text:
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River.

Wichita began as a trading post on the Chisholm Trail in the 1860s and was incorporated as a city in 1870. It became a destination for cattle drives traveling north from Texas to Kansas railroads, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". Wyatt Earp served as a police officer in Wichita for around one year before going to Dodge City.

In the 1920s and 1930s, businessmen and aeronautical engineers established aircraft manufacturing companies in Wichita, including Beechcraft, Cessna, and Stearman Aircraft. The city became an aircraft production hub known as "The Air Capital of the World". Textron Aviation, Learjet, Airbus, and Boeing/Spirit AeroSystems continue to operate design and manufacturing facilities in Wichita, and the city remains a major center of the American aircraft industry. Several airports located within the city of Wichita include McConnell Air Force Base, Colonel James Jabara Airport, and Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, the largest airport in Kansas.

As an industrial hub, Wichita is a regional center of culture, media, and trade. It hosts several universities, large museums, theaters, parks, shopping centers, and entertainment venues, most notably Intrust Bank Arena and Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. The city's Old Cowtown Museum maintains historical artifacts and exhibits the city's early history. Wichita State University is the third-largest post-secondary institution in the state.

Early history
Archaeological evidence indicates human habitation near the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers, the site of present-day Wichita, as early as 3000 BC. In 1541, a Spanish expedition led by explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado found the area populated by the Quivira, or Wichita, people. Conflict with the Osage in the 1750s drove the Wichita further south. Prior to European settlement of the region, the site was in the territory of the Kiowa.

19th century

Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it became part of Kansas Territory in 1854 and then the state of Kansas in 1861.

The Wichita people returned in 1863, driven from their land in Indian Territory by Confederate forces in the American Civil War, and established a settlement on the banks of the Little Arkansas. During this period, trader Jesse Chisholm established a trading post at the site, one of several along a trail extending south to Texas which became known as the Chisholm Trail. In 1867, after the war, the Wichita returned to Indian Territory.

In 1868, trader James R. Mead was among a group of investors who established a town company, and surveyor Darius Munger built a log structure for the company to serve as a hotel, community center, and post office. Business opportunities attracted area hunters and traders, and a new settlement began to form. That summer, Mead and others organized the Wichita Town Company, naming the settlement after the Wichita tribe. In 1870, Munger and German immigrant William "Dutch Bill" Greiffenstein filed plats laying out the city's first streets. Wichita formally incorporated as a city on July 21, 1870.

Wichita's position on the Chisholm Trail made it a destination for cattle drives traveling north from Texas to access railroads, which led to markets in eastern U.S. cities. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached the city in 1872. As a result, Wichita became a railhead for the cattle drives, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". Across the Arkansas River, the town of Delano became an entertainment destination for cattlemen thanks to its saloons, brothels, and lack of law enforcement.

James Earp ran a brothel with his wife Nellie "Bessie" Ketchum. His brother Wyatt was likely a pimp, although historian Gary L. Roberts believes that he was an enforcer or bouncer. Local arrest records show that Earp's common-law wife Sally and James' wife Nellie managed a brothel there from early 1874 to the middle of 1876. The area had a reputation for violence until lawmen like Wyatt stepped up enforcement, who officially joined the Wichita marshal's office on April 21, 1875. He was hired after the election of Mike Meagher as city marshal, making $100 per month. By the middle of the decade, the cattle trade had moved west to Dodge City. Wichita annexed Delano in 1880.

Rapid immigration resulted in a speculative land boom in the late 1880s, stimulating further expansion of the city. Fairmount College, which eventually grew into Wichita State University, opened in 1886; Garfield University, which eventually became Friends University, opened in 1887. By 1890, Wichita had become the third-largest city in the state after Kansas City, and Topeka, with a population of nearly 24,000. After the boom, however, the city entered an economic recession, and many of the original settlers went bankrupt.

20th century
In 1914 and 1915, deposits of oil and natural gas were discovered in nearby Butler County. This triggered another economic boom in Wichita as producers established refineries, fueling stations, and headquarters in the city. By 1917, five operating refineries were in Wichita, with another seven built in the 1920s. The careers and fortunes of future oil moguls Archibald Derby, who later founded Derby Oil, and Fred C. Koch, who established what would become Koch Industries, both began in Wichita during this period.

The money generated by the oil boom enabled local entrepreneurs to invest in the nascent airplane-manufacturing industry. In 1917, Clyde Cessna built his Cessna Comet in Wichita, the first aircraft built in the city. In 1920, two local oilmen invited Chicago aircraft builder Emil "Matty" Laird to manufacture his designs in Wichita, leading to the formation of the Swallow Airplane Company. Two early Swallow employees, Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech, went on to found two prominent Wichita-based companies, Stearman Aircraft in 1926 and Beechcraft in 1932, respectively. Cessna, meanwhile, started his own company in Wichita in 1927. The city became such a center of the industry that the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce dubbed it the "Air Capital of the World" in 1929.

Over the following decades, aviation and aircraft manufacturing continued to drive expansion of the city. In 1934, Stearman's Wichita facilities became part of Boeing, which would become the city's largest employer. Initial construction of Wichita Municipal Airport finished southeast of the city in 1935. During World War II, the site hosted Wichita Army Airfield and Boeing Airplane Company Plant No. 1. The city experienced a population explosion during the war when it became a major manufacturing center for the Boeing B-29 bomber. The wartime city quickly grew from 110,000 to 184,000 residents, drawing aircraft workers from throughout the central U.S. In 1951, the U.S. Air Force announced plans to assume control of the airport to establish McConnell Air Force Base. By 1954, all nonmilitary air traffic had shifted to the new Wichita Mid-Continent Airport west of the city. In 1962, Lear Jet Corporation opened with its plant adjacent to the new airport.

Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, several other prominent businesses and brands had their origins in Wichita. A. A. Hyde founded health-care products maker Mentholatum in Wichita in 1889. Sporting goods and camping-gear retailer Coleman started in the city in the early 1900s. A number of fast-food franchises started in Wichita, beginning with White Castle in 1921 and followed by many more in the 1950s and 1960s including Pizza Hut in 1958. In the 1970s and 1980s, the city became a regional center of health care and medical research.

Wichita has been a focal point of national political controversy multiple times in its history. In 1900, famous temperance extremist Carrie Nation struck in Wichita upon learning the city was not enforcing Kansas's prohibition ordinance. The Dockum Drug Store sit-in took place in the city in 1958 with protesters pushing for desegregation. In 1991, thousands of anti-abortion protesters blockaded and held sit-ins at Wichita abortion clinics, particularly the clinic of George Tiller. Tiller was later murdered in Wichita by Scott Roeder in 2009.

21st century
Except for a slow period in the 1970s, Wichita has continued to grow steadily into the 21st century. In the late 1990s and 2000s, the city government and local organizations began collaborating to redevelop downtown Wichita and older neighborhoods in the city. Intrust Bank Arena opened downtown in 2010.

Boeing ended its operations in Wichita in 2014. However, the city remains a national center of aircraft manufacturing with other companies including Spirit AeroSystems and Airbus maintaining facilities in Wichita.

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport was officially renamed Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport after the Kansas native and U.S. President in 2015.

Geography

Wichita is in south-central Kansas at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 54. Part of the Midwestern United States, it is 157 mi north of Oklahoma City, 181 mi southwest of Kansas City, and 439 mi east-southeast of Denver.

The city lies on the Arkansas River near the western edge of the Flint Hills in the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands region of the Great Plains. The area's topography is characterized by the broad alluvial plain of the Arkansas River valley and the moderately rolling slopes that rise to the higher lands on either side.

The Arkansas follows a winding course, south-southeast through Wichita, roughly bisecting the city. It is joined along its course by several tributaries, all of which flow generally south. The largest is the Little Arkansas River, which enters the city from the north and joins the Arkansas immediately west of downtown. Further east lies Chisholm Creek, which joins the Arkansas in the far southern part of the city. The Chisholm's own tributaries drain much of the city's eastern half; these include the creek's West, Middle, and East Forks, as well as further south, Gypsum Creek. The Gypsum is fed by its own tributary, Dry Creek. Two more of the Arkansas's tributaries lie west of its course; from east to west, these are Big Slough Creek and Cowskin Creek. Both run south through the western part of the city. Fourmile Creek, a tributary of the Walnut River, flows south through the far eastern part of the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 163.59 sqmi, of which 4.30 sqmi are covered by water.

As the core of the Wichita metropolitan area, the city is surrounded by suburbs. Bordering Wichita on the north are, from west to east, Valley Center, Park City, Kechi, and Bel Aire. Enclosed within east-central Wichita is Eastborough. Adjacent to the city's east side is Andover. McConnell Air Force Base is in the extreme southeast corner of the city. To the south, from east to west, lie Derby and Haysville. Goddard and Maize border Wichita to the west and northwest, respectively.

Climatic influences on weather
Wichita lies within the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa), typically experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Located on the Great Plains, far from any large moderating influences such as mountains or large bodies of water, Wichita often experiences severe weather with thunderstorms occurring frequently during the spring and summer. These occasionally bring large hail and frequent lightning. Particularly destructive ones have struck the Wichita area several times in the course of its history - in September 1965, during the Andover, Kansas tornado outbreak of April 1991, and during the Oklahoma tornado outbreak of May 1999. Winters are cold and dry; since Wichita is roughly midway between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, cold spells and warm spells are equally frequent. Warm air masses from the Gulf of Mexico can raise midwinter temperatures into the 50s and even 60s (°F), while cold-air masses from the Arctic can occasionally plunge the temperature below 0 °F. Wind speed in the city averages 13 mph. On average, January is the coldest month (and the driest), July the hottest, and May the wettest.

Weather data

The average temperature in the city is 57.7 °F. Over the course of a year, the monthly daily average temperature ranges from 33.2 °F in January to 81.5 °F in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F an average of 65 days a year and 100 °F an average of 12 days a year. The minimum temperature falls to or below 10 °F on an average 7.7 days a year. The hottest temperature recorded in Wichita was 114 °F in 1936; the coldest temperature recorded was -22 °F on February 12, 1899. Readings as low as -17 °F and as high as 111 °F occurred as recently as February 16, 2021 and July 29–30, 2012, respectively. Wichita receives on average about 34.31 in of precipitation a year, most of which falls in the warmer months, and experiences 87 days of measurable precipitation. The average relative humidity is 80% in the morning and 49% in the evening. Annual snowfall averages 12.7 in. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of nine days per year with at least an inch of snow falling on four of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 12 days per year. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 25 through April 9.

Pollen and other allergens
Wichita is consistently ranked as one of the worst major cities in the nation for seasonal allergies, due largely to tree and grass pollen (partly from surrounding open plains and pastureland), and smoke from frequent burning of fields by the region's farmers and ranchers, driven by the strong Kansas winds. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, ranked Wichita—out of the nation's 100 largest cities—6th worst for people with allergies in 2016, 3rd worst in 2021, 2nd worst in 2022, and worst nationwide in 2023.

Neighborhoods

Wichita has several recognized areas and neighborhoods. The downtown area is generally considered to be east of the Arkansas River, west of Washington Street, north of Kellogg, and south of 13th Street. It contains landmarks such as Century II, the Garvey Center, and the Epic Center. Old Town is also part of downtown; this 50 acre area is home to a cluster of nightclubs, bars, restaurants, a movie theater, shops, and apartments and condominiums, many of which make use of historical warehouse-type spaces.

Two notable residential areas of Wichita are Riverside and College Hill. Riverside is northwest of downtown, across the Arkansas River, and surrounds the 120 acre Riverside Park. College Hill is east of downtown and south of Wichita State University. It is one of the more historic neighborhoods, along with Delano on the west side and Midtown in the north-central city.

Four other historic neighborhoods—developed in southeast Wichita (particularly near Boeing, Cessna and Beech aircraft plants) -- are among the nation's few remaining examples of U.S. government-funded temporary World War II housing developments to support war factory personnel: Beechwood (now mostly demolished), Oaklawn, Hilltop (the city's highest-density large neighborhood), and massive Planeview (where over 30 languages are spoken) -- in all, home to about a fifth of the city's population at their peak. Though designed as temporary housing, all have remained occupied into the 21st century, most becoming low-income neighborhoods.

Demographics
In terms of population, Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and the 49th largest city in the United States, according to the 2020 census.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 397,532 people, 154,683 households, and 92,969 families in Wichita. The population density was 2,454.1 per square mile (947.5/km$2$). There were 172,801 housing units at an average density of 1,066.7 per square mile (411.9/km$2$).

The U.S. Census accounts for race by two methodologies. "Race alone" and "Race alone less Hispanics" where Hispanics are delineated separately as if a separate race.

The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 63.39% (251,997) white, 10.95% (43,537) black or African-American, 1.33% (5,296) Native American, 5.09% (20,225) Asian, 0.12% (482) Pacific Islander, 7.41% (29,444) from other races, and 11.71% (46,551) from two or more races.

The racial and ethnic makeup (where Hispanics are excluded from the racial counts and placed in their own category) was 58.79% (233,703) White (non-Hispanic), 10.62% (42,228) Black (non-Hispanic), 0.86% (3,400) Native American (non-Hispanic), 5.03% (19,991) Asian (non-Hispanic), 0.11% (429) Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic), 0.40% (1,585) from other race (non-Hispanic), 5.89% (23,410) from two or more races, and 18.31% (72,786) Hispanic or Latino.

Of the 154,683 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18; 42.6% were married couples living together; 29.4% had a female householder with no spouse present. 33.2% of households consisted of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2.

24.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.7 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $53,466 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,028) and the median family income $69,930 (+/- $1,450). Males had a median income of $38,758 (+/- $1,242) versus $26,470 (+/- $608) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,875 (+/- $408). Approximately, 10.9% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.7% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, 382,368 people, 151,818 households, and 94,862 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,304.8 PD/sqmi. The 167,310 housing units had an average density of 1,022.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 71.9% White, 11.5% African American, 4.8% Asian, 1.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 15.3% of the population.

Of the 151,818 households, 33.4% had children under 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were not families. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.14.

The median age in the city was 33.9 years; 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,477, and for a family was $57,088. Males had a median income of $42,783 versus $32,155 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,517. About 12.1% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Metropolitan area
Wichita is the principal city of both the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Wichita-Winfield Combined Statistical Area (CSA). The Wichita MSA encompasses Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Sumner counties and, as of 2010, had a population of 623,061, making it the 84th largest MSA in the United States.

The larger Wichita-Winfield CSA also includes Cowley County and, as of 2013, had an estimated population of 673,598. Nearby Reno County is not a part of the Wichita MSA or Wichita-Winfield CSA, but, were it included, it would add an additional population of 64,511 as of 2010.

Economy

It is the birthplace of famous restaurants such as White Castle and Pizza Hut. A survey of well-known Kansas-based brands conducted by RSM Marketing Services and the Wichita Consumer Research Center showed many of the top-25 Kansas-based brands such as Koch, Coleman, Cessna, Pizza Hut, Beechcraft, Freddy's, and more are based in Wichita.

Wichita's principal industrial sector is manufacturing, which accounted for 21.6% of area employment in 2003. Aircraft manufacturing has long dominated the local economy, and plays such an important role that it has the ability to influence the economic health of the entire region; the state offers tax breaks and other incentives to aircraft manufacturers.

Healthcare is Wichita's second-largest industry, employing about 28,000 people in the local area. Since healthcare needs remain fairly consistent regardless of the economy, this field was not subject to the same pressures that affected other industries in the early 2000s. The Kansas Spine Hospital opened in 2004, as did a critical-care tower at Wesley Medical Center. In July 2010, Via Christi Health, which is the largest provider of healthcare services in Kansas, opened a hospital that will serve the northwest area of Wichita. Via Christi Hospital on St. Teresa is the system's fifth hospital to serve the Wichita community. In 2016, Wesley Healthcare opened Wesley Children's Hospital, the first and only children's hospital in the Wichita area.

Thanks to the early 20th-century oil boom in neighboring Butler County, Kansas, Wichita became a major oil town, with dozens of oil-exploration companies and support enterprises. Most famous of these was Koch Industries, today a global natural-resources conglomerate. The city was also at one time the headquarters of the former Derby Oil Company, which was purchased by Coastal Corporation in 1988. Wichita is home to oil and natural gas organizations Kansas Strong and Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association.

Koch Industries and Cargill, the two largest privately held companies in the United States, both operate headquarters facilities in Wichita. Koch Industries' primary global corporate headquarters is in a large office-tower complex in northeast Wichita. Cargill Meat Solutions Div., at one time the nation's third-largest beef producer, is headquartered downtown. Other firms with headquarters in Wichita include roller-coaster manufacturer Chance Morgan, gourmet food retailer Dean & Deluca, renewable energy company Alternative Energy Solutions, and Coleman Company, a manufacturer of camping and outdoor recreation supplies. Air Midwest, the nation's first officially certificated "commuter" airline, was founded and headquartered in Wichita and evolved into the nation's eighth-largest regional airline prior to its dissolution in 2008.

As of 2013, 68.2% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force; 0.6% was in the armed forces, and 67.6% was in the civilian labor force with 61.2% employed and 6.4% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was 33.3% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.1% in sales and office occupations; 17.2% in service occupations; 14.0% in production, transportation, and material moving; and 10.4% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were educational services, health care, and social assistance (22.3%); manufacturing (19.2%); and retail trade (11.0%).

