Morton

Formed February 20, 1886 (97^th county)

Morton County (2,697), Elkhart (1,884)

The concrete and red brick, 1964 Modern facility is non-standard in Kansas.  The courthouse is on Morton Street between Emery Lane and Vilymaca Street.  W. I. Fisher was the building architect.  United States Highway 56 is two blocks to the northwest of the site.  Richfield had the earlier courthouse dating from 1889 and was county seat until 1963 when Elkhart assumed the role.  The county was founded on February 20, 1886 from Seward County as the 97^th county.  The county is named for Indiana Governor Oliver H. P. T. Morton.  The county seat is named for Elkhart, Indiana. 

Morton County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Eight District Court Judges serve Morton, Grant, Haskell, Seward, Stanton, and Stevens counties.  Morton County is in the southwest corner of the state.  It borders Oklahoma to its south and Colorado to its west.  The Cimarron River flows through the county.  Dodge City, Kansas is to its northeast and Pueblo, Colorado is to its northwest.  The county center is 13.5 miles Northeast of Elkhart nearer Wilburton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Stanton and Stevens counties and Oklahoma and Colorado. 

The area of the county is 730 square miles.  It is 53 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 88 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.7 persons per square mile making it 84 out of 105 in the state.  Morton County has 85.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 56 crosses diagonally through the county from east, Stevens County, to south, Oklahoma.  The county is a square with Elkhart located on the southern border.  Elkhart is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 69.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced EL-KART.