Shawnee

Formed August 25, 1855 (19^th county)

Shawnee County (178,909), Topeka (126,601)                

The Modern glass, concrete, and marble building was constructed in 1963 at Southeast 7^th and Southeast Quincy streets.  Interstate Highway 70 passes two blocks to the east of the courthouse.  Raymond A. Coolidge and Philip Coolidge designed the courthouse.  Marble walls adorn the interior.  The courthouse was remodeled in 1992.  The Kansas state capitol is located in this county.  There was a classic 1896 courthouse in Topeka, the only county seat, since the August 25, 1855 county organization.  The county was one of the original counties (19^th county.)  Shawnee County is named for the Native American tribe.  Topeka is Native American for “noisy.”  Shawnee County was the birthplace of 1 Kansas Governors, Joan Finney. 

Shawnee County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Thirteen District Court Judges serve Shawnee County.  The county is in northeast Kansas.  Kansas City, Kansas is east and Wichita, Kansas is southwest.  The county center is in Topeka 3.3 miles West of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jackson, Jefferson, Douglas, Osage, Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie counties. 

The area of the county is 550 square miles.  It is 94 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 3 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 325.3 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 105 in the state.  Shawnee County has 72.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the county east to west from Douglas County to Wabaunsee County.  Interstate Highway 335 originates in the county and goes southwest into Osage County.  United States Highway 24 travels east to west from Jefferson County to Pottawatomie County.  United States Highway 40 enters from Douglas County and joins Interstate Highway 70 to exit into Wabaunsee County.  United States Highway 75 passes north to south from Jackson County to Osage County.  The county is shaped like a fat letter L.  The Kansas River flows through the county.  Topeka dominates the central eastern part of the county.  Topeka is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 70.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area.