The cost of living in Wichita is below average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 84.0. As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $117,500, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,194 for housing units with a mortgage and $419 for those without, and the median gross rent was $690.

Aircraft manufacturing

From the early to late 20th century, aircraft pioneers such as Clyde Cessna, Emil Matthew "Matty" Laird, Lloyd Stearman, Walter Beech, Al Mooney and Bill Lear began aircraft-manufacturing enterprises that led to Wichita becoming the nation's leading city in numbers of aircraft produced, earning Wichita, in 1928, the 1929 title "Air Capital City" from the nation's Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce — a title the city would claim permanently.

The aircraft corporations E. M. Laird Aviation Company (the nation's first successful commercial airplane manufacturer), Travel Air (started by Beech, Stearman, and Cessna), Stearman, Cessna, Beechcraft, and Mooney were all founded in Wichita between 1920 and early 1932. By 1931, Boeing (of Seattle, Washington) had absorbed Stearman, creating "Boeing-Wichita", which would eventually grow to become Kansas' largest employer. During World War II, employment peak at Boeing-Wichita was 29,795 in December 1943.

Today, Cessna Aircraft Co. (the world's highest-volume airplane manufacturer) and Beechcraft remain based in Wichita, having merged into Textron Aviation in 2014, along with Learjet and Boeing's chief sub-assembly supplier, Spirit AeroSystems. Airbus maintains a workforce in Wichita, and Bombardier (parent company of Learjet) has other divisions in Wichita, as well. Over 50 other aviation businesses operate in the Wichita MSA, as well as over 350 suppliers and subcontractors to the local aircraft manufacturers. In total, Wichita and its companies have manufactured an estimated 250,000 aircraft since Clyde Cessna's first Wichita-built aircraft in 1916.

In the early 2000s, a national and international recession combined with the after-effects of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to depress the aviation subsector in and around Wichita. Orders for new aircraft plummeted, prompting Wichita's five largest aircraft manufacturers, Boeing Co., Cessna Aircraft Co., Bombardier Learjet Inc., Hawker Beechcraft, and Raytheon Aircraft Co.—to slash a combined 15,000 jobs between 2001 and 2004. In response, these companies began developing small- and mid-sized airplanes to appeal to business and corporate users.

In 2007, Wichita built 977 aircraft, ranging from single-engine light aircraft to the world's fastest civilian jet; one-fifth of the civilian aircraft produced in United States that year, plus numerous small military aircraft. In early 2012, Boeing announced it would be closing its Wichita plant by the end of 2013, which paved the road for Spirit Aerosystems to open its plant (actually, the Boeing-Wichita factory, still producing the same aircraft assemblies for Boeing, but officially under a different corporation).

Arts

Wichita is home to several art museums and performing arts groups. The Wichita Art Museum is the largest art museum in the state of Kansas and contains 7,000 works in permanent collections. The Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University is a modern and contemporary art museum with over 6,300 works in its permanent collection.

Music
Wichita is the music hub of central Kansas, and draws major acts from around the world, performing at various concert halls, arenas, and stadiums around the area. Most major rock'n'roll and pop-music stars, and virtually all country music stars, perform there during their career.

Music Theatre Wichita, Wichita Grand Opera (both nationally renowned), and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra perform regularly at the Century II Convention Hall downtown. Concerts are also regularly performed by the nationally noted schools of music at Wichita's two largest universities.

The Orpheum Theatre, a classic movie palace built in 1922, serves as a downtown venue for smaller shows.The Cotillion, a special events facility built in 1960, serves a similar purpose as a music venue.

Events
The Wichita River Festival has been held in the Downtown and Old Town areas of the city since 1972. It has featured events, musical entertainment, sporting events, traveling exhibits, cultural and historical activities, plays, interactive children's events, a flea market, river events, a parade, block parties, a food court, fireworks, and souvenirs for the roughly 370,000+ patrons who attend each year. In 2011, the festival was moved from May to June because of rain during previous festivals. The Wichita River Festival has seen immense growth, with record numbers in 2016 and again in 2018. Much of that growth is attributed to attractive musical acts at the festival. The upcoming 2023 Wichita River Festival is slated to start on June 4, 2023.

Wichita customarily holds major parades for the River Festival, Christmas season (shortly after Thanksgiving), Veterans Day, Juneteenth, and St. Patrick's Day.

The annual Wichita Black Arts Festival, held in the spring, celebrates the arts, crafts, and creativity of Wichita's large African-American community. It usually takes place in Central-Northeast Wichita. A Juneteenth event and parade also are common annual events.

The annual Wichita Asian Festival, usually held at Century II in October, displays the native arts, crafts, cultural performances and foods of Wichita's large, diverse Asian community from the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. The event includes many varied performances of Asian music, dance, acrobatics and martial arts, talent pageant, and vendors of Asian arts and crafts. Dozens of food vendors serve the cuisine of most Asian nations.

The International Student Association at Wichita State University presents an annual international cultural exhibition and food festival, on the campus at WSU, providing an inexpensive sampling of global culture and cuisine to the general public.

One or more large Renaissance fairs occur annually, including the "RenFair" in conjunction with the "Kingdom of Calontir" of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). The fairs vary in length from one day to a week, typically at Sedgwick County Park or Newman University.

The Wichita Public Library's Academy Awards Shorts program is reportedly the oldest annual, complete, free public screening outside of Hollywood of the full array of short films nominated for an Academy Award ("Oscar"). In late winter, shortly before the Academy Awards ceremonies, the films—including all nominated documentary, live action, and animated shorts—are presented, free, at the Library and in local theaters and other venues around Wichita. Wichita's former Congressman, Motion Picture Association President Dan Glickman, has served as honorary chair of the event, and some of the filmmakers have attended and visited with the audiences.

The Tallgrass Film Festival has been held in downtown Wichita since 2003. It draws over 100 independent feature and short films from all over the world for three days each October. Notable people from the entertainment industry have attended the festival.

Aviation-related events are common in the Wichita area, including air shows, fly-ins, air races, aviation conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows. The city's two main air shows, which are generally held in alternating years, are the city-sponsored civilian Wichita Flight Festival (originally the "Kansas Flight Festival") and the military-sponsored McConnell Air Force Base Open House and Airshow. Both are large regional air shows with famous acts and multimillion-dollar aircraft displays (including many Wichita-built aircraft). In addition, numerous local, regional, and national aviation organizations host fly-ins, conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows in the Wichita area on irregular schedules.

A wide range of car shows are also common in Wichita,   including the Blacktop Nationals, the Automobilia show (claiming over 1,000 vehicles on display ), and the Riverfest Classic Car Show, each of which fill much of downtown Wichita. Wichita is also home to the large Cars for Charities Rod & Custom Car Show (started in 1957 as the Darryl Starbird Show), one of the longest-running indoor car shows in the nation.

Points of interest

Museums and landmarks devoted to science, culture, and area history are located throughout the city. Several lie along the Arkansas River west of downtown, including the Exploration Place science and discovery center, the Mid-America All-Indian Center, the Old Cowtown living history museum, and The Keeper of the Plains statue and its associated display highlighting the daily lives of Plains Indians. The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum in downtown Wichita occupies the original Wichita city hall, built in 1892. The museum contains artifacts that tell the story of Wichita and Sedgwick County starting from 1865 and continuing to the present day. Nearby is the 1913 Sedgwick County Memorial Hall and Soldiers and Sailors Monument. East of downtown is the Museum of World Treasures and railroad-oriented Great Plains Transportation Museum. The Coleman Factory Outlet and Museum was at 235 N St. Francis street and was the home of the Coleman Lantern until it closed in 2018. Wichita State University hosts the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology. The Kansas Aviation Museum, housed in the Terminal and Administration building of the former Municipal Airport, is in southeast Wichita adjacent to McConnell Air Force Base. The Original Pizza Hut Museum is also located on the Wichita State University campus for pizza lovers and fans to visit.

The Sedgwick County Zoo in the northwest part of Wichita is the most popular outdoor tourist attraction in the state of Kansas, and is home to more than 2,500 animals representing 500 different species. The zoo is next to Sedgwick County Park and the Sedgwick County Extension Arboretum.

Intrust Bank Arena is the city's primary event venue, featuring 22 suites, 2 party suites, 40 loge boxes and over 300 premium seats with a total potential capacity of over 15,000. This arena in the middle of Wichita opened in January 2010.

Located immediately east of downtown is Old Town, the city's entertainment district. In the early 1990s, developers transformed it from an old warehouse district into a mixed-zone neighborhood with residential space, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, and museums.

