Johnson County, Kansas

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Johnson County is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas, along the border of the state of Missouri. Its county seat is Olathe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of the 2020 census, the population was 609,863, making it the most populous county in Kansas.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was named after Thomas Johnson, a Methodist missionary who was one of the state's first settlers. Largely suburban, the county contains a number of suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, including Overland Park, a principal city of and the second most populous city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

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This was part of the large territory of the Osage people, who occupied lands up to present-day St. Louis. After the Indian Removal, the United States government reserved much of this area as Indian territory for a reservation for the Shawnee people, who were relocated from east of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest.

The Santa Fe Trail and Oregon–California Trail, which pass through nearby Independence, Missouri, also passed through the county. Johnson County was established in 1855 as one of the first counties in the newly organized Kansas Territory; it was named for proslavery American missionary Thomas Johnson.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The renowned gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok settled for a time in the county, becoming constable of Monticello Township in 1858.

Johnson County was the site of many battles between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates during the period of Bleeding Kansas, prior to the residents voting on whether slavery would be allowed in the territory. In 1862, during the Civil War, Confederate guerrillas from nearby Missouri, led by William Quantrill, raided the Johnson County communities of Olathe and Spring Hill. They killed half a dozen men and destroyed numerous homes and businesses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The county was largely rural until the early 20th century, when housing subdivisions were developed in the northeastern portion of the county adjacent to Kansas City, Missouri. Developer J. C. Nichols spurred the boom in 1914 when he built the Mission Hills Country Club to attract upscale residents who previously had been reluctant to move from Missouri to Kansas.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Suburban development continued at a steady pace until the close of World War II.

Following the war, the pace of development exploded, triggered by the return of veterans in need of housing, construction of highways that facilitated commuting from suburbs, and the pent-up demand for new housing. The US Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. Integration of public schools in Kansas City, Missouri, resulted in many white families leaving the inner city, resulting in increased migration to the county for new housing and what were considered higher quality public schools, generally an indicator of higher economic status. From the mid-1980s, the pace of growth increased significantly, with the county adding 100,000 residents each decade between the 1990 census and 2010 census.

The 1952 Johnson County Courthouse was closed in 2020, then demolished in 2021.<ref name="OldCourtHouse">Template:Cite web</ref> It was replaced by a seven-story courthouse in 2021 after over two years of construction. This new courthouse is the county's fourth such building.<ref name="NewCourtHouse">Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

File:Olathe kansas city hall 2009.jpg

Olathe City Hall (2009)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.4%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Topography

The natural topography of the county consists of gently rolling terrain. The Kansas River forms a portion of the northwestern boundary of the county. The elevation generally increases from north to south as the distance from the Kansas and Missouri rivers increases.

Watersheds and streams

The county is drained by the watersheds of the Kansas, Blue, and Marais des Cygnes, all of which are part of the Missouri River watershed. Located in northeastern Kansas, the county receives plentiful rainfall. The county contains numerous small streams, including Kill Creek, Mill Creek, Turkey Creek, Indian Creek, Brush Creek, Tomahawk Creek, the Blue River, Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek.

Kill Creek begins in the southwestern portion of the county and flows northward into the Kansas River at De Soto. Mill Creek begins in the central portion of the county in Olathe, flowing northward it empties into the Kansas River at Shawnee. Turkey Creek and Brush Creek each begin in northeastern Johnson County. Turkey Creek flows northeastward into Wyandotte County and joins the Kansas River just before its confluence with the Missouri River at Kaw Point. Brush Creek flows east-northeastward through Prairie Village and Mission Hills, entering Kansas City, Missouri, within the median of Ward Parkway and passing the Country Club Plaza before emptying into the Blue River east of the Country Club Plaza and north of Swope Park. Indian Creek begins in the southern portion of Olathe and Tomahawk Creek begins in southern Overland Park. Each flows northeastward meeting in Leawood, where the stream retains the name of Indian Creek, just before crossing the state line and entering the Blue River in Kansas City, Missouri. The Blue River begins in rural southern Johnson County and flows north-northeastward through the southeastern portion of the county and crossing the state line just east of the intersection of 151st Street and Kenneth Road in southern Overland Park. The Blue River flows through southern and eastern Kansas City before joining the Missouri River. Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek begin in rural southwestern Johnson County and flow southward where they enter Hillsdale Lake before continuing into Franklin County, eventually joining the Marais des Cygnes at Paola.

Flora and fauna

The county consists primarily of prairie grassland, with corridors of forested areas along streams and rivers.

Adjacent counties

Wyandotte County (north)
Jackson County, Missouri (east)
Cass County, Missouri (southeast)
Miami County (south)
Franklin County (southwest)
Douglas County (west)
Leavenworth County (northwest)

Demographics

File:USA Johnson County, Kansas age pyramid.svg

Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

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Johnson County (county code JO) is included in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The county has the highest median household income at $107,261 in 2019-2023 and the highest per-capita income in Kansas, with the 19th highest median household income in 2000 and the 46th highest per-capita income in 2005.Template:Citation needed 56.9 percent of residents have Bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023 according the U.S Census Bureau.<ref>https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/johnsoncountykansas/PST045224</ref>

2010

As of the 2010 census, there were 544,179 people, 210,278 households, and 143,509 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 226,571 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 86.0% White, 4.2% Asian, 4.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population. 30.6% identified as of German, 16.8% Irish, 13.6% English and 5.7% American ancestry.<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>

There were 210,278 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov"/>

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. 48.8% of the population were males and 51.2% of the population were females.

