Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Kansas County
Coffey County, Kansas
Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant and John Redmond Reservoir - from Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station (Kansas's only nuclear power plant - the 1,200 megawatt pressurized water reactor near Burlington has generated baseload electricity for Kansas since 1985, making Coffey County one of the most significant energy-producing counties in the state) to John Redmond Reservoir (the 9,400-acre Army Corps lake on the Neosho River providing boating, fishing, and camping - one of the largest reservoirs in eastern Kansas) and Burlington's small Flint Hills courthouse community.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Coffey County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via coffeycountyks.org. Full-time staff of four.
Sheriff: Coffey County Sheriff’s Office – 625 Neosho Street, Burlington, KS 66839 | (620) 364-2123. Emergency Communications Center staffed 24/7/365, dispatching for the Sheriff’s Office plus all county Fire, EMS, and Police agencies.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Serves a 654-square-mile county of roughly 8,360 residents, covering Burlington, Gridley, Lebo, LeRoy, New Strawn, and Waverly.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-75 and KS-99 serve Burlington, the county seat, in eastern Kansas.
Notes: Coffey County was established August 25, 1855, named for Asbury M. Coffey, a territorial legislator and Free-Stater during the Bleeding Kansas era. The county seat moved from LeRoy to Burlington in 1866.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Coffey County Courthouse – 110 South 6th Street, Burlington, KS (built 1963-64, Modern style).
Notes: Coffey County is home to the Wolf Creek Generating Station, Kansas’s only nuclear power plant. Located near Burlington and cooled by the 5,090-acre Coffey County Lake (formed by damming Wolf Creek), the single Westinghouse pressurized-water reactor began construction in 1977 and became commercially operational in 1985, generating roughly 1,200-1,250 megawatts – enough to power more than 800,000 homes. The plant, operated by Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation (94% owned by Evergy, 6% by Kansas Electric Power Cooperative), celebrated its 40th anniversary in March 2025 with its NRC operating license extended through 2045. Wolf Creek employs roughly 750-800 full-time workers, making it one of the largest employers in rural Kansas, and contributes an estimated $30 million annually in state and local taxes, with a total statewide economic impact of about $165 million a year.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Coffey County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via coffeycountyks.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Burlington Carnegie Free Library (Burlington) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Coffey County Lake (called the “Crown Jewel of Kansas fisheries”) and the Wolf Creek Generating Station’s visible dome are notable local landmarks.
Notes: The genuine status of Wolf Creek as Kansas’s only nuclear power plant is a significant piece of state energy infrastructure covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Coffey County GIS Mapping – confirm current contact via coffeycountyks.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Burlington Animal Shelter – 719 S. 5th Street, Burlington, KS 66839 | Mailing: PO Box 207 | (620) 490-0416 (also listed (620) 364-8785 and (620) 364-8757 – confirm current number). Serves Burlington and Coffey County.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Coffey County Sanitary Landfill – confirm current contact via coffeycountyks.org.
NOTES: Coffey County is the second county in the third Kansas Round 3 batch, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine status of Wolf Creek as Kansas’s only nuclear power plant is a significant piece of state energy infrastructure covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Coffey County
Coffey County is east-central Kansas’s nuclear power and reservoir county – Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station and John Redmond Reservoir make this small Flint Hills county a significant energy and recreation resource for the region.
Wolf Creek – Kansas’s only nuclear plant – has operated since 1985, providing significant employment and tax revenue to Coffey County and reliable baseload power to Kansas utilities.
John Redmond Reservoir’s 9,400 acres on the Neosho River provide boating, fishing, and wildlife observation in the eastern Flint Hills.
Burlington (the county seat, population ~2,600) serves the county’s governmental needs in a quiet Flint Hills community.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Coffey County Appraiser at 110 S. 6th Street, Burlington, KS 66839, phone 620-364-8703. KS residential assessed at 11.5% of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Coffey County District Court at 110 S. 6th Street, Burlington, KS 66839, phone 620-364-8628, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
110 S. 6th St., Burlington, KS 66839
(620) 364-2191
DISTRICT COURT CLERK (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
110 S. 6th St., Burlington, KS 66839
(620) 364-8628
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
110 S. 6th St., Burlington, KS 66839
(620) 364-2191
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Coffey County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Burlington Carnegie Free Library, Burlington, holds local historical materials.
Local societies
No dedicated Coffey County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Coffey County District Court, 4th Judicial District 110 South 6th Street, Suite 102, P.O. Box 330, Burlington, KS 66839 (620) 364-8628
Coffey County was founded August 25, 1855, named for territorial legislator Asbury M. Coffey. Burlington has been the county seat since 1866. The 1963-1964 Coffey County Courthouse (Modern style) features a stylized sculpture of Lady Justice at its entrance.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kansas has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own statutory framework under the Kansas Probate Code (K.S.A. Chapter 59). Kansas offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the total value of probate property, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $75,000 (raised from $40,000 effective July 1, 2023), available under K.S.A. 59-1507b. This transfers personal property only. If the decedent left a will, it must still be filed with the probate court even though it isn’t being formally probated.
Simplified Administration – under the Kansas Simplified Estates Act (K.S.A. 59-3201 et seq.), the most common route for straightforward estates.
Formal Probate – supervised or unsupervised administration through the District Court for larger or more complex estates.
A will must be filed for probate within 6 months of death, or it may not be admitted, forcing the estate into intestate distribution.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Coffey County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and appoints the personal representative.
Notice to creditors is published per court order; creditors have a defined window to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under unsupervised administration – acts with reduced court check-ins.
Without a surviving spouse or children, Kansas intestate succession law (K.S.A. 59-501 et seq.) determines which blood relatives inherit.
After debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets and files a final accounting; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Court costs may be remitted for small estates under recent statutory changes.
Executor/administrator and attorney fees are generally reasonable-fee based rather than a fixed statutory percentage.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit can proceed relatively quickly; formal probate commonly takes several months to over a year.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
110 S. 6th St., Burlington, KS 66839
(620) 364-2116
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
110 S. 6th St., Burlington, KS 66839
(620) 364-2191
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
110 S. 6th St., Burlington, KS 66839
(620) 364-2191
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Coffey County Health Department – confirm current contact via coffeycountyks.org.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Burlington
Population: 8,300
Area: 628 sq mi
Established: 1855
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Coffey County residents.