Moody's Skidrow Beanery, at 625 E. Douglas in what was to become Old Town, was one of the more famous places in Wichita in the 1960s. It was the scene of a nationally followed First Amendment struggle and was visited by Allen Ginsberg in 1966 (the name had been changed to the Magic Theatre Vortex Art Gallery) where he first read his long poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra."

Wichita is also home to two major indoor shopping malls: Towne East Square, managed by Simon Property Group, and Towne West Square. Towne East is home to four anchor stores and has more than 100 tenants. Towne West Square, which was put into foreclosure in 2019, was still operational as of 2021. The oldest mall, Wichita Mall, was for many years largely a dead mall, but has since been converted into office space. There are also two large outdoor shopping centers, Bradley Fair (which hosts jazz concerts and art festivals) located on the city's northeast side and New Market Square located on the city's northwest side. Each establishment consists of over 50 stores spread out on several acres.

In 1936, the Wichita post office contained two oil-on-canvas murals, Kansas Farming, painted by Richard Haines and Pioneer in Kansas by Ward Lockwood. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department. The post office building became the Federal Courthouse at 401 N. Market Street and the murals are on display in the lobby.

Wichita also has a number of parks and recreational areas such as Riverside Park, College Hill Park, and McAdams Park.

Libraries
The Wichita Public Library is the city's library system, presently consisting of a central facility, the Advanced Learning Library in Delano and six branch locations in other neighborhoods around the city. The library operates several free programs for the public, including special events, technology training classes, and programs specifically for adults, children, and families. As of 2009, its holdings included more than 1.3 million books and 2.2 million items total.

Sports

Wichita is home to several professional, semi-professional, non-professional, and collegiate sports teams. Professional teams include the Wichita Thunder ice hockey team and the Wichita Force indoor football team. In 2020, the Wichita Wind Surge, a Minor League Baseball team of the Double-A Central play at Riverfront Stadium on the site of the former Lawrence–Dumont Stadium. Their 2020 debut was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the team has dropped down to the Double-A Central without having played a Triple-A game due to Major League Baseball's realignment of the minor leagues. The city hosts the Air Capital Classic, a professional golf tournament of the Korn Ferry Tour first played in 1990.

Defunct professional teams which used to play in Wichita include the Wichita Aeros and Wichita Wranglers baseball teams, the Wichita Wings indoor soccer team, the Wichita Wind (farm team to the Edmonton Oilers National Hockey League team in the early 1980s) and the Wichita Wild indoor football team. Semi-pro teams included the Kansas Cougars and Kansas Diamondbacks football teams. Non-professional teams included the Wichita Barbarians rugby union team and the Wichita World 11 cricket team.

Collegiate teams based in the city include the Wichita State University Shockers, Newman University Jets, and the Friends University Falcons. The WSU Shockers are NCAA Division I teams that compete in men's and women's basketball, baseball, volleyball, track and field, tennis, and bowling. The Newman Jets are NCAA Division II teams that compete in baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, wrestling, volleyball, and cheer/dance. The Friends Falcons compete in Region IV of the NAIA in football, volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, tennis, track and field, and golf.

Several sports venues are in and around the city. Intrust Bank Arena, downtown, is a 15,000-seat multi-purpose arena that is home to the Wichita Thunder. Lawrence–Dumont Stadium, just west of downtown, was a medium-sized baseball stadium that has been home to Wichita's various minor-league baseball teams over the years. It was also home to the minor-league National Baseball Congress and the site of the Congress's annual National Tournament.

Wichita Ice Arena, just west of downtown, is a public ice-skating rink used for ice-skating competitions. Century II has been used for professional wrestling tournaments, gardening shows, sporting-goods exhibitions, and other recreational activities. The WSU campus includes two major venues: Eck Stadium, a medium-sized stadium with a full-sized baseball field that is home to the WSU Shocker baseball team, and Charles Koch Arena, a medium-sized, dome-roofed circular arena with a collegiate basketball court that hosts the WSU Shocker basketball team. Koch Arena is also used extensively for citywide and regional high school athletic events, concerts, and other entertainments. Just north of the city is 81 Motor Speedway, an oval motor-vehicle racetrack used extensively for a wide range of car, truck, and motorcycle races, and other motorsports events. Neighboring Park City is home to Hartman Arena and the Sam Fulco Pavilions, a moderate-capacity low-roofed arena developed for small rodeos, horse shows, livestock competitions, and exhibitions.

