County · code 20041
Dickinson CountyKansas
Dickinson County is in Kansas and has its seat in Abilene. It was created in 1857 and named after Daniel S. Dickinson.
- Founded1857
- County seatAbilene
- Named forDaniel S. Dickinson
- Land area847 sq mi + 4.9 sq mi water
- Population18,402 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped14,525 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Dickinson 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
Formed in 1857 from Riley County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Dickinson County was created by Kansas Territory in 1857 from part of Riley County, though it was not fully organized at first. The county was fully organized in 1860 and became part of the state of Kansas in 1861. Over the following years, Dickinson gained territory from Morris and Saline counties while losing some area to what is now Geary County.
- 1857Dickinson County created Dickinson created by Kansas Territory from part of Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley. Dickinson not fully organized. · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., sec. 37/p. 46 and p. 91
- 1860
- 1860Changed Dickinson fully organized. According to chapter 35, Dickinson had been attached to Davis (now Geary). According to an act of 11 February 1859, it had been attached to Riley "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 35/p. 75 and ch. 78, sec. 4/p. 133; Kans. Terr. Laws 1859, 5th leg., ch. 40, sec. 4/p. 330
- 1861Became part of Kansas Dickinson became a county in the state of Kansas. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
- 1864Gained territory Dickinson gained from Morris, lost to Davis (now Geary). · Kans. Laws 1864, 4th leg., chs. 23-24/pp. 48-49
- 1867Gained territory Dickinson gained small area from Saline. · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 31/p. 49
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Dickinson
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 14,525 parcels from Dickinson County, Kansas GIS Department. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 13 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 11,075 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
Dickinson 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.
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Dickinson County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Dickinson 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 Dickinson County
- When was Dickinson County founded?
- Dickinson County was founded in 1857, formed from Riley County, and named after Daniel S. Dickinson.
- What is the county seat of Dickinson County?
- The county seat of Dickinson County is Abilene.
- Is there an online parcel map for Dickinson County?
- Yes. Dickinson County, Kansas GIS Department publishes a parcel map of 14,525 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Dickinson County's boundary or name changed?
- Dickinson County was created in 1857 from Riley County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, chiefly involving Davis County, Geary County and Riley County.
- Who issues building permits in Dickinson County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Dickinson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby