Elk County, Kansas

**Elk County** (county code **EK**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 2,483 people lived there. Its county seat is Howard. Howard is also the biggest city in Elk County.

### 19th century

In 1875, **Elk County** was created. It was named after the Elk River.

The first railroad in Elk County was built through that territory in 1879. It connected ranches and farms to markets.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (1.0%) is water.

### Presidential elections

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**83.8%** _1,140_|style="text-align:center;"|14.3% _195_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _26_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**83.2%** _1,048_|style="text-align:center;"|12.7% _160_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.1% _51_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.6%** _1,049_|style="text-align:center;"|20.5% _281_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.9% _39_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.7%** _1,042_|style="text-align:center;"|25.3% _363_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _29_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.9%** _1,119_|style="text-align:center;"|24.4% _369_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _27_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.7%** _1,080_|style="text-align:center;"|25.9% _402_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.4% _68_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.8%** _933_|style="text-align:center;"|29.7% _488_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|13.5% _222_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**42.9%** _748_|style="text-align:center;"|27.8% _485_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|29.2% _509_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.0%** _1,075_|style="text-align:center;"|35.6% _608_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _23_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.9%** _1,301_|style="text-align:center;"|25.3% _452_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _32_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.7%** _1,280_|style="text-align:center;"|26.2% _482_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.1% _75_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.8%** _1,087_|style="text-align:center;"|43.6% _865_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _30_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.0%** _1,522_|style="text-align:center;"|21.4% _428_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% _52_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.6%** _1,327_|style="text-align:center;"|24.5% _503_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.9% _223_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.7%** _1,267_|style="text-align:center;"|43.7% _994_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _12_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.5%** _1,830_|style="text-align:center;"|30.8% _823_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _20_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.9%** _1,909_|style="text-align:center;"|29.7% _812_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _10_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.4%** _2,380_|style="text-align:center;"|23.0% _717_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _19_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.8%** _1,962_|style="text-align:center;"|35.4% _1,087_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _26_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.3%** _2,283_|style="text-align:center;"|29.4% _954_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _9_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.8%** _2,774_|style="text-align:center;"|34.5% _1,478_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _31_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.2%** _2,355_|style="text-align:center;"|46.6% _2,059_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% _9_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|43.0% _1,746_|style="text-align:center;"|**55.2%** _2,239_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _72_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.5%** _3,007_|style="text-align:center;"|21.4% _831_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _42_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.3%** _2,443_|style="text-align:center;"|29.0% _1,104_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.7% _255_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.3%** _2,253_|style="text-align:center;"|32.2% _1,110_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% _89_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|43.9% _1,769_|style="text-align:center;"|**51.0%** _2,053_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.1% _204_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|24.1% _605_|style="text-align:center;"|**38.7%** _971_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|37.2% _935_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.1%** _1,454_|style="text-align:center;"|44.2% _1,187_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _46_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**67.5%** _1,713_|style="text-align:center;"|27.8% _706_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.7% _120_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.2%** _1,632_|style="text-align:center;"|44.4% _1,311_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _13_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|47.6% _1,339_|style="text-align:center;"|**52.0%** _1,464_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _12_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|47.2% _1,235_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**52.8%** _1,382_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.7%** _1,566_|style="text-align:center;"|23.9% _696_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|22.4% _654_|

### Laws

The Kansas Constitution was changed in 1986 to allow the sale of alcohol, but Elk County voters have chosen to remain a "dry" county.

### Unified school districts

- West Elk USD 282
- Elk Valley USD 283

### Cities

- Elk Falls
- Grenola
- Howard
- Longton
- Moline

## More reading

- _Elk County, Kansas_; H. F. Smith; 1927.
- _Handbook of Elk and Chautauqua Counties, Kansas_; C.S. Burch Publishing Co; 24 pages; 1886.
- _Elk County Rural Landowners Plat Map_; 1927.
- _Standard Atlas of Elk County, Kansas_; George A. Ogle & Co; 43 pages; 1903.
- _Atlas of Elk County_; Davy Map & Atlas Co; 45 pages; 1885.

## Other websites

- County
- Elk County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Elk 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**: Elk County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Elk Falls Truss Bridge NRHP 94000403 Elk County, KS (2).jpg
- **ex image cap**: Truss bridge#Pratt truss, Pratt Truss Bridge near Elk Falls, Kansas, Elk Falls (2015)
- **founded**: March 25, 1875
- **named for**: Elk River (Kansas), Elk River
- **seat wl**: Howard
- **largest city wl**: Howard
- **area total sq mi**: 650
- **area land sq mi**: 644
- **area water sq mi**: 6.2
- **area percentage**: 1.0%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 2483
- **population density sq mi**: 3.9
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 4th
- **time zone**: Central