County · code 20185
Stafford CountyKansas
Stafford County is in Kansas and has its county seat in St. John. The county was formed in February 1867 from Marion County and became fully organized in 1879.
- Founded1867
- County seatSt. John
- Land area792 sq mi + 2.9 sq mi water
- Population4,072 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped6,231 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Stafford 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 1867 from Marion County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Stafford County was created from Marion County on February 26, 1867, but was not immediately organized. After its creation, Stafford was attached to other counties for judicial purposes—Marion, then Ellsworth, then Barton—before being attached to Pawnee in 1874. The county experienced several boundary disputes and territorial changes with neighboring counties, especially involving areas disputed with Barton, Pawnee, and Pratt. Stafford was fully organized and detached from Pawnee County on July 2, 1879.
- 1867Stafford County created Stafford created from Marion; Stafford not fully organized. · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 33, sec. 23/p. 54
- 1867Changed Stafford attached to Marion "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 52, sec. 9/p. 87
- 1869
- 1874Gained territory Stafford gained part of Non-County Area (7, former part of Stafford) and re-gained control over the area in dispute with Barton since 20 March 1873 (township 21 north, ranges 11-14 west). · Kans. Laws 1874, 14th leg., ch. 59, sec. 3/p. 92
- 1879Gained territory Stafford gained from Barton and Pratt when Kansas Supreme Court ruled act of 5 March 1875 unconstitutional. · Andreas, 1270-1271; "State of Kansas v. St. John," in Kansas Rpts., 21:427-434
Show all 10 changes
- 1867Stafford County created Stafford created from Marion; Stafford not fully organized. · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 33, sec. 23/p. 54
- 1867Changed Stafford attached to Marion "for judicial purposes." · Kans. Laws 1867, 7th leg., ch. 52, sec. 9/p. 87
- 1869
- 1873
- 1873Lost territory Stafford lost to Pawnee and to Non-County Area 7. Conflicting laws placed township 21 north, ranges 11-15 west in dispute among Barton, Pawnee, and Stafford. Barton was authorized to gain all of the disputed area from Stafford by chapter 57, but chapter 72 continued Stafford's control over ranges 11-14 west in township 21 north. · Kans. Laws 1873, 13th leg., ch. 57/pp. 112-113 and ch. 72, secs. 27, 29/pp. 152-154
- 1874
- 1874Gained territory Stafford gained part of Non-County Area (7, former part of Stafford) and re-gained control over the area in dispute with Barton since 20 March 1873 (township 21 north, ranges 11-14 west). · Kans. Laws 1874, 14th leg., ch. 59, sec. 3/p. 92
- 1875
- 1879Gained territory Stafford gained from Barton and Pratt when Kansas Supreme Court ruled act of 5 March 1875 unconstitutional. · Andreas, 1270-1271; "State of Kansas v. St. John," in Kansas Rpts., 21:427-434
- 1879
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Stafford
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Fallback
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 6,231 parcels from Stafford County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 23 January 2019 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 2,826 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
Stafford 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.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Stafford County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Stafford 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 Stafford County
- When was Stafford County founded?
- Stafford County was founded in 1867, formed from Marion County.
- What is the county seat of Stafford County?
- The county seat of Stafford County is St. John.
- Is there an online parcel map for Stafford County?
- Yes. Stafford County publishes a parcel map of 6,231 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Stafford County's boundary or name changed?
- Stafford County was created in 1867 from Marion County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Barton County, Pawnee County and Ellsworth County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Stafford County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby