Ottawa

Formed February 27, 1860 (36^th county)

Ottawa County (5,729), Minneapolis (1,940)

The concrete and glass Modern building for Ottawa County was built in 1956.  It is sited on a square made of Concord, 3^rd, Ottawa, and 4^th streets.  Kansas State Highway 106 is one block south of the site.  Williamson, Loebsack, and Associates are the designers.  There was an 1886 version of the courthouse.  The county was established on February 27, 1860 from Native American Territory the 36^th county with Minneapolis as the only county seat.  It is named for the Native American tribe.  They are also the namesake for the county seat of Franklin County.  Minneapolis is named for Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Ottawa County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five District Court Judges serve Ottawa and Saline counties (judicial.) The county is in northern Kansas directly north of Salina, Kansas.  The county center is 2 miles East-Northeast of Minneapolis.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cloud, Clay, Dickinson, Saline, Lincoln, and Mitchell counties.  

The area of the county is 721 square miles.  It is 57 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 60 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 7.9 persons per square mile making it 56 out of 105 in the state.  Ottawa County has 56.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 81 travels north to south in the county from Cloud County to Saline County.  The county is a rectangle.  Minneapolis is west of center in the county.  Minneapolis is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 33.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Salina Micropolitan Statistical Area.