Rooks County, Kansas

**Rooks County** (standard abbreviation: **RO**) is a county of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, 4,919 people lived there. The county seat is Stockton, and the largest city is Plainville.

## History

Rooks County was founded on February 26, 1867 and named for Private John C. Rooks of the 11th Kansas Infantry who died at the Battle of Prairie Grove near Fayetteville, Arkansas, during the Civil War.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that  is land and  (0.5%) is water.

### Bordering counties

- Phillips County (north)
- Smith County (northeast)
- Osborne County (east)
- Ellis County (south)
- Trego County (southwest)
- Graham County (west)

### Presidential elections

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**86.1%** _2,325_|style="text-align:center;"|12.6% _339_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _35_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**84.0%** _2,031_|style="text-align:center;"|11.4% _275_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.7% _113_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**82.9%** _2,038_|style="text-align:center;"|14.7% _361_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% _61_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**79.9%** _2,068_|style="text-align:center;"|18.1% _468_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _52_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**78.3%** _2,121_|style="text-align:center;"|19.7% _534_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _55_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.7%** _2,016_|style="text-align:center;"|21.5% _597_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.8% _162_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.9%** _1,864_|style="text-align:center;"|23.3% _650_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.8% _273_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**40.4%** _1,249_|style="text-align:center;"|25.0% _771_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|34.6% _1,070_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.5%** _1,938_|style="text-align:center;"|33.7% _1,012_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _57_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.8%** _2,604_|style="text-align:center;"|20.9% _699_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _46_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.4%** _2,275_|style="text-align:center;"|22.8% _725_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.9% _187_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.0%** _1,664_|style="text-align:center;"|45.0% _1,412_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _61_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.7%** _2,457_|style="text-align:center;"|26.4% _904_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _64_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.0%** _2,252_|style="text-align:center;"|28.3% _1,012_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.7% _310_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.6%** _1,985_|style="text-align:center;"|49.0% _1,923_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _16_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.3%** _2,840_|style="text-align:center;"|36.5% _1,639_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% _11_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.9%** _3,059_|style="text-align:center;"|28.7% _1,238_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _19_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.3%** _3,331_|style="text-align:center;"|24.7% _1,105_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _46_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.6%** _2,197_|style="text-align:center;"|42.1% _1,636_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.5%** _2,361_|style="text-align:center;"|32.9% _1,166_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _22_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.6%** _2,590_|style="text-align:center;"|38.6% _1,650_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _33_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|49.0% _2,150_|style="text-align:center;"|**51.0%** _2,235_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% _0_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|46.4% _2,005_|style="text-align:center;"|**51.6%** _2,229_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _88_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.7%** _2,583_|style="text-align:center;"|28.6% _1,044_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _25_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.0%** _2,442_|style="text-align:center;"|25.1% _930_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.8% _327_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.9%** _2,143_|style="text-align:center;"|27.5% _843_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% _78_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|38.3% _1,621_|style="text-align:center;"|**56.5%** _2,394_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.2% _219_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|24.1% _545_|style="text-align:center;"|**38.3%** _865_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|37.6% _848_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.1%** _1,280_|style="text-align:center;"|41.6% _1,003_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.2% _126_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.5%** _1,266_|style="text-align:center;"|25.2% _495_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.3% _203_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**49.3%** _927_|style="text-align:center;"|49.2% _925_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _29_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|45.1% _817_|style="text-align:center;"|**53.6%** _971_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _24_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|47.9% _811_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**52.1%** _881_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.3%** _1,112_|style="text-align:center;"|21.6% _412_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|20.1% _383_|

### Unified school districts

- Palco USD 269
    - limited to western edge of county; includes Palco, Damar and Zurich
- Plainville USD 270
    - southern half of county, except western edge zoned to Palco
- Stockton USD 271
    - northern half of county

### Cities

- Damar
- Palco
- Plainville
- Stockton
- Woodston
- Zurich

### Unincorporated communities

- Codell
- Webster

### Townships

Rooks County is divided into twelve townships.  None of the cities within the county are considered _governmentally independent_, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities.  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.

|Township|FIPS|Population center|Population (2020) !! Population density <small>/km² (/sq mi)</small>|Land area <small>km² (sq mi)</small> !! Water area <small>km² (sq mi)</small> !! Water %|Geographic coordinates||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Township 1|71203||196|1 (2)|276 (107)|1 (0)|0.23%||
|Township 2|71207||360|1 (3)|278 (107)|1 (0)|0.24%||
|Township 3|71211|Stockton|1,360|7 (19)|184 (71)|0 (0)|0.14%||
|Township 4|71215||11|0 (0)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.13%||
|Township 5|71219||64|0 (1)|277 (107)|0 (0)|0.05%||
|Township 6|71224||86|0 (1)|178 (69)|8 (3)|4.31%||
|Township 7|71229||154|2 (4)|92 (35)|0 (0)|0.05%||
|Township 8|71234||265|3 (7)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.08%||
|Township 9|71239||45|0 (1)|93 (36)|0 (0)|0.05%||
|Township 10|71243||173|1 (2)|187 (72)|0 (0)|0.08%||
|Township 11|71246|Plainville|2,063|7 (19)|279 (108)|1 (0)|0.40%||
|Township 12|71249||142|1 (1)|276 (107)|1 (0)|0.24%||

## Other websites

- County
- Rooks County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Rooks 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**: Rooks County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Rooks County, Kansas courthouse from NE 1.JPG
- **ex image cap**: Rooks County courthouse in Stockton, Kansas, Stockton (2014)
- **founded**: February 26, 1867
- **named for**: John C. Rooks
- **seat wl**: Stockton
- **largest city wl**: Plainville
- **area total sq mi**: 895
- **area land sq mi**: 891
- **area water sq mi**: 4.6
- **area percentage**: 0.5
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 4919
- **population density sq mi**: 5.5
- **district**: 1st
- **time zone**: Central