County · code 20175
Seward CountyKansas
Seward County is a county in southwestern Kansas with its seat in Liberal. It was created in 1873 and named after William H. Seward.
- Founded1873
- County seatLiberal
- Named forWilliam H. Seward
- Land area640 sq mi + 0.8 sq mi water
- Population21,964 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped10,418 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Seward 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 1873 from Ford County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Seward County was created from Ford County in 1873 but remained unorganized and attached to Ford for judicial purposes. In 1883, Seward expanded significantly by gaining all of Kansas and Stevens counties, plus part of Meade County; these counties were then eliminated. Between 1885 and 1886, Seward lost territory to the re-creation of Meade, the creation of Morton, and the re-creation of Stevens. The county was fully organized in 1886, detached from Meade County, and has remained independent since.
- 1873Seward County created Seward created from Non-County Area 6; Seward not fully organized, attached to Ford "for judicial purposes." Seward was located in a different part of Kansas from the original Seward, which became extinct in 1867. · Kans. Laws 1873, 13th leg., ch. 72, sec. 18/p. 150 and ch. 79, sec. 6/p. 166
- 1881Changed Seward remained attached to Ford "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1881, 19th leg., ch. 99, sec. 3/p. 200
- 1883Gained territory Seward gained all of Kansas and Stevens, and part of Meade; Kansas, Meade, and Stevens eliminated. · Kans. Laws 1883, 20th leg., ch. 70, sec. 5/p. 114
- 1885Lost territory Seward lost to re-creation of Meade. · Kans. Laws 1885, 21st leg., ch. 71, secs. 2, 4/p. 110
- 1886Lost territory Seward lost to creation of Morton and to the re-creation of Stevens. · Kans. Laws 1886, spec. sess., ch. 37/pp. 57-58; Kans. Laws 1887, 22d leg., ch. 2/pp. 2-3
Show all 10 changes
- 1873Seward County created Seward created from Non-County Area 6; Seward not fully organized, attached to Ford "for judicial purposes." Seward was located in a different part of Kansas from the original Seward, which became extinct in 1867. · Kans. Laws 1873, 13th leg., ch. 72, sec. 18/p. 150 and ch. 79, sec. 6/p. 166
- 1879Boundary clarified Seward boundaries redefined (no change).no change· Kans. Laws 1879, 18th leg., ch. 72, sec. 14/p. 146
- 1881Changed Seward remained attached to Ford "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1881, 19th leg., ch. 99, sec. 3/p. 200
- 1883Gained territory Seward gained all of Kansas and Stevens, and part of Meade; Kansas, Meade, and Stevens eliminated. · Kans. Laws 1883, 20th leg., ch. 70, sec. 5/p. 114
- 1885Lost territory Seward lost to re-creation of Meade. · Kans. Laws 1885, 21st leg., ch. 71, secs. 2, 4/p. 110
- 1885
- 1886Changed Seward remained attached to Finney "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1886, spec. sess., ch. 87/p. 121
- 1886Lost territory Seward lost to creation of Morton and to the re-creation of Stevens. · Kans. Laws 1886, spec. sess., ch. 37/pp. 57-58; Kans. Laws 1887, 22d leg., ch. 2/pp. 2-3
- 1886
- 1886
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Seward
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 10,418 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 22 July 2024 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Seward County yet.
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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
Seward 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
- Clerk of court: deeds and plats
County Clerk / Election
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Seward County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Seward 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 Seward County
- When was Seward County founded?
- Seward County was founded in 1873, formed from Ford County, and named after William H. Seward.
- What is the county seat of Seward County?
- The county seat of Seward County is Liberal.
- Is there an online parcel map for Seward County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 10,418 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Seward County's boundary or name changed?
- Seward County was created in 1873 from Ford County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Meade County, Finney County and Ford County.
- Who issues building permits in Seward County?
- The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Seward County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby