Harvey

Formed March 7, 1872 (75^th county)

Harvey County (34,034), Newton (18,600)

A light reddish/tan brick building was built in 1966 and is technically on a square at Main, 7^th, Oak, and 8^th streets.  Main Street is Kansas State Highway 15 in Newton.  The Modern building architects are Miller, Hiett, Dronberger and Arbuckle.  There was a classic 1906 courthouse in Newton with its corner stone now sitting on the new courthouse grounds.  The county was formed on March 7, 1872 from parts of McPherson, Sedgwick and Reno counties as the 75^th county.  Newton has always been the county seat.  Governor James M. Harvey is the namesake for the county.  The county seat is named for Newton, Massachusetts. 

Harvey County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four District Court Judges serve Harvey and McPherson counties.  The county is in central Kansas immediately to the north of Wichita, Kansas.  Salina, Kansas is north from the county.  The Little Arkansas River flows through the county.  The county center is 4 miles West of Newton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marion, Butler, Sedgwick, Reno, and McPherson counties. 

The area of the county is 539 square miles.  It is 95 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 63.1 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 105 in the state.  Harvey County has 84.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 135 travels north to south in the county from McPherson County to Sedgwick County.  United States Highway 50 goes east to west from Marion County to Reno County.  United States Highway 81 is joined with Interstate Highway 135 from McPherson to Sedgwick counties.  The county is a rectangle.  Newton is in the eastern third of the county.  Newton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 54.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Sedgwick