Montgomery

Formed February 26, 1867 (57^th county)

Montgomery County (31,484), Independence (8,577), Coffeyville (8,829)

The Classical Revival masonry style of the 1887 courthouse is the Kansas norm.  It is at 5^th Street between Main and Myrtle streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 160 in the town.  Cuthbert and Suehrk are the building designers.  The structure was enlarged in 1931.  There is a Liberty Bell replica on the grounds.  There were courthouses dating from 1870, 1878, and 1886.  A 1989 Judicial Center now augments the courthouse.  Montgomery County was established on February 26, 1867 from Wilson County as the 57^th county with Independence as the only county seat.  Revolutionary War General Richard Montgomery inspired the name for the county.  The county seat is named for Independence, Iowa.  Montgomery County was the birthplace of 1 Kansas Governor, Harry H. Woodring. 

Montgomery County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges serve Montgomery and Chautauqua counties (judicial.) The county is in the southeast part of Kansas on the border with Oklahoma.  Wichita, Kansas is to the northwest and Tulsa, Oklahoma is south of the county.  The county center is 6.2 miles South of Independence.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wilson, Neosho, and Labette counties and Oklahoma and Chautauqua and Elk counties. 

The area of the county is 645 square miles.  It is 75 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 48.8 persons per square mile making it 14 out of 105 in the state.  Montgomery County has 71.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 75 crosses east to west through the county from Wilson County to Oklahoma.  United States Highway 160 goes east to west from Labette County to Elk County.  United States Highway 166 travels east to west from Labette County to Chautauqua County.  United States Highway 169 enters from the northeast, Labette County, and exits to the south, Oklahoma.  United States Highway 400 comes from Labette County, east, and goes to Wilson County, north.  The county is a rectangle.  Independence is in the northern third of the county.  Coffeyville is on the southern border of the county.  Independence is the county seat and Coffeyville is the largest city.  Independence is 27.2% of the county population while Coffeyville is 28.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area.