Geary County, Kansas

Geary County (county code GE) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 36,739 people lived there. Its county seat and most populous city is Junction City. The county is named after Governor John W. Geary.

Geography
The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (4.9%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Kansas by land area. It is the third-smallest by total area.

People

Geary County is in the Junction City, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is included in the Manhattan-Junction City, KS Combined Statistical Area.

Government

Presidential elections

+ Presidential Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202055.4% 5,32341.5% 3,9833.1% 297202056.3% 4,27435.9% 2,7227.8% 592201255.7% 4,37242.5% 3,3321.8% 141200855.5% 4,49243.1% 3,4911.4% 111200464.2% 4,70334.5% 2,5311.3% 94200057.9% 3,97738.7% 2,6603.3% 229199654.3% 3,68636.0% 2,4449.7% 660199238.8% 2,92833.9% 2,55927.4% 2,069198857.5% 3,78241.4% 2,7211.1% 70198465.4% 4,46433.7% 2,2960.9% 61198056.1% 3,53437.4% 2,3576.6% 413197652.1% 3,23045.9% 2,8432.0% 123197270.0% 4,29927.8% 1,7082.2% 133196850.7% 2,95438.2% 2,22811.1% 645196439.3% 2,25959.5% 3,4191.2% 67196061.3% 3,78938.3% 2,3650.5% 29195665.5% 4,01333.9% 2,0780.5% 32195270.5% 4,31428.6% 1,7500.9% 52194849.7% 2,86448.8% 2,8101.5% 86194457.0% 2,83342.4% 2,1070.7% 33194052.7% 2,84046.4% 2,5040.9% 50193644.4% 2,38255.4% 2,9730.2% 12193240.9% 1,95756.6% 2,7052.5% 121192869.2% 2,74630.3% 1,2030.6% 22192466.3% 2,67817.9% 72315.8% 636192069.6% 2,40427.8% 9622.6% 90191648.2% 1,73148.5% 1,7403.3% 120191217.4% 38735.9% 80046.7% 1,039190853.4% 1,25743.9% 1,0332.8% 65190467.9% 1,43128.0% 5914.1% 86190054.6% 1,24044.4% 1,0091.1% 24189646.8% 1,05152.1% 1,1711.2% 26189242.7% 86357.3% 1,157188854.3% 1,02740.0% 7565.7% 107

Laws
Geary County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.  The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1990.

Education

Unified school districts
 Geary County USD 475
Geary is one of the few Kansas counties where a single school district serves the entire county.

Communities

Cities
 Grandview Plaza
 Junction City
 Milford

Unincorporated community
 Wreford

Ghost towns
 Alida, razed when Milford Lake was built

Fort Riley
Located north of the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers, the Fort Riley Military Reservation covers  in Geary and Riley counties.  The fort has a daytime population of nearly 25,000 and includes one census-designated place:
 Fort Riley (formerly Fort Riley North), primarily in Riley County

Townships
Geary County is divided into eight townships.  The city of Junction City is considered governmentally independent and is 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.

Sources: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau; Census Data Explorer from the U.S. Census Bureau. Township  FIPS  Populationcenter Population(2020)  Populationdensity/km² (/sq mi) Land areakm² (sq mi)  Water areakm² (sq mi)  Water % Geographic coordinates Blakely  07275   113  1 (3)  92 (36)  1 (0)  0.61%   Jackson  34775   96  1 (2)  104 (40)  0 (0)  0.39%   Jefferson  35200  Grandview Plaza  2,159  18 (46)  122 (47)  2 (1)  1.78%   Liberty  40050   185  1 (3)  170 (66)  1 (0)  0.39%   Lyon  43500   250  2 (6)  112 (43)  2 (1)  1.84%   Milford  46550   1,698  17 (43)  103 (40)  26 (10)  20.29%   Smoky Hill  66000  Fort Riley (part)  9,143  65 (169)  140 (54)  19 (7)  11.80%   Wingfield  80025   163  1 (3)  123 (47)  1 (0)  0.44%  

References

More reading
 Standard Atlas of Geary County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 42 pages; 1909.

Other websites

County

 Geary County - Directory of Public Officials
Other
 Junction City and Geary County Economic Development
 Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau 
 Fort Riley 
Historical
 Geary County Kansas AHGP
Maps
 Geary County Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
 Kansas Highway Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
 Kansas Railroad Maps: Current , 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

Category:Kansas counties
Category:1855 establishments in Kansas Territory