Washington County, Kansas | |
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County | |
Location in the U.S. state of Kansas |
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Kansas's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | February 20, 1857 |
Named for | George Washington |
Seat | Washington |
Largest city | Washington |
Area | |
• Total | 899 sq mi (2,328 km2) |
• Land | 895 sq mi (2,318 km2) |
• Water | 3.9 sq mi (10 km2), 0.4% |
Population | |
• (2010) | 5,799 |
• Density | 6.5/sq mi (3/km²) |
Congressional district | 1st |
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Website | WashingtonCountyKS |
Coordinates: 39°48′N 97°06′W / 39.800°N 97.100°W
Washington County (standard abbreviation: WS) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,799. Its county seat and largest city is Washington.
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.