Johnson County, Kansas

**History and Geography**:
– Johnson County was established in 1855 in the Kansas Territory and named after American missionary Thomas Johnson.
– Wild Bill Hickok served as a constable in Monticello Township in 1858.
– The county witnessed battles during Bleeding Kansas between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates.
– Suburban development began in the early 20th century, with significant growth post-World War II.
– Johnson County covers 480 square miles, with 1.4% being water.
– The natural topography features gently rolling terrain and elevations increasing from north to south.
– The county is drained by the Kansas, Blue, and Marais des Cygnes watersheds, with various streams like Kill Creek, Mill Creek, and Indian Creek.

**Demographics and Economy**:
– Johnson County had a population of 609,863 in 2020, experiencing steady growth over the years.
– It has the highest median household income and per-capita income in Kansas.
– In 2010, the population makeup included 86.0% White, 4.2% Asian, 4.3% Black, and 7.2% Hispanic or Latino.
– Top ancestries in the county were 30.6% German, 16.8% Irish, and 13.6% English.
– Household statistics in 2010 showed 34.6% with children under 18, and an average household size of 2.51.

**Adjacent Counties and Topography**:
– Wyandotte County is to the north, Jackson County, Missouri, to the east, Miami County to the south, Douglas County to the west, and Leavenworth County to the northwest.
– The Kansas River forms part of the northwest boundary, with elevation increasing from north to south.
– Johnson County’s topography consists of gently rolling terrain and prairie grassland with forested areas along streams.

**Government and Politics**:
– Johnson County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners.
– The county has a history of changing social and political attitudes, transitioning from a prohibition county to allowing alcohol sales with restrictions.
– Traditionally a Republican stronghold, the county has seen a recent shift towards Democratic candidates in elections.
– The county has federal representation through Democrat Sharice Davids and Republican U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran.

**Taxation, Education, and Culture**:
– Johnson County’s current sales tax rate is 7.975%, higher than neighboring Wyandotte County.
– Property taxes in the county are a combination of state, county, city, and school district taxes.
– Education statistics show high levels of educational attainment in the county.
– The county is home to various cultural references in popular media, with several films and shows featuring locations within Johnson County.

Johnson County, Kansas (Wikipedia)

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. As of the 2020 census, the population was 609,863, the most populous county in Kansas. 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 second most populous city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

Johnson County
County
Former Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe (2009). It opened in 1952, closed in 2020, then demolished in 2021 after a new courthouse was finished.
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°52′N 94°52′W / 38.867°N 94.867°W / 38.867; -94.867
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	August 25, 1855
Named for	Thomas Johnson
Seat	Olathe
Largest city	Overland Park
Area
• Total	480 sq mi (1,200 km2)
• Land	473 sq mi (1,230 km2)
• Water	6.5 sq mi (17 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	609,863
• Estimate  (2021)	613,219
• Density	1,289.4/sq mi (497.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	jocogov.org