Shawnee County, Kansas

Shawnee County
United States Post Office and Historic Courthouse in Topeka (2013)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°54′12″N 95°49′53″W / 38.9033°N 95.8314°W / 38.9033; -95.8314
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedAugust 25, 1855
Named afterShawnee people
SeatTopeka
Largest cityTopeka
Area
  Total
556 sq mi (1,440 km2)
  Land544 sq mi (1,410 km2)
  Water12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.1%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
178,909
  Estimate 
(2023)
177,746
  Density328.9/sq mi (127.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitesnco.us

Shawnee County is located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. Its county seat and most populous city is Topeka, the state capital. As of the 2020 census, the population was 178,909, making it the third-most populous county in Kansas. The county was one of the original 33 counties created by the first territorial legislature in 1855, and it was named for the Shawnee tribe.