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County · code 20111

Lyon CountyKansas

Lyon County is in Kansas and has its county seat in Emporia. The county was created on August 25, 1855, as Breckenridge County and renamed Lyon on March 7, 1862, in honor of Nathaniel Lyon.

  • Founded1855
  • County seatEmporia
  • Named forNathaniel Lyon
  • Land area847 sq mi + 7.9 sq mi water
  • Population32,179 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped17,248 checked 15 October 2026
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Updated

ChaseOsageCoffeyWabaunseeMorrisGreenwood Emporia Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Lyon on the map of Kansas

Kansas has 105 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Allen CountyAnderson CountyAtchison CountyBarber CountyBarton CountyBourbon CountyBrown CountyButler CountyChase CountyChautauqua CountyCherokee CountyCheyenne CountyClark CountyClay CountyCloud CountyCoffey CountyComanche CountyCowley CountyCrawford CountyDecatur CountyDickinson CountyDoniphan CountyDouglas CountyEdwards CountyElk CountyEllis CountyEllsworth CountyFinney CountyFord CountyFranklin CountyGeary CountyGove CountyGraham CountyGrant CountyGray CountyGreeley CountyGreenwood CountyHamilton CountyHarper CountyHarvey CountyHaskell CountyHodgeman CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJewell CountyJohnson CountyKearny CountyKingman CountyKiowa CountyLabette CountyLane CountyLeavenworth CountyLincoln CountyLinn CountyLogan CountyMcPherson CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMeade CountyMiami CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMorris CountyMorton CountyNemaha CountyNeosho CountyNess CountyNorton CountyOsage CountyOsborne CountyOttawa CountyPawnee CountyPhillips CountyPottawatomie CountyPratt CountyRawlins CountyReno CountyRepublic CountyRice CountyRiley CountyRooks CountyRush CountyRussell CountySaline CountyScott CountySedgwick CountySeward CountyShawnee CountySheridan CountySherman CountySmith CountyStafford CountyStanton CountyStevens CountySumner CountyThomas CountyTrego CountyWabaunsee CountyWallace CountyWashington CountyWichita CountyWilson CountyWoodson CountyWyandotte CountyLyon County Lyon
Counties of Kansas · Lyon highlighted

History

Formed in 1855 from Madison County and Butler County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Breckenridge County was created by Kansas Territory from non-county area on August 25, 1855, formed from Madison and Butler counties. The county was fully organized on February 17, 1857, and became a county in the state of Kansas on January 29, 1861. On March 7, 1862, Breckenridge County was renamed Lyon County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1855
    Lyon County created Breckenridge (now Lyon) created by Kansas Territory from non-county area. Breckenridge not fully organized, attached to Madison (Kansas Territory, extinct) "for all civil, criminal and military purposes." Butler not fully organized, attached to Breckenridge "for civil and military purposes."
    from Madisonfrom Butler
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st leg., ch. 30, secs. 17, 34/pp. 207, 210; ch. 34/p. 215
  2. 1860
    Eliminated Non-County Area 4 attached to Breckenridge (now Lyon) became part of Marion; Non-County Area 4 eliminated.
    into Marion
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 40/p. 80
  3. 1861
    Became part of Kansas Breckenridge (now Lyon) became a county in the state of Kansas. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
  4. 1862
    Renamed Breckenridge renamed Lyon. Act passed 5 February 1862; took effect 7 March 1862.
    formerly Breckenridge
    · Kans. Laws 1862, 2d leg., ch. 61/pp. 444-445
  5. 1864
    Eliminated Hunter, Irving, and Otoe eliminated, ending their attachment to Lyon.
    into Hunterinto Irvinginto Otoe
    · Kans. Laws 1864, 4th leg., ch. 25/p. 50
Show all 16 changes (11 more)
  1. 1855
    Lyon County created Breckenridge (now Lyon) created by Kansas Territory from non-county area. Breckenridge not fully organized, attached to Madison (Kansas Territory, extinct) "for all civil, criminal and military purposes." Butler not fully organized, attached to Breckenridge "for civil and military purposes."
    from Madisonfrom Butler
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st leg., ch. 30, secs. 17, 34/pp. 207, 210; ch. 34/p. 215
  2. 1857
    Changed Breckenridge (now Lyon) fully organized, detached from Madison (Kansas Territory, extinct). Wise (now Morris) detached from Madison, attached to Breckenridge "for all civil and military purposes."
    MadisonWiseMorris
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., p. 90
  3. 1857
    Boundary clarified Breckenridge (now Lyon) boundaries redefined to run on federal land survey lines (no change). Butler detached from Breckenridge, attached to Madison (Kansas Territory, extinct) "for all civil, criminal and military purposes."
    with Butlerwith Madisonno change
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., sec. 17/p. 41 and p. 89
  4. 1859
    Gained territory Breckenridge (now Lyon) gained from Madison (Kansas Territory, extinct).
    from Madison
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1859, 5th leg., ch. 43/p. 357
  5. 1859
    Changed Chase attached to Breckenridge (now Lyon); Hunter (extinct) detached from Allen, attached to Breckenridge; Part of Non-County Area 2 was detached from Riley and became Non-County Area 4 attached to Breckenridge. All attachments were "for judicial purposes." Morris fully organized, detached from Breckenridge.
    ChaseHunterAllenRileyMorris
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1859, 5th leg., ch. 40, sec. 4/p. 330 and chs. 46, 60/pp. 361, 377; HRS Kansas, Morris, 21-28
  6. 1859
    Changed Chase fully organized, detached from Breckenridge (now Lyon).
    Chase
    · Andreas, 1356; Kansas Counties, KSHS, http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/places/counties.htm, 20 October 2004
  7. 1860
    Eliminated Non-County Area 4 attached to Breckenridge (now Lyon) became part of Marion; Non-County Area 4 eliminated.
    into Marion
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 40/p. 80
  8. 1860
    Lost territory Breckenridge (now Lyon) lost to Chase. Hunter (extinct) remained attached to Breckenridge "for judicial purposes." Otoe (extinct) detached from Butler, attached to Breckenridge "for judicial purposes."
    to Chaseto Hunterto Otoeto Butler
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 32/pp. 70-71 and ch. 78, sec. 4/p. 133
  9. 1861
    Became part of Kansas Breckenridge (now Lyon) became a county in the state of Kansas. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
  10. 1861
    Gained territory Breckenridge (now Lyon) gained part of Madison (Kansas Territory); Madison eliminated.
    from Madison
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1861, ch. 13/p. 17; "State of Kansas, ex rel. F. G. Hunt v. Calvin Meadows," in Kansas Rpts., 1:91-98
  11. 1861
    Changed Irving (extinct) attached to Breckenridge (now Lyon) "for judicial purposes." Otoe (extinct) remained attached to Breckenridge "for judicial purposes."
    IrvingOtoe
    · Kans. Laws 1861, 1st leg., ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 123
  12. 1862
    Renamed Breckenridge renamed Lyon. Act passed 5 February 1862; took effect 7 March 1862.
    formerly Breckenridge
    · Kans. Laws 1862, 2d leg., ch. 61/pp. 444-445
  13. 1864
    Lost territory Lyon lost to Morris.
    to Morris
    · Kans. Laws 1864, 4th leg., ch. 22/p. 48
  14. 1864
    Eliminated Hunter, Irving, and Otoe eliminated, ending their attachment to Lyon.
    into Hunterinto Irvinginto Otoe
    · Kans. Laws 1864, 4th leg., ch. 25/p. 50
  15. 1886
    Gained territory Lyon gained small area from Coffey in section 14, township 20 south, range 13 east. This act gave Lyon access to the Neosho River.
    from Coffey
    · Kans. Laws 1886, spec. sess., ch. 38/pp. 58-59
  16. 1897
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Lyon and Coffey clarified (no change). This act clarified the change of 18 February 1886. While this change is still part of the current official description of Lyon's boundaries, it does not appear to be in effect, and is not reflected on maps, including state highway maps and U.S.G.S. maps dated as early as 1906.
    with Coffeywith U.s.g.sno change
    · Kans. Laws 1897, 27th leg., ch. 100/pp. 195-196; Kans. Stats. Anno. 1995, sec. 18-156/p. 579; U.S.G.S., "Burlington Sheet," ed. of Sept. 1894, repr. Dec. 1906

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Lyon

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

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

Lyon by the Census

Population
32,179 2020 Census count
Housing units
14,957 2020 Census count
Land area
847 square miles
Water area
7.9 square miles
People per sq mi
38 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Lyon County's official site

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County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Lyon County

When was Lyon County founded?
Lyon County was founded in 1855, formed from Madison County and Butler County, and named after Nathaniel Lyon.
What is the county seat of Lyon County?
The county seat of Lyon County is Emporia.
Is there an online parcel map for Lyon County?
Yes. Lyon County publishes a parcel map of 17,248 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Lyon County's boundary or name changed?
Lyon County was created in 1855 from Madison County and Butler County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 later changes, chiefly involving Chase County, Hunter County and Madison County. It was formerly called Breckenridge.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Lyon County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door