County · code 20005
Atchison CountyKansas
Atchison County is a county in Kansas, with its seat in Atchison. The county was created on August 25, 1855, by Kansas Territory and was named after David Rice Atchison.
- Founded1855
- County seatAtchison
- Named forDavid Rice Atchison
- Land area431 sq mi + 2.7 sq mi water
- Population16,348 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped9,878 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Atchison on the map of Kansas
Kansas has 105 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1855
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Atchison County was created by Kansas Territory on August 25, 1855, and fully organized on September 17, 1855. When Kansas became a state in 1861, Atchison became a county within the new state. In 1950, Atchison exchanged small areas with Doniphan County and gained from Buchanan County, Missouri, to accommodate changes in the Missouri River course that had occurred in 1944.
- 1855Atchison County created Atchison created by Kansas Territory from non-county area; Atchison not fully organized. · Kans. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st leg., ch. 30, sec. 26/p. 209 and chs. 35-36/p. 216
- 1855Changed Atchison fully organized. · Andreas, 373; Kansas Counties, KSHS, http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/places/counties.htm, 20 October 2004
- 1857Boundary clarified Atchison boundaries redefined to run on federal land survey lines (no change).no change· Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., sec. 26/p. 43
- 1861Became part of Kansas Atchison became a county in the state of Kansas. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
- 1950Exchanged territory Atchison exchanged small areas with Doniphan, gained from Buchanan (Missouri) to accommodate changes in the course of the Missouri River that occurred in 1944. Kansas act passed 5 April 1949, took effect 3 August 1950 after the United States Congress approved a joint resolution establishing the permanent boundary between Kansas and Missouri along the Missouri River from 40 degrees north latitude to the Kansas River. Minor shifts in the Missouri River boundaries of other Kansas counties are not mapped. · Kans. Laws 1949, 53d leg., chs. 196, 510/pp. 293-294, 837-838; Mo. Laws 1949, S.B. 141, p. 311; U.S. Stat., vol. 64, ch. 519 [1950]/p. 397
- 1951Boundary clarified Boundary between Atchison and Doniphan clarified to accommodate boundary agreement between Kansas and Missouri approved by the United States Congress on 3 August 1950.with Doniphanno change· Kans. Laws 1951, 54th leg., ch. 218/p. 318; U.S. Stat., vol. 64, ch. 519 [1950]/p. 397
- 1959Gained territory By 1959, Atchison gained small area from Doniphan when the boundary east of Independence Creek was moved to the south line of section 7, township 5 south, range 21 east. · U.S.G.S., Atchison East and Atchison Northeast Quadrangles, 1959-1960
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Atchison
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Official
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 9,878 parcels from Atchison County, KS (owner jfaris_atcoks, org atcoks; atchisoncountyks.org/241/Maps links the 'Parcel Ownership' web map b9a6cee6cdcd447c8c67021c428a43d3 that loads this layer). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 2 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 7,510 in all from Kansas 911 Coordinating Council NG911 program, hosted by DASC (Data Access and Support Center for the Kansas GIS Policy Board).
edited 13 July 2026 · checked 13 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Atchison by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
County government
- County government
The official website of Atchison County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Atchison County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Atchison County
- When was Atchison County founded?
- Atchison County was founded in 1855, and named after David Rice Atchison.
- What is the county seat of Atchison County?
- The county seat of Atchison County is Atchison.
- Is there an online parcel map for Atchison County?
- Yes. Atchison County, KS (owner jfaris_atcoks, org atcoks; atchisoncountyks.org/241/Maps links the 'Parcel Ownership' web map b9a6cee6cdcd447c8c67021c428a43d3 that loads this layer) publishes a parcel map of 9,878 parcels, rated official here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Atchison County's boundary or name changed?
- Atchison County was created in 1855. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Doniphan County and Buchanan (Mo.) County.
- Who issues building permits in Atchison County?
- The county's page on building permits: Development Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Atchison County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby