Jefferson

Formed August 25, 1855 (12^th county)

Jefferson County (18,359), Oskaloosa (1,100)

The light red brick Modern courthouse was constructed in 1962 and remodeled in 1988.  It is on a square at Jefferson, Liberty, Washington, and Delaware streets.  United States Highway 59 is two blocks to the east of the site.  The building architects are Kiene and Bradley.  The building has a clock mounted on the outside.  The county was formed on August 25, 1855 as an original county (12^th county.)  There was an 1868 courthouse also in Oskaloosa, the only county seat.  Jefferson County is named for United States President Thomas Jefferson.  The county seat is named for Oskaloosa, Iowa. 

Jefferson County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Six District Court Judges serve Jefferson, Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee counties.  The county is in northeast Kansas.  Topeka, Kansas is to the southwest and Kansas City, Kansas is to the southeast of the county.  The Kansas River forms its southwest border.  The county center is 5.2 miles West-Northwest of Oskaloosa.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Atchison, Leavenworth, Douglas, Shawnee, and Jackson counties. 

The area of the county is 536 square miles.  It is 96 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 30 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 34.3 persons per square mile making it 20 out of 105 in the state.  Jefferson County has 34.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 24 enters from Douglas County, south, and exits into Shawnee County, west.  United States Highway 59 travels north to south in the county from Atchison County and joins United States Highway 24 into Douglas County.  The county is a rectangle except for the wavy southern border.  Oskaloosa is located south and east of center in the county.  Oskaloosa is the county seat and largest city.  Oskaloosa is 6.0% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced OS-KA-LOO-SA.  This county is in the Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area.