Stafford

Formed February 26, 1867 (70^th county)

Stafford County (4,070), Saint John (1,231)

The unique design of the 1928 masonry and light tan brick Art Deco courthouse stands out in Kansas.  The courthouse is located on Broadway and 2^nd streets.  United States Highway 281 passes eight blocks to the east of the facility.  The building architects are A. R. Mann and Company.  An Annex sits beside the courthouse.  There was also an 1880’s version since the February 26, 1867 founding in Saint John, the only county seat.  There is an honor roll and lots of marble inside the facility.  The county was taken from Native American Territory as the 70^th county.  The county is named for Civil War hero Captain Lewis Stafford.  The county seat is named for Governor John P. Saint John. 

Stafford 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 Stafford, Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, and Russell counties (judicial.) Stafford County is in south central Kansas.  Wichita, Kansas is southeast and Dodge City, Kansas is southwest of the site.  The county center is 5.7 miles North of Saint John.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Barton, Rice, Reno, Pratt, Edwards, and Pawnee counties. 

The area of the county is 792 square miles.  It is 47 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 72 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.1 persons per square mile making it 74 out of 105 in the state.  Stafford County has 69.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 goes east to west through the county from Reno County to Edwards County.  United States Highway 281 travels north to south from Barton County to Pratt County.  The county is shaped like a capital letter J.  Saint John is slightly south of the county’s geographical center.  Saint John is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.3% of the county population.