The median income for a household in the county was $73,733, and the median income for a family was $90,380. Males had a median income of $61,346 versus $43,785 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,882. About 3.6% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov"/>

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 451,086 people, 174,570 households, and 121,675 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 181,612 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 91.11% White, 2.61% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. 3.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 174,570 households, out of which 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county the population was spread out, with 27.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $61,455, and the median income for a family was $72,987. Males had a median income of $49,790 versus $32,145 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,919. 3.40% of the population and 2.10% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.30% of those under the age of 18 and 3.60% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

Laws

Johnson 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas abortion referendum, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 69% to 31%, outpacing its support of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Federal representation

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Johnson County is entirely located within Kansas's 3rd congressional district, which has been represented by Democrat Sharice Davids since 2019. The two U.S. Senators from Kansas are Republicans Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran.

Johnson County was historically a Republican stronghold. It was won by the GOP in every presidential election from 1920 to 2016, including Barry Goldwater’s 1964 election victory despite his statewide loss. The county was one of the few to reject Franklin Roosevelt in all four of his successful campaigns, with his closest margin coming in 1932, where he lost by just two votes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the margin narrowed considerably in the early 2000s. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat since Lyndon Johnson to win as much as 40 percent of the county's vote. In 2016, Republican Donald Trump won the county by less than three points, as the GOP’s shift toward right-wing populism alienated moderate voters. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win the county since Woodrow Wilson in 1916, securing an 8% margin and the highest share of the vote ever for a Democrat there. In 2024, Kamala Harris not only carried the county but achieved the highest Democratic vote share in its history, becoming the first Democrat to lose a presidential election while carrying Johnson County since 1896.

This leftward shift was mirrored in the state’s Senate races, where Democrats won Johnson County in 2020 and 2022, despite losing statewide. Once a classic suburban Republican bastion, the county now leans Democratic at the national level, reflecting broader trends in Kansas’s suburban areas.

On November 8, 2020, Democrats made historic gains in Johnson County, securing a majority on the Board of Commissioners for the first time in the county’s history. In both the 2022 and 2024 elections, Democrats expanded their majority on the Board and flipped the Sheriff’s office for the first time in 96 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

State representation

Johnson County is home to 25 Kansas state representatives and nine Kansas state senators. Thirteen out of 25 of Johnson County's representatives are Republicans, as are six of the county's nine senators.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Numerous Republicans from the area identify as moderates, compared to some of the more ideological hard-liners from other parts of the state. Differences between moderates and the more hard-line members can most commonly be seen on social issues, the most infamous being the numerous debates about the state's school finance formula in 2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 2014–2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

County government and unincorporated areas

The county government is administered by an elected, seven-member Board of County Commissioners, with six elected from single-member districts and one at-large.<ref name="bocc.jocogov.org">Template:Cite web</ref> Governance of the county is divided into six districts. The county government has full jurisdiction of the unincorporated areas of the county and limited jurisdiction of those areas of the county within incorporated places. For instance, decisions regarding the regulation of land use, development and zoning in unincorporated areas of the county are the responsibility of the county government, whereas such decisions for areas within incorporated places are the jurisdiction of the incorporated city of which the property is a part.

Board of Commissioners

File:Johnson County BOC Districts.jpg

Board of Commissioners districts and party affiliation after the 2024 election Template:Leftlegend Template:Leftlegend

As of 2024:<ref>Template:Cite news </ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="jocodems">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

	District	Name
Democratic	At-large	Mike Kelly
Democratic	District 1	Becky Fast
Democratic	District 2	Jeff Meyers
Democratic	District 3	Julie Brewer
Democratic	District 4	Janeé Hanzlick
Democratic	District 5	Michael Ashcraft
Democratic	District 6	Shirley Allenbrand

Elected county officials

Party		Office	Name	Reference(s)
	Republican	District Attorney	Stephen Howe	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Democratic	Sheriff	Byron Roberson	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sales taxes

The current sales tax rate in Johnson County is 7.975%, higher than the 6.5% rate in Wyandotte (where Kansas City, Kansas is located).<ref name="KCTA">Kansas County Treasurer's Association Kansas Sales Tax Rates by County Template:Webarchive</ref> The sales tax rates of each of the surrounding counties are nearly the same as the rate in Johnson County.<ref name="KCTA" /> Individual cities have additional sales taxes.

Property taxes

Property taxes are a conglomeration of state, county, city, and school district taxes. Property tax rates are generally lower in Johnson County because property values in the county are higher than in other counties throughout Kansas.

