Osborne

Formed February 26, 1867 (60^th county)

Osborne County (3,501), Osborne (1,327)

The Richardsonian Romanesque classy stone and masonry courthouse was built in 1907.  The courthouse is on Main Street between 4^th and 5^th streets.  United States Highway 281 is four blocks to the east of the location.  J. C. Holland designed the structure.  The courthouse features a working clock tower and screen doors.  Osborne County was created on February 26, 1867 from Native American Territory as the 60^th county with Osborne as the only county seat.  The county and county seat are named for Civil War hero and settler Vincent B. Osborne. 

Osborne County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Osborne, Decatur, Graham, Norton, Phillips, and Smith counties (judicial.) The county is in northern Kansas.  Salina, Kansas is southeast and Dodge City, Kansas is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.3 miles Southwest of Osborne.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Smith, Jewell, Mitchell, Lincoln, Russell, Ellis, and Rooks counties. 

The area of the county is 893 square miles.  It is 32 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 77 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.9 persons per square mile making it 81 out of 105 in the state.  Osborne County has 75.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 24 crosses east to west in the county from Mitchell County to Rooks County.  United States Highway 281 travels north to south from Smith County to Russell County.  The county is a square like the majority of counties in western Kansas.  The City of Osborne is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Osborne is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 37.9% of the county population.