Barton County, Kansas

**Barton County** (standard abbreviation: **BT**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 25,493 people lived there. Its county seat is Great Bend. Great Bend is also the biggest city in Barton County. The county is named after Clara Barton. She was responsible for creating the American Red Cross.

## History

In 1867, **Barton County** was created. It was named after Clara Barton. It is the only Kansas county named after a woman.

## Geography

Barton County was drawn in the shape of a  square. The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.6%) is water. The geographic center of Kansas is in Barton County.

### Major highways

Sources:  National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Route 56
- U.S. Route 281
- Kansas Highway 4
- Kansas Highway 96
- Kansas Highway 156

## People

The Great Bend Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Barton County.

### Presidential elections

Prior to 1940, Barton County was a Democratic-leaning swing county in presidential elections, being a national bellwether from 1912 to 1936. From 1940 on, it has become a Republican Party stronghold, with the solitary Democratic Party presidential candidate to carry it since then being Lyndon B. Johnson in his national landslide of 1964.

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2024**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.3%** _8,205_|style="text-align:center;"|20.8% _2,207_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _205_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.2%** _8,608_|style="text-align:center;"|21.0% _2,340_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _202_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.3%** _7,888_|style="text-align:center;"|17.8% _1,839_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.9% _612_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.1%** _7,874_|style="text-align:center;"|22.2% _2,297_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% _170_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.6%** _7,802_|style="text-align:center;"|27.4% _3,027_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% _228_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.0%** _8,666_|style="text-align:center;"|24.6% _2,874_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _166_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.7%** _7,302_|style="text-align:center;"|29.6% _3,238_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.8% _415_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.9%** _7,855_|style="text-align:center;"|25.8% _3,121_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.3% _1,123_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**37.7%** _5,113_|style="text-align:center;"|28.3% _3,846_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|34.0% _4,623_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.2%** _7,741_|style="text-align:center;"|38.4% _5,024_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _310_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.6%** _10,232_|style="text-align:center;"|23.0% _3,111_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _195_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.0%** _9,147_|style="text-align:center;"|26.4% _3,663_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.5% _1,042_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.6%** _7,311_|style="text-align:center;"|41.8% _5,497_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% _334_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.9%** _8,479_|style="text-align:center;"|28.3% _3,481_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.9% _352_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.9%** _6,700_|style="text-align:center;"|36.6% _4,464_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.6% _1,044_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|39.5% _4,826_|style="text-align:center;"|**60.1%** _7,340_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _55_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.6%** _7,599_|style="text-align:center;"|44.2% _6,036_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% _30_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.2%** _8,644_|style="text-align:center;"|33.5% _4,378_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _41_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.4%** _9,380_|style="text-align:center;"|28.9% _3,847_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _92_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.4%** _6,191_|style="text-align:center;"|45.8% _5,307_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _102_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.4%** _5,547_|style="text-align:center;"|40.3% _3,761_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _37_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.4%** _6,011_|style="text-align:center;"|45.1% _4,982_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _50_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|37.1% _3,534_|style="text-align:center;"|**62.8%** _5,978_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% _5_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|40.9% _3,365_|style="text-align:center;"|**58.0%** _4,776_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _97_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.9%** _4,966_|style="text-align:center;"|35.8% _2,777_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _24_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.5%** _4,109_|style="text-align:center;"|22.1% _1,605_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|21.5% _1,560_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.8%** _3,993_|style="text-align:center;"|29.1% _1,688_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _125_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|44.5% _2,891_|style="text-align:center;"|**50.6%** _3,292_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.9% _319_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|17.0% _692_|style="text-align:center;"|**50.9%** _2,069_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|32.1% _1,308_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|44.8% _1,729_|style="text-align:center;"|**52.0%** _2,004_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.2% _124_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.2%** _1,939_|style="text-align:center;"|37.1% _1,235_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.7% _158_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|46.5% _1,564_|style="text-align:center;"|**52.6%** _1,772_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _30_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|42.6% _1,215_|style="text-align:center;"|**56.6%** _1,616_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _24_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|43.1% _1,381_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**56.9%** _1,823_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**49.2%** _1,353_|style="text-align:center;"|44.6% _1,228_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.2% _171_|

### Unified school districts

The five school districts are part of the special education area of Barton County called Barton County Special Services.
- Central Plains USD 112
- Ellinwood USD 355
- Great Bend USD 428
- Hoisington USD 431
- Otis-Bison USD 403 (Rush County)

### Community colleges

- Barton Community College

### Cities

- Albert
- Claflin
- Ellinwood
- Galatia
- Great Bend
- Hoisington
- Olmitz
- Pawnee Rock
- Susank

## More reading

- County
- _Atlas and Plat Book of Barton County, Kansas_; Kenyon Co; 55 pages; 1916.
- _Plat Book of Barton County, Kansas_; North West Publishing Co; 47 pages; 1902.

- Trails
- _The Story of the Marking of the Santa Fe Trail by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas and the State of Kansas_; Almira Cordry; Crane Co; 164 pages; 1915.
- _The National Old Trails Road To Southern California, Part 1 (LA to KC)_; Automobile Club Of Southern California; 64 pages; 1916.

## Other websites

- County
- Barton County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Barton 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**: Barton County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Barton county courthouse kansas.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Barton County Courthouse in Great Bend (1979)
- **founded**: February 26, 1867
- **named for**: Clara Barton
- **seat wl**: Great Bend
- **largest city wl**: Great Bend
- **area total sq mi**: 901
- **area land sq mi**: 895
- **area water sq mi**: 5.2
- **area percentage**: 0.6%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 25493
- **population density sq mi**: 28.5
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 1st
- **time zone**: Central