Formed February 26, 1867 (48th county)
Ford County (34,282), Dodge City (27,790)
The Classical Revival masonry building was constructed in 1912 and remodeled in 1992. There was an earlier courthouse dating from 1886 also in Dodge City, the only county seat. The interior floors are large tile. The courthouse is on Spruce Street between 1st and Central streets. United States Highway 50 Business is two blocks to the south of the site. Reul A. Curtis is the building designer. Ford County was created on February 26, 1867 from Native American Territory as the 48th county. It is named for Civil War General James Hobart Ford. Dodge City was named for Fort Dodge which was named for Colonel Henry I. Dodge. Ford County was the birthplace of 1 Kansas Governor, Frederick L. Hall.
Ford County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) Six District Court Judges serve Ford, Clark, Comanche, Gray, Kiowa, and Meade counties (judicial.) The county is situated in southwest Kansas. Wichita, Kansas is east of the county. The Arkansas River flows through the county. The county center is 7.5 miles Southeast of Dodge City. The county is surrounded clockwise by Hodgeman, Edwards, Kiowa, Clark, Meade, and Gray counties.
The area of the county is 1099 square miles. It is 8 out of 105 in the state. It ranks 15 out of 105 in population in the state. It has a density of 31.2 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 105 in the state. Ford County has 86.1% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 50 crosses the county northeast to west from Edwards County to Gray County. United States Highway 54 clips the southeast corner from Kiowa County, east, to Clark County, south. United States Highway 56 enters joined with United States Highway 50 from Edwards County, splits and exits southwest into Gray County. United States Highway 283 travels north to south from Hodgeman County to Clark County. United States Highway 400 comes in joined with United States Highway 54 from Kiowa County, splits and joins United States Highway 50 into Gray County. The county is a rectangle. Dodge City is in the western third of the county. Dodge City is the county seat and the largest city. It is 81.1% of the county population. This county is in the Dodge City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Bucklin
Dodge City
Ford
Spearville
