- U.S. Route 69
- Kansas Highway 3
- Kansas Highway 7
- Kansas Highway 31
- Kansas Highway 39
- Kansas Highway 65

### Presidential elections

Bourbon County is a strongly Republican county. Only six presidential elections from 1888 to the present have resulted in Republicans failing to win the county, with the last of these being in 1964.

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2024**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.9%** _5,003_|style="text-align:center;"|21.9% _1,444_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _145_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.2%** _5,023_|style="text-align:center;"|23.1% _1,541_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _112_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.6%** _4,424_|style="text-align:center;"|21.6% _1,336_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.7% _415_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.6%** _4,102_|style="text-align:center;"|31.9% _1,996_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% _156_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.5%** _4,240_|style="text-align:center;"|35.3% _2,394_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _147_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.4%** _4,372_|style="text-align:center;"|33.1% _2,216_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _98_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**61.1%** _3,852_|style="text-align:center;"|35.1% _2,211_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.9% _245_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.2%** _3,318_|style="text-align:center;"|37.7% _2,491_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.2% _805_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**40.2%** _2,876_|style="text-align:center;"|35.1% _2,509_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|24.8% _1,774_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.8%** _3,660_|style="text-align:center;"|41.4% _2,623_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.4%** _4,858_|style="text-align:center;"|30.6% _2,175_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _69_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.2%** _4,263_|style="text-align:center;"|36.2% _2,605_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.6% _331_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.8%** _3,589_|style="text-align:center;"|46.7% _3,237_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _103_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.1%** _4,776_|style="text-align:center;"|28.1% _1,912_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _126_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.9%** _3,983_|style="text-align:center;"|32.0% _2,241_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|11.1% _780_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|44.9% _3,290_|style="text-align:center;"|**54.4%** _3,980_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _53_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.0%** _5,062_|style="text-align:center;"|36.5% _2,928_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _41_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.4%** _5,306_|style="text-align:center;"|37.1% _3,151_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _47_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.3%** _5,785_|style="text-align:center;"|34.1% _3,023_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _56_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.4%** _4,225_|style="text-align:center;"|47.2% _3,879_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _111_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.7%** _4,790_|style="text-align:center;"|42.9% _3,622_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _39_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.6%** _5,751_|style="text-align:center;"|45.7% _4,898_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _78_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|48.6% _5,402_|style="text-align:center;"|**51.4%** _5,714_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% _4_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|42.6% _4,277_|style="text-align:center;"|**55.6%** _5,577_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _181_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.9%** _7,251_|style="text-align:center;"|23.3% _2,223_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _82_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**49.0%** _4,210_|style="text-align:center;"|33.2% _2,850_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.9% _1,538_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.1%** _4,194_|style="text-align:center;"|45.1% _3,632_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% _225_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|37.6% _3,370_|style="text-align:center;"|**58.1%** _5,209_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.3% _388_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|27.0% _1,448_|style="text-align:center;"|**41.3%** _2,209_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|31.7% _1,698_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**47.8%** _2,695_|style="text-align:center;"|47.7% _2,686_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.5% _253_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.3%** _3,234_|style="text-align:center;"|33.1% _1,808_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.6% _415_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.4%** _3,024_|style="text-align:center;"|47.5% _2,799_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _65_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|48.2% _2,900_|style="text-align:center;"|**51.0%** _3,067_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _50_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|49.2% _2,803_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**50.8%** _2,889_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.1%** _3,569_|style="text-align:center;"|29.3% _1,831_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|13.7% _854_|

### Cities

- Bronson
- Fort Scott
- Fulton
- Mapleton
- Redfield
- Uniontown

## Notable people

- Jonathan M. Davis, 22nd Governor of Kansas; born in Bourbon County.

## More reading

- _Standard Atlas of Bourbon County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 67 pages; 1920.
- _History of Bourbon County, Kansas: To the Close of 1865_; Thomas F. Robley; 269 pages; 1894.
- _An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Bourbon County, Kansas_; Edwards Brothers of Missouri; 55 pages; 1878.

## Other websites

- County
- Bourbon County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Bourbon County Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current , 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

## Infobox (u.s. county)

- **county**: Bourbon County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Bourbon County Courthouse - Fort Scott Kansas 10-10-2016.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Bourbon County Courthouse in Fort Scott, Kansas, Fort Scott (2016)
- **founded**: August 25, 1855
- **named for**: Bourbon County, Kentucky
- **seat wl**: Fort Scott
- **largest city wl**: Fort Scott
- **area total sq mi**: 639
- **area land sq mi**: 635
- **area water sq mi**: 3.6
- **area percentage**: 0.6%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 14360
- **population density sq mi**: 22.6
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 2nd
- **time zone**: Central