Ellis County, Kansas

**Ellis County** (county code **EL**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In the 2020 census, 28,934 people lived there. The county seat and biggest city is Hays.

## History

Ellis County was created on February 26, 1867.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that  is land and  (0.05%) is water.

### Bordering counties

- Rooks County (north)
- Osborne County (northeast)
- Russell County (east)
- Rush County (south)
- Ness County (southwest)
- Trego County (west)

### Major highways

- Interstate 70
- US-183

## People

The Hays Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Ellis County.

## Government

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.4%** _9,758_|style="text-align:center;"|27.0% _3,737_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% _361_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.2%** _8,466_|style="text-align:center;"|22.7% _2,742_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.1% _854_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.7%** _8,399_|style="text-align:center;"|26.1% _3,057_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _258_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.9%** _8,207_|style="text-align:center;"|32.2% _4,010_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _230_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.8%** _7,891_|style="text-align:center;"|33.1% _4,033_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _263_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.4%** _6,516_|style="text-align:center;"|35.2% _3,926_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.4% _718_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.0%** _6,809_|style="text-align:center;"|34.7% _4,142_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.4% _1,001_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|32.0% _3,985_|style="text-align:center;"|**36.5%** _4,544_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|31.5% _3,924_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|48.7% _5,194_|style="text-align:center;"|**49.6%** _5,289_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _189_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**67.7%** _7,509_|style="text-align:center;"|31.2% _3,457_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _133_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.5%** _5,634_|style="text-align:center;"|36.7% _3,940_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.7% _1,150_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|42.0% _4,719_|style="text-align:center;"|**55.9%** _6,280_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% _241_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.7%** _5,463_|style="text-align:center;"|41.9% _4,113_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _237_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**46.7%** _3,944_|style="text-align:center;"|45.1% _3,809_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.2% _688_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|30.4% _2,440_|style="text-align:center;"|**69.2%** _5,553_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _27_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|35.2% _3,156_|style="text-align:center;"|**64.8%** _5,815_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% _6_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.3%** _4,466_|style="text-align:center;"|40.6% _3,058_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% _4_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**65.9%** _4,882_|style="text-align:center;"|34.1% _2,528_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% _3_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|40.5% _2,676_|style="text-align:center;"|**58.5%** _3,863_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _67_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.1%** _3,369_|style="text-align:center;"|39.6% _2,218_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _16_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.2%** _3,622_|style="text-align:center;"|47.5% _3,299_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _25_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|25.1% _1,622_|style="text-align:center;"|**74.7%** _4,834_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% _13_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|24.5% _1,465_|style="text-align:center;"|**74.5%** _4,449_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% _56_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|33.5% _1,700_|style="text-align:center;"|**66.3%** _3,364_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% _11_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**46.4%** _1,763_|style="text-align:center;"|22.2% _842_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|31.5% _1,197_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.2%** _2,385_|style="text-align:center;"|23.3% _740_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _48_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|32.9% _1,186_|style="text-align:center;"|**64.7%** _2,335_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _87_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|8.2% _175_|style="text-align:center;"|**64.9%** _1,381_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|26.9% _573_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|34.5% _768_|style="text-align:center;"|**63.8%** _1,421_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _37_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.1%** _1,009_|style="text-align:center;"|47.0% _928_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _39_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|33.6% _627_|style="text-align:center;"|**65.7%** _1,228_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _14_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|30.0% _460_|style="text-align:center;"|**68.6%** _1,051_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _22_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|33.5% _546_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**66.5%** _1,083_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|44.4% _690_|style="text-align:center;"|**48.7%** _756_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.9% _107_|

### Unified school districts

- Ellis USD 388
    - western third of county; small portion in extreme eastern Trego County
- Victoria USD 432
    - eastern third of county to Russell county line
- Hays USD 489
    - extends to Rooks and Rush county lines and about five miles each way on I-70 from city center

### Private schools

- Holy Family Elementary in Hays
- St. Mary's Elementary in Ellis
- Thomas More Prep-Marian High in Hays

### Colleges and Universities

- Fort Hays State University
- North Central Kansas Technical College

### Cities

- Ellis
- Hays
- Schoenchen
- Victoria

### Census-designated places

- Catharine
- Munjor

### Other unincorporated places

- Antonino
- Emmeram
- Pfeifer
- Toulon
- Turkville
- Walker
- Yocemento

### Defunct settlements

- Chetolah
- Hog Back
- Rome
- Smoky Hill City
- Stockrange

### Townships

Ellis County is divided into nine townships.  The cities of Ellis and Hays are considered _governmentally independent_ and are excluded from the census figures for the townships.  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||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Big Creek|06650||2,077|8 (22)|249 (96)|0 (0)|0.01%||
|Buckeye|08950||391|1 (3)|352 (136)|0 (0)|0.05%||
|Catherine|11050||281|1 (3)|208 (80)|0 (0)|0.03%||
|Ellis|20475||452|1 (3)|456 (176)|0 (0)|0.02%||
|Freedom|24625||106|1 (2)|117 (45)|0 (0)|0%||
|Herzog|31525||839|3 (7)|325 (126)|1 (0)|0.18%||
|Lookout|42700||523|2 (4)|317 (122)|0 (0)|0.08%||
|Victoria|73800||804|6 (15)|139 (54)|0 (0)|0%||
|Wheatland|77650||387|3 (7)|140 (54)|0 (0)|0%||

## Other websites

- County
- Ellis County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Ellis 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**: Ellis County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Ellis county courthouse kansas.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Ellis County Courthouse in Hays, Kansas, Hays (1979)
- **founded**: 1867
- **named for**: George Ellis
- **seat wl**: Hays
- **largest city wl**: Hays
- **area total sq mi**: 900
- **area land sq mi**: 899
- **area water sq mi**: 0.5
- **area percentage**: 0.05%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 28934
- **population density sq mi**: 32.2
- **area codes**: Area code 785, 785
- **district**: 1st
- **time zone**: Central