Morton County, Kansas

**Morton County** (standard abbreviation: **MT**) is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 2,701 people lived there. The county seat is Elkhart. Elkhart is also the biggest city in Morton County.

### 19th century

In 1886, **Morton County** was created. It was named after Oliver Morton, who was a United States Senator from Indiana from 1867 to 1877. In 1886, the community of Richfield was created as the county seat.

### 20th century

In the 1930s, the economy of the area was hurt by the Dust Bowl. This made the economy in the area much worse during the Great Depression.

In 1961, the county seat moved from Richfield to Elkhart.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.03%) is water.

### Major highways

- Kansas Highway 27
- Kansas Highway 51
- U.S. Highway 56

## Government

Morton County is often won by Republican Candidates. However Jimmy Carter almost won the county in 1976, however Gerald Ford barely won the county by .2%. The last time the county was won by a Democrat was in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson.

### Presidential elections

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**86.3%** _1,034_|style="text-align:center;"|12.5% _150_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _14_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**82.9%** _995_|style="text-align:center;"|12.3% _147_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.8% _58_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**83.9%** _1,072_|style="text-align:center;"|14.8% _189_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _17_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**82.2%** _1,153_|style="text-align:center;"|16.3% _229_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _20_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**81.7%** _1,287_|style="text-align:center;"|17.5% _276_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _13_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.3%** _1,203_|style="text-align:center;"|20.6% _321_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% _33_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**67.9%** _1,073_|style="text-align:center;"|23.8% _376_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.4% _132_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.8%** _915_|style="text-align:center;"|23.8% _398_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|21.4% _357_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.4%** _1,074_|style="text-align:center;"|34.1% _569_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% _26_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**81.8%** _1,533_|style="text-align:center;"|17.2% _322_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _19_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.6%** _1,157_|style="text-align:center;"|24.9% _414_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.5% _91_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**48.9%** _738_|style="text-align:center;"|48.7% _735_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _36_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**72.7%** _1,165_|style="text-align:center;"|22.7% _363_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.7% _75_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.0%** _770_|style="text-align:center;"|31.5% _475_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.5% _264_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|39.0% _609_|style="text-align:center;"|**60.1%** _938_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _14_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.7%** _918_|style="text-align:center;"|38.7% _586_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _9_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.8%** _814_|style="text-align:center;"|34.7% _436_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _7_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.9%** _893_|style="text-align:center;"|28.4% _362_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _22_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.6%** _624_|style="text-align:center;"|46.0% _545_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _17_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.5%** _617_|style="text-align:center;"|37.2% _367_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _3_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.7%** _643_|style="text-align:center;"|43.6% _503_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _8_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|41.8% _636_|style="text-align:center;"|**57.6%** _876_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _9_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|34.6% _621_|style="text-align:center;"|**61.0%** _1,093_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.4% _79_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**78.8%** _1,010_|style="text-align:center;"|20.2% _259_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _13_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.0%** _669_|style="text-align:center;"|23.5% _286_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|21.5% _261_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.0%** _783_|style="text-align:center;"|24.8% _266_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _24_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|42.4% _405_|style="text-align:center;"|**47.9%** _457_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.7% _93_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|34.0% _120_|style="text-align:center;"|**40.8%** _144_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|25.2% _89_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.5%** _154_|style="text-align:center;"|45.9% _140_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.6% _11_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.1%** _53_|style="text-align:center;"|44.9% _44_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _1_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.0%** _51_|style="text-align:center;"|40.0% _34_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% _0_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.4%** _52_|style="text-align:center;"|40.5% _36_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _1_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.6%** _106_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|42.4% _78_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.0%** _333_|style="text-align:center;"|35.7% _205_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.3% _36_|

### Unified school districts

- Rolla USD 217
- Elkhart USD 218

### Cities

- Elkhart
- Richfield
- Rolla

## Other websites

- County
- Morton County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Morton 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**: Morton County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: MortonCoCH.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Morton County Courthouse in Elkhart, Kansas, Elkhart (2009)
- **founded**: February 20, 1886
- **named for**: Oliver Morton
- **seat wl**: Elkhart
- **largest city wl**: Elkhart
- **area total sq mi**: 730
- **area land sq mi**: 730
- **area water sq mi**: 0.2
- **area percentage**: 0.03%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 2701
- **population density sq mi**: 3.7
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 1st
- **time zone**: Central