Parcel Chartplaces Open the free map

County · code 20161

Riley CountyKansas

Riley County is a county in Kansas, with its seat in Manhattan, formed in 1855.

  • Founded1855
  • County seatManhattan
  • Named forBennett C. Riley
  • Land area610 sq mi + 12 sq mi water
  • Population71,959 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped25,321 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Riley County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

GearyPottawatomieClayWabaunsee Manhattan Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Riley 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 CountyLyon CountyMcPherson CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMeade CountyMiami CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMorris CountyMorton CountyNemaha CountyNeosho CountyNess CountyNorton CountyOsage CountyOsborne CountyOttawa CountyPawnee CountyPhillips CountyPottawatomie CountyPratt CountyRawlins CountyReno CountyRepublic CountyRice CountyRooks CountyRush CountyRussell CountySaline CountyScott CountySedgwick CountySeward CountyShawnee CountySheridan CountySherman CountySmith CountyStafford CountyStanton CountyStevens CountySumner CountyThomas CountyTrego CountyWabaunsee CountyWallace CountyWashington CountyWichita CountyWilson CountyWoodson CountyWyandotte CountyRiley County Riley
Counties of Kansas · Riley highlighted

History

Formed in 1855 from Davis County and Geary County

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

Riley County was created on August 25, 1855, by Kansas Territory from non-county area, along with Davis (now Geary), which was not fully organized and attached to Riley for civil and military purposes. The county was named after Bennett C. Riley. Riley's boundaries changed multiple times as surrounding counties were created or gained areas from attached non-county areas between 1857 and 1867.

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

  1. 1855
    Riley County created Riley created by Kansas Territory from non-county area. Davis (now Geary) not fully organized, attached to Riley "for civil and military purposes." A Non-County Area 2, which included territory in present Kansas and Colorado, was attached to Riley "for civil, criminal and military purposes."
    from Davisfrom Geary
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st leg., ch. 30, secs. 33-34/p. 210 and ch. 38, sec. 4/p. 219
  2. 1857
    Gained territory Riley gained part of Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley, lost to creation of Pottawatomie. Riley lost part of Non-County Area 2, which was attached to Riley, to creation of Clay and Dickinson.
    from Pottawatomiefrom Clayfrom Dickinson
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., secs. 34-37/pp. 45-46
  3. 1860
    Lost territory Riley lost part of Non-County Area 2, which was attached to Riley, to creation of Saline.
    to Saline
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 44/pp. 85-87
  4. 1861
    Became part of Kansas Riley became a county in the state of Kansas. Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley lost to Colorado Territory when Kansas was admitted to the Union with present boundaries. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
  5. 1867
    Eliminated Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley was eliminated due to creation of new counties in western Kansas. · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 33/pp. 51-57
Show all 17 changes (12 more)
  1. 1855
    Riley County created Riley created by Kansas Territory from non-county area. Davis (now Geary) not fully organized, attached to Riley "for civil and military purposes." A Non-County Area 2, which included territory in present Kansas and Colorado, was attached to Riley "for civil, criminal and military purposes."
    from Davisfrom Geary
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st leg., ch. 30, secs. 33-34/p. 210 and ch. 38, sec. 4/p. 219
  2. 1857
    Gained territory Riley gained part of Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley, lost to creation of Pottawatomie. Riley lost part of Non-County Area 2, which was attached to Riley, to creation of Clay and Dickinson.
    from Pottawatomiefrom Clayfrom Dickinson
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., secs. 34-37/pp. 45-46
  3. 1857
    Changed Davis (now Geary) fully organized, detached from Riley.
    DavisGeary
    · Andreas, 1001; Kans. Terr. Laws 1857, 2d leg., pp. 91-92
  4. 1859
    Gained territory Clay attached to Riley "for judicial purposes." Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley gained all of Non-County Areas (1) and (3). Non-County Area 2 lost a small area to the creation of Non-County Area 4, which was attached to Breckenridge (now Lyon) "for judicial purposes."
    from Clayfrom Breckenridgefrom Lyon
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1859, 5th leg., ch. 40, sec. 4/p. 330
  5. 1860
    Lost territory Riley lost part of Non-County Area 2, which was attached to Riley, to creation of Saline.
    to Saline
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 44/pp. 85-87
  6. 1860
    Gained territory Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley gained from Marion.
    from Marion
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 40/p. 80
  7. 1860
    Lost territory Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley lost to creation of Peketon (extinct). Non-County Area 2 also lost to creation of Non-County Area 5, which was separated from Non-County Area 2 by the creation of Peketon.
    to Peketon
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 42/p. 83
  8. 1860
    Lost territory Riley lost to Davis (now Geary) and Dickinson.
    to Davisto Gearyto Dickinson
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 34/pp. 72-74
  9. 1860
    Lost territory Clay detached from Riley, attached to Davis (now Geary) "for judicial purposes." Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley lost to creation of Ottawa, Republic, and Shirley (now Cloud).
    to Clayto Davisto Gearyto Ottawato Republicto Shirleyto Cloud
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1860, ch. 43/pp. 83-85 and ch. 78, sec. 4/p. 133
  10. 1861
    Became part of Kansas Riley became a county in the state of Kansas. Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley lost to Colorado Territory when Kansas was admitted to the Union with present boundaries. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 20 [1861]/pp. 126-128; Van Zandt, 138-139
  11. 1861
    Gained territory Riley gained from Davis (now Geary).
    from Davisfrom Geary
    · Kans. Terr. Laws 1861, ch. 12/p. 16
  12. 1867
    Eliminated Non-County Area 2 attached to Riley was eliminated due to creation of new counties in western Kansas. · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 33/pp. 51-57
  13. 1871
    Gained territory Riley gained from Wabaunsee.
    from Wabaunsee
    · Kans. Laws 1871, 11th leg., ch. 53/pp. 105-106
  14. 1873
    Lost territory Riley lost to Wabaunsee.
    to Wabaunsee
    · Kans. Laws 1873, 13th leg., ch. 56/pp. 110-112
  15. 1873
    Exchanged territory Riley exchanged with Davis (now Geary).
    with Daviswith Geary
    · Kans. Laws 1873, 13th leg., ch. 58/pp. 113-115
  16. 1875
    Lost territory Riley lost to Davis (now Geary).
    to Davisto Geary
    · Kans. Laws 1875, 15th leg., ch. 62/pp. 89-91
  17. 1978
    Lost territory Riley lost small area to Geary along the Fort Riley Military Reservation boundary.
    to Geary
    · Kans. Laws 1978, 67th leg., ch. 88/pp. 421-422

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Riley

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

Riley by the Census

Population
71,959 2020 Census count
Housing units
30,477 2020 Census count
Land area
610 square miles
Water area
12 square miles
People per sq mi
118 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

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

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Riley 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Riley County

When was Riley County founded?
Riley County was founded in 1855, formed from Davis County and Geary County, and named after Bennett C. Riley.
What is the county seat of Riley County?
The county seat of Riley County is Manhattan.
Is there an online parcel map for Riley County?
Yes. Riley County publishes a parcel map of 25,321 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Riley County's boundary or name changed?
Riley County was created in 1855 from Davis County and Geary County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 16 later changes, chiefly involving Geary County, Davis County and Clay County.
Who issues building permits in Riley 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 Riley 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