McPherson County, Kansas

**McPherson County** (standard abbreviation: **MP**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 30,223 people lived there. The biggest city is McPherson. It is also the county seat. The county is named after Civil War General James B. McPherson.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that  is land and  (0.3%) is water.

### Major highways

- Interstate 135
- U.S. Route 56
- U.S. Route 81
- K-4
- K-61
- K-153

## People

The McPherson Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of McPherson County.

### Presidential elections

McPherson county is often carried by Republican Candidates. The last time a democratic candidate has carried this county was in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson.

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.0%** _9,964_|style="text-align:center;"|28.6% _4,134_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _340_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**67.1%** _8,549_|style="text-align:center;"|25.3% _3,226_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.6% _967_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.5%** _8,545_|style="text-align:center;"|28.1% _3,449_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% _303_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.8%** _8,937_|style="text-align:center;"|31.5% _4,218_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _231_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.8%** _9,595_|style="text-align:center;"|26.9% _3,589_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _183_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.2%** _8,501_|style="text-align:center;"|26.3% _3,272_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.5% _688_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.2%** _8,142_|style="text-align:center;"|27.5% _3,536_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.4% _1,205_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**44.2%** _5,745_|style="text-align:center;"|28.1% _3,645_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|27.7% _3,601_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.8%** _6,563_|style="text-align:center;"|39.0% _4,354_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _247_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.9%** _8,630_|style="text-align:center;"|26.5% _3,185_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% _189_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.8%** _6,843_|style="text-align:center;"|28.7% _3,340_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.5% _1,448_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.3%** _3,519_|style="text-align:center;"|40.4% _2,483_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.3% _138_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.6%** _7,457_|style="text-align:center;"|27.0% _2,858_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _254_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.0%** _6,420_|style="text-align:center;"|29.3% _2,893_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.7% _567_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|45.6% _4,483_|style="text-align:center;"|**52.7%** _5,173_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _170_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.6%** _7,920_|style="text-align:center;"|25.8% _2,774_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _65_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.8%** _7,521_|style="text-align:center;"|25.5% _2,603_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _74_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.6%** _8,053_|style="text-align:center;"|22.0% _2,371_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.5% _374_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.5%** _5,952_|style="text-align:center;"|37.5% _3,879_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.0% _513_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.3%** _5,840_|style="text-align:center;"|35.4% _3,321_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.3% _211_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.2%** _6,732_|style="text-align:center;"|37.9% _4,240_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _204_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|43.0% _4,744_|style="text-align:center;"|**56.6%** _6,256_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _46_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|43.7% _4,098_|style="text-align:center;"|**53.4%** _5,003_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.9% _276_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**80.0%** _6,230_|style="text-align:center;"|18.7% _1,457_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _102_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.0%** _5,128_|style="text-align:center;"|19.7% _1,530_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|14.3% _1,113_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.5%** _4,870_|style="text-align:center;"|27.5% _1,926_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.0% _211_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|**47.6%** _3,806_|style="text-align:center;"|46.8% _3,737_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.6% _451_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|9.8% _455_|style="text-align:center;"|35.3% _1,639_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**54.9%** _2,553_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.4%** _2,708_|style="text-align:center;"|40.4% _1,905_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.3% _106_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.7%** _2,991_|style="text-align:center;"|18.8% _773_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.5% _349_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.6%** _2,640_|style="text-align:center;"|43.9% _2,121_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _73_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|48.9% _2,269_|style="text-align:center;"|**50.1%** _2,324_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _44_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|48.4% _2,294_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**51.6%** _2,444_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.7%** _2,279_|style="text-align:center;"|18.8% _829_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|29.5% _1,300_|

### Unified school districts

- USD 400, Smoky Valley
    - Lindsborg, Marquette, Rural Areas
- USD 418, McPherson
    - McPherson, Rural Areas
- USD 419, Canton-Galva
    - Canton, Galva, Rural Areas
- USD 423, Moundridge
    - Moundridge, Rural Areas
- USD 448, Inman
    - Inman, Rural Areas
- District Office In Neighboring County
- USD 411, Goessel
    - Rural Areas
- USD 444, Little River-Windom
    - Windom, Rural Areas

### Cities

- Canton
- Galva
- Inman
- Lindsborg
- Marquette
- McPherson
- Moundridge
- Windom

## References

- Notes

## More reading

- County
- _Through the Years: A Pictorial History of McPherson County_; McPherson Sentinel' Heritage House Publishing Co; 1992.
- _McPherson County First Courthouse Built About 1869 or 1870_; Lindsborg News-Record; March 30, 1959.
- _Pioneer Life and Lore of McPherson County, Kansas_; Edna Nyquist; Democratic-Opinion Press; 1932.
- _A History of the Church of the Brethren in Kansas_ (includes McPherson College history); Elmer LeRoy Craik; McPherson Daily; Republican Press; 397 pages; 1922.
- _Portrait and Biographical Record of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson, and Marion Counties, Kansas_; Chapman Bros; 614 pages; 1893.
- _Standard Atlas of McPherson County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 82 pages; 1921.
- _Plat Book of McPherson County, Kansas_; North West Publishing Co; 50 pages; 1903.
- _Edwards' Atlas of McPherson County, Kansas_; John P. Edwards; 51 pages; 1884.

- Trails
- _The National Old Trails Road To Southern California, Part 1 (LA to KC)_; Automobile Club Of Southern California; 64 pages; 1916. <small>(Download 6.8MB PDF eBook)</small>

- Mennonite Settlements
- _Impact of Mennonite settlement on the cultural landscape of Kansas_; Brenda Martin; Kansas State University; 1985/1988.
- _Mennonite settlement : the relationship between the physical and cultural environment_; Susan Movle; University of Utah; 1975/1886.
- _Status of Mennonite women in Kansas in their church and home relationships_; Eva Harshbarger; Bluffton College; 1925/1945.

## Other websites

- County
- Maps
- McPherson 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**: McPherson County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: McPherson County Courthouse (Kansas).jpg
- **ex image cap**: McPherson County Courthouse (2023)
- **founded**: February 26, 1867
- **named for**: James B. McPherson
- **seat wl**: McPherson
- **largest city wl**: McPherson
- **area total sq mi**: 901
- **area land sq mi**: 898
- **area water sq mi**: 2.3
- **area percentage**: 0.3%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 30223
- **population density sq mi**: 33.7
- **district**: 1st
- **time zone**: Central