Wichita is also home to two sports museums, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

Government

Under state statute, Wichita is a city of the first class. Since 1917, it has had a council–manager form of government. The city council consists of seven members popularly elected every four years with staggered terms in office. For representative purposes, the city is divided into six districts with one council member elected from each. The mayor is the seventh council member, elected at large. The council sets policy for the city, enacts laws and ordinances, levies taxes, approves the city budget, and appoints members to citizen commission and advisory boards. It meets each Tuesday. The city manager is the city's chief executive, responsible for administering city operations and personnel, submitting the annual city budget, advising the city council, preparing the council's agenda, and oversight of non-departmental activities. As of 2024, the city council consists of Mayor Lily Wu, Brandon Johnson (District 1), Becky Tuttle (District 2), Mike Hoheisel (District 3), Dalton Glasscock (District 4), J.V. Johnston (District 5), and Maggie Ballard (District 6). The city manager is Robert Layton.

The Wichita Police Department, established in 1871, is the city's law enforcement agency. With over 800 employees, including more than 600 commissioned officers, it is the largest law enforcement agency in Kansas. The Wichita Fire Department, organized in 1886, operates 22 stations throughout the city. Organized into four battalions, it employs over 400 full-time firefighters.

As the county seat, Wichita is the administrative center of Sedgwick County. The county courthouse is downtown, and most departments of the county government base their operations in the city.

Many departments and agencies of the U.S. Government have facilities in Wichita. The Wichita U.S. Courthouse, also downtown, is one of the three courthouses of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The U.S. Air Force operates McConnell Air Force Base immediately southeast of the city. The campus of the Robert J. Dole Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center is on U.S. 54 in east Wichita. Other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Food and Drug Administration, and Internal Revenue Service among others, have offices around the city.

Wichita lies within Kansas's 4th U.S. Congressional District, represented since 2017 by Republican Ron Estes. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is in the 16th and 25th through 32nd districts of the Kansas Senate and the 81st, 83rd through 101st, 103rd, and 105th districts of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Primary and secondary education
With over 50,000 students, Wichita USD 259 is the largest school district in Kansas. It operates more than 90 schools in the city including 12 high schools, 16 middle schools, 61 elementary schools, and more than a dozen special schools and programs. Outlying portions of Wichita lie within suburban public unified school districts including Andover USD 385, Circle USD 375, Derby USD 260, Goddard USD 265, Haysville USD 261, Maize USD 266, and Valley Center USD 262. Some of these schools, despite being in other school districts, are within the Wichita city limits.

There are more than 35 private and parochial schools in Wichita. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita oversees 16 Catholic schools in the city including 14 elementary schools and two high schools, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School and Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod operates three Lutheran schools in the city, Bethany Lutheran School (Grades PK-5), Holy Cross Lutheran School (PK-8), and Concordia Academy (9-12). There are also two Seventh-day Adventist schools in Wichita, Three Angels School (K-8) and Wichita Adventist Christian Academy (K-10). Other Christian schools in the city are Calvary Christian School (PK-12), Central Christian Academy (K-10), Classical School of Wichita (K-12), Sunrise Christian Academy (PK-12), Trinity Academy (K-12), Wichita Friends School (PK-6), and Word of Life Traditional School (K-12). In addition, there is an Islamic school, Annoor School (PK-8), operated by the Islamic Society of Wichita. Unaffiliated private schools in the city include Wichita Collegiate School, The Independent School, and Northfield School of the Liberal Arts, as well as three Montessori schools.

Colleges and universities

Wichita has several colleges, universities, technical schools and branch campuses of other universities around the state. These include the following:
 * Wichita State University
 * Friends University
 * Newman University
 * University of Kansas - School of Medicine Wichita Campus (KU Wichita)
 * Wichita Technical Institute

Three universities have their main campuses in Wichita. The largest is Wichita State University (WSU), a public research university classified by Carnegie as "R2: Doctoral Universities – Higher Research Activity." WSU has more than 14,000 students and is the third-largest university in Kansas. WSU's main campus is in northeast Wichita with multiple satellite campuses around the metro area. Friends University, a private, non-denominational Christian university, has its main campus in west Wichita as does Newman University, a private Catholic university. Wichita Area Technical College, founded in 1995, was merged into Wichita State University's College of Applied Sciences and Technology in 2018, and is now known as WSU Tech.

Several colleges and universities based outside Wichita operate satellite