Lyon County, Kansas

**Lyon County** (standard abbreviation: **LY**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 32,179 people lived there. The county seat Emporia. Emporia is also the biggest city in Lyon County. The county was named after General Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in the American Civil War.

### 19th century

In 1806, Zebulon Pike led the Pike expedition west from St Louis, Missouri. Part of their journey followed the Cottonwood River through Lyon County.

In 1862, **Lyon County** was created from the county formerly known as Breckinridge County.

In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway extended a railroad from Emporia to Newton.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.9%) is water.

## People

Lyon County comprises the Emporia, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

### Presidential elections

Emporia County has been very Republican for most of its history. The last time a Democrat won the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.7%** _7,550_|style="text-align:center;"|43.1% _6,055_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.2% _444_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.5%** _6,552_|style="text-align:center;"|37.3% _4,649_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.2% _1,271_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**54.5%** _6,470_|style="text-align:center;"|43.0% _5,111_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% _294_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.9%** _6,698_|style="text-align:center;"|45.9% _5,924_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _289_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.2%** _7,951_|style="text-align:center;"|38.9% _5,234_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _255_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.4%** _6,652_|style="text-align:center;"|41.7% _5,190_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.9% _613_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.0%** _6,612_|style="text-align:center;"|36.9% _4,884_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|13.1% _1,725_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**34.7%** _5,090_|style="text-align:center;"|32.8% _4,811_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|32.4% _4,755_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.3%** _6,820_|style="text-align:center;"|43.1% _5,314_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% _200_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.4%** _9,796_|style="text-align:center;"|29.7% _4,188_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _137_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.9%** _8,431_|style="text-align:center;"|32.2% _4,680_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.9% _1,440_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.6%** _7,062_|style="text-align:center;"|42.0% _5,634_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.5% _732_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**69.7%** _9,157_|style="text-align:center;"|28.3% _3,720_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% _266_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.3%** _6,558_|style="text-align:center;"|35.1% _4,020_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.6% _868_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|45.2% _5,184_|style="text-align:center;"|**54.1%** _6,197_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _81_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.9%** _7,470_|style="text-align:center;"|38.8% _4,755_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _41_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**67.3%** _8,021_|style="text-align:center;"|32.2% _3,831_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _59_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.0%** _8,544_|style="text-align:center;"|31.4% _3,944_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _80_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.0%** _5,941_|style="text-align:center;"|48.1% _5,708_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.9% _227_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.9%** _5,710_|style="text-align:center;"|46.2% _4,984_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _105_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.3%** _6,918_|style="text-align:center;"|46.7% _6,170_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _131_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|44.7% _6,005_|style="text-align:center;"|**54.7%** _7,340_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _80_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|47.4% _6,044_|style="text-align:center;"|**49.9%** _6,365_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% _347_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.5%** _8,753_|style="text-align:center;"|23.8% _2,761_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _81_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**57.3%** _6,290_|style="text-align:center;"|25.1% _2,750_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.6% _1,934_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**61.1%** _5,492_|style="text-align:center;"|36.7% _3,303_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _195_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|40.3% _4,215_|style="text-align:center;"|**53.4%** _5,584_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.4% _665_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|17.4% _962_|style="text-align:center;"|**42.8%** _2,363_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|39.8% _2,200_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.9%** _2,973_|style="text-align:center;"|43.8% _2,562_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.3% _309_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.1%** _3,450_|style="text-align:center;"|26.3% _1,461_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|11.6% _643_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.7%** _3,083_|style="text-align:center;"|47.1% _2,865_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _131_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|45.9% _2,860_|style="text-align:center;"|**52.6%** _3,276_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _93_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|48.5% _2,591_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**51.5%** _2,753_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.1%** _3,014_|style="text-align:center;"|27.5% _1,377_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.4% _624_|

### Unified school districts

- North Lyon County USD 251
- Southern Lyon County USD 252
- Emporia USD 253

### Colleges and universities

- Emporia State University
- Flint Hills Technical College

### Cities

- Admire
- Allen
- Americus
- Bushong
- Emporia
- Hartford
- Neosho Rapids
- Olpe
- Reading

## Famous people

R. Lee Ermey was born in Emporia on March 24, 1944. He died on April 15, 2018. He was a retired United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, Drill Instructor and actor.  Ermey was often best known for his roles of authority figures, such as his  performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in _Full Metal Jacket_.

William Allen White was an American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death White became the spokesman for middle America. He won a 1923 Pulitzer Prize for his editorial "To an Anxious Friend," published July 27, 1922. This was after being arrested in a disagreement over free speech. This was after there were objections to the way the state of Kansas handled the men who took part in the Great Railroad Strike of 1922.

## References

- Notes

## More reading

- _Standard Atlas of Lyon County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 84 pages; 1918.
- _Standard Atlas of Lyon County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 60 pages; 1901.
- _An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Lyon County, Kansas_; Edwards Brothers; 58 pages; 1878.

## Other websites

- County
- Lyon County - Directory of Public Officials
- Maps
- Lyon 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**: Lyon County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Lyon_county_kansas_courthouse_2009.jpg
- **ex image cap**: Lyon County Courthouse in Emporia, Kansas, Emporia (2009)
- **founded**: February 5, 1862
- **named for**: Nathaniel Lyon
- **seat wl**: Emporia
- **largest city wl**: Emporia
- **area total sq mi**: 855
- **area land sq mi**: 847
- **area water sq mi**: 7.9
- **area percentage**: 0.9%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 32179
- **population density sq mi**: 38.0
- **district**: 2nd
- **time zone**: Central