**Property tax rates by city in Johnson County (2005)<ref>Kansas City Area Development Council ThinkKC Property Taxes Template:Webarchive (accessed June 7, 2006)</ref>**
City	Commercial	Real property	Motor vehicle
De Soto	3.20	1.47	3.84
Gardner	3.39	1.56	4.07
Leawood	3.39	1.56	4.07
Lenexa	2.75	1.26	3.30
Merriam	2.57	1.18	3.08
Olathe	3.09	1.42	3.71
Overland Park	2.31	1.06	2.77
Prairie Village	2.71	1.25	3.25
Shawnee	2.61	1.20	3.13

Note: Some cities have multiple tax rates because they are divided among multiple school districts. The above rates are what exist for the majority of residents in the city.

Law enforcement

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The Johnson County Sheriff's Office runs the jails at Olathe and New Century,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and patrols the unincorporated parts of Johnson County as well as the cities of Edgerton and DeSoto.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019, the county announced that it is creating a new task force with shared jurisdiction between neighboring Miami and Franklin counties to combat crime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2024, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden claimed that he "had a search warrant in hand" when local election officials "decided in a hurry to destroy" ballots from 2019, 2020 and 2021, despite Kansas state law ordering the regular destruction of old ballots, and the local officials having informed Hayden in November 2023 that they would move to destroy the old ballots, which Hayden had asked to be preserved during his investigation of an election software firm. The local prosecutors' office said that it was "unaware of any search warrant being submitted to a judge for review". In May 2024, when Hayden was questioned on which judge approved his search warrant, Hayden responded: "there's no judge"; when the questioner replied: "A judge has to sign a search warrant to be valid", Hayden responded: "I didn’t say it was valid".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Education

File:Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (32050207491).jpg

Entrance to the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies school in south Overland Park

According to the 2010 Census Bureau, the education attainment of the population 25 years and over: 95.6% high school graduate or higher, 51.1% bachelor's degree or higher, and 17.9% graduate or professional degree.<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov"/>

The Johnson County Library has 13 branches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Unified school districts

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

Colleges and universities

Johnson County Community College
University of Kansas Edwards Campus
Kansas State University, Olathe Campus
Kansas Christian College (Overland Park)
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Baker University, Overland Park Campus
Ottawa University, Overland Park Campus
Park University, Lenexa Campus

Transportation

Johnson County has a grid network through most of the county, with a road every mile. The grid has facilitated rapid growth and easy access. Interstate 435 runs through much of the county, and serves as a developmental "border" in the northbound–southbound portion. The westbound–eastbound part of I-435 divides the county into a northern and southern section. The northern section is older, while the southern portion is the fastest-growing area in Johnson County, containing a massive volume of new homes.Template:Citation needed

The Johnson County numbered street grid generally begins at 47th Street, the Wyandotte County line (the lowest numbered street is 40th Street in Bonner Springs), and is a continuation of the adjacent Kansas City, Missouri, street grid. The grid continues to 215th Street, and into Miami County (with somewhat differently named roads) to 407th Street at the Miami-Linn county line, with most suburban development ending around 167th Street. Named streets in the grid run from State Line Road (1900 West) to County Line Road (40699 West) at the Douglas County line. A portion of the grid extends north from Westwood into the Rosedale area in Kansas City, Kansas.

Another principal highway running through the area is Interstate 35, which runs diagonally through the county, entering it near Downtown Kansas City, and continuing through Olathe and Gardner. Outside the county, it eventually leads to Duluth, Minnesota in the north and the US–Mexico border in the south. U.S. 69 also serves Johnson County, entering from Wyandotte County at the south end of Interstate 635. Much of U.S. 69 within the county is freeway; this freeway eventually heads south and connects to Fort Scott and the rest of southeastern Kansas.

Major highways

Template:Jct Southwestern corner with Franklin County northeast through Edgerton, Gardner, Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, and Merriam to the northeastern corner with downtown Kansas City
Template:Jct Northern border with Wyandotte County south through Shawnee and Lenexa to K-10 then east through Overland Park and Leawood to the Missouri border
Template:Jct Starts in Johnson County at I-35 and enters Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS less than 1000 feet later.
Template:Jct Southwestern corner with Franklin County northeast through Edgerton, Gardner, Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, and Merriam to the northeastern corner with downtown Kansas City
Template:Jct Southwestern border with Douglas County east through Edgerton and Gardner to I-35
Template:Jct Southeastern border with Miami County north through Stilwell and Overland Park past I-435 to I-35
Template:Jct Southern border with Miami County. Joins with I-35 in Olathe.
Template:Jct Southern border with Miami County north through Spring Hill, Olathe, Lenexa, and Shawnee to Wyandotte County
Template:Jct Western border with Douglas County east through De Soto, Lenexa, and Olathe to I-435

Airports

Johnson County is home to three general aviation airports:

The closest airport with airline service is Kansas City International Airport in Platte County, Missouri

Public transit

Johnson County Transit is the public transit operator.

Communities

File:Map of Johnson County, Kansas, U.S..png

2005 map of Johnson County<ref name="County-Map-Current"/> (map legend)

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Johnson County.<ref name="County-Map-Current">Template:Cite web</ref>

Cities

‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county. Template:Div col

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Unincorporated communities

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