Rawlins County

Rawlins County is an administrative division covering about 1,070 square miles of western Kansas terrain. Atwood functions as the county seat and administrative hub for the scattered communities across this region.

The Kansas Legislature established this county in 1873, naming it after General John A. Rawlins, a Civil War veteran who served as Secretary of War under President Grant. Its creation came during the westward expansion era when settlers were developing this frontier region.

Different groups of immigrants shaped the communities here: Swedes settled in Enne, English speakers in Ilion, Hungarians in Herndon, and Germans in Ludell. You can still see these roots in local names and how each town holds onto its heritage.

The county is connected by a network of highways including U.S. Highway 36, Kansas Highway 25, and Kansas Highway 117, linking local communities and neighboring regions. These routes make it easy to travel between scattered towns by car.

The county operated under prohibition laws from 1986 to 2002, meaning alcohol sales were banned during that period. Residents voted in 2002 to allow alcohol sales to resume under specific local regulations.

Location: Kansas

Inception: March 20, 1873

Capital city: Atwood

Shares border with: Hitchcock County, Thomas County, Red Willow County, Decatur County, Dundy County, Sherman County, Cheyenne County

Website: http://RawlinsCounty.info

GPS coordinates: 39.70333,-100.81028

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:03