[1] It was named after A.M. Coffey, a territorial legislator and Free-Stater during Bleeding Kansas era.

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans.

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles.

In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Coffey County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2004, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

The city of Burlington is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships.