Cherokee County, Kansas

**Cherokee County** (county code **CK**) is a U.S. county in Southeast Kansas. In 2020 census, 19,362 people lived there. Its county seat is Columbus. The biggest city in Cherokee County is Baxter Springs. Baxter Springs became the first "cow town" in Kansas during the 1870s and the period of cattle drives.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.6%) is water.

### Major highways

Sources:  National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau

- U.S. Route 66 (decommissioned)
- U.S. Route 69
- U.S. Route 160
- U.S. Route 166
- Kansas Highway 7
- Kansas Highway 26
- Kansas Highway 57
- Kansas Highway 66 (successor to the decommissioned US 66)
- Kansas Highway 96
- Kansas Highway 102

### Presidential elections

For most of its history, Cherokee County had more of a Democratic lean in presidential elections than the rest of the state, particularly before 1968. Since then, its only voted for Democratic candidates twice in 1976 & 1992, when it was their second & fourth best county in the state, respectively. From 1996 on, the county has swung powerfully Republican similar to the rest of Southeast Kansas, with Hillary Clinton posted the worst percentage for a Democratic candidate ever at only 23.3%.

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2024**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.3%** _6,584_|style="text-align:center;"|22.5% _1,970_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% _186_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.9%** _6,766_|style="text-align:center;"|24.0% _2,194_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% _191_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.9%** _6,182_|style="text-align:center;"|23.0% _2,005_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.1% _531_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.7%** _5,456_|style="text-align:center;"|34.2% _2,930_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _185_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.9%** _5,886_|style="text-align:center;"|37.2% _3,594_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _185_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**61.4%** _6,083_|style="text-align:center;"|37.6% _3,726_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _104_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.9%** _5,014_|style="text-align:center;"|41.4% _3,783_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.6% _333_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**45.8%** _4,138_|style="text-align:center;"|41.7% _3,771_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.5% _1,134_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|36.8% _3,589_|style="text-align:center;"|**41.9%** _4,083_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|21.4% _2,085_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.0%** _4,281_|style="text-align:center;"|48.4% _4,069_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _52_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.7%** _5,801_|style="text-align:center;"|38.3% _3,663_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _89_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.8%** _5,296_|style="text-align:center;"|41.1% _3,969_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.1% _397_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|42.9% _3,957_|style="text-align:center;"|**55.9%** _5,154_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _107_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**67.0%** _6,019_|style="text-align:center;"|31.3% _2,806_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _155_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**47.5%** _4,211_|style="text-align:center;"|40.5% _3,597_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.0% _1,064_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|39.3% _3,730_|style="text-align:center;"|**60.2%** _5,720_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _47_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.5%** _5,753_|style="text-align:center;"|42.8% _4,366_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _73_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.4%** _5,824_|style="text-align:center;"|41.2% _4,112_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _39_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.4%** _6,261_|style="text-align:center;"|42.1% _4,597_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _56_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|47.8% _4,616_|style="text-align:center;"|**50.2%** _4,854_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _193_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.7%** _5,458_|style="text-align:center;"|44.7% _4,468_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _62_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|49.3% _6,600_|style="text-align:center;"|**49.8%** _6,670_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _126_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|40.6% _5,445_|style="text-align:center;"|**58.9%** _7,894_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _69_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|34.1% _4,045_|style="text-align:center;"|**62.6%** _7,442_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% _393_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.2%** _7,478_|style="text-align:center;"|30.5% _3,442_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% _376_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.9%** _5,437_|style="text-align:center;"|29.9% _3,071_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.2% _1,770_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.8%** _5,466_|style="text-align:center;"|39.1% _3,832_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.0% _492_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|37.6% _4,350_|style="text-align:center;"|**53.4%** _6,188_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.0% _1,047_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|26.5% _1,994_|style="text-align:center;"|**35.2%** _2,641_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|38.3% _2,878_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**44.3%** _3,893_|style="text-align:center;"|43.4% _3,819_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.3% _1,083_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.8%** _4,586_|style="text-align:center;"|27.4% _2,253_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|16.8% _1,378_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|45.2% _4,478_|style="text-align:center;"|**53.5%** _5,302_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _131_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|40.2% _3,505_|style="text-align:center;"|**58.6%** _5,108_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _106_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|41.4% _2,696_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**58.6%** _3,812_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**45.6%** _2,935_|style="text-align:center;"|31.7% _2,038_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|22.7% _1,461_|

### Cities

- Baxter Springs
- Columbus
- Galena
- Oswego (mostly in Labette County)
- Roseland
- Scammon
- Weir
- West Mineral

### Ghost town

- Treece, officially disincorporated in 2012 by the state of Kansas

## References

- Notes

## Other websites

- County
- Cherokee County - Directory of Public Officials
- Historical
- "Mined Lands" video
- Maps
- Cherokee 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**: Cherokee County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Tri-state markers 2006-07-03.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Tri-State Marker (2006)
- **founded**: February 18, 1860
- **named for**: Cherokee, Cherokee Native Americans
- **seat wl**: Columbus
- **largest city wl**: Baxter Springs
- **area total sq mi**: 591
- **area land sq mi**: 588
- **area water sq mi**: 3.5
- **area percentage**: 0.6%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 19362
- **population density sq mi**: 32.9
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 2nd
- **time zone**: Central