Geary

Formed August 30, 1855 (22^nd county)

Geary County (36,730), Junction City (22,926)

The stone and concrete courthouse with its dominant tower was built on a hill in 1899 and renovated in 1999.  The courthouse is on 8^th Street between Washington and Franklin streets.  United States Highway 40 Business is two blocks to the south of the site.  J. C. Holland provided the building designs for this Richardsonian Romanesque structure.  Wooden stairs highlight the inside of the building.  An Administration Center augments the courthouse.  The county was created on August 30, 1855 and named for Governor John W. Geary.  It was the 22^nd county formed with Junction City as the only county seat.  The county seat is named for the junction of the Republic River and the Smoky Hill River to form the Kansas River. 

The area of the county is 384 square miles.  It is 104 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 13 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 95.7 persons per square mile making it 8 out of 105 in the state.  Geary County has 68.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 passes east to west in the county from Wabaunsee County to Dickinson County.  United States Highway 40 is joined with Interstate Highway 70 from Wabaunsee County to Dickinson County.  United States Highway 77 goes north to south from Riley County to Morris County.  The county is shaped like a pistol lying on its back.  Junction City is located in the western quarter near the border.  Junction City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 62.4% of the county population. 

Geary County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Eight District Court Judges serve Geary, Dickinson, Marion, and Morris counties (judicial.) Geary County is in north central Kansas.  Topeka, Kansas is east and Salina, Kansas is southwest.  The county center is 4.4 miles Southeast of Junction City nearer Grandview Plaza.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Riley, Wabaunsee, Morris, Dickinson, and Clay counties.  This county is in the Manhattan Metropolitan Statistical Area.