Rice

Formed February 26, 1867 (65^th county)

Rice County (9,423), Lyons (3,739)

A classic Richardsonian Romanesque red brick courthouse was erected in 1910.  The courthouse is on a square at Commercial Street, West Avenue, Main Street and East Avenue.  The building features a Native American painting on the front.  Kansas State Highway 96 is one block to the east.  The architect was J. C. Holland and Son.  Lyons also had an 1876 courthouse for the county after its February 26, 1867 founding.  Atlanta was the first county seat.  The county was taken from Native American Territory as the 65^th county.  The county’s namesake is Civil War General Samuel Allen Rice.  Truman J. Lyons, settler, is the county seat’s namesake. 

Rice County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Rice, Barton, Ellsworth, Russell, and Stafford counties (judicial.) Rice County is in central Kansas.  Wichita, Kansas is southeast and Salina, Kansas is northeast of the county.  The Arkansas River and the Little Arkansas River both flow through the county.  The county center is in Lyons 1.2 miles Northwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Ellsworth, McPherson, Reno, Stafford, and Barton counties. 

The area of the county is 727 square miles.  It is 55 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 42 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 13.0 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 105 in the state.  Rice County has 78.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 56 crosses east to west in the county from McPherson County to Barton County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Lyons is in the center of the county.  Lyons is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 39.7% of the county population.