Johnson County, Kansas
| Johnson County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
| County | |
Johnson Courthouse in Olathe
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 Location in the U.S. state of Kansas |
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 Kansas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | August 25, 1855 |
| Named for | Thomas Johnson |
| Seat | Olathe |
| Largest city | Overland Park |
| Area | |
| • Total | 480 sq mi (1,243 km2) |
| • Land | 473 sq mi (1,225 km2) |
| • Water | 6.5 sq mi (17 km2), 1.4% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 580,159 |
| • Density | 1,168.2/sq mi (451/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | jocogov |
Coordinates: 38°52′N 94°52′W / 38.867°N 94.867°W
Johnson County (county code JO) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 544,179, making it the most populous county in Kansas. Its county seat is Olathe, and its most populous city is Overland Park.
In the mid-19th century, this was part of the Shawnee Reservation after their removal from east of the Mississippi River. The people were later forced to move to Indian Territory in present-day Ottawa County, Oklahoma.
This was part of the large territory of the Osage people, who occupied lands up to present-day Saint Louis, Missouri. After Indian Removal, the United States government reserved much of this area as Indian territory for a reservation for the Shawnee people, who were relocated from east of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest.
The Santa Fe Trail and Oregon-California Trail, which pass through nearby Independence, Missouri, also passed through the county. Johnson County was established in 1855 as one of the first counties in the newly organized Kansas Territory; it was named for American missionary Thomas Johnson. The renowned gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok settled for a time in the county, becoming constable of Monticello Township in 1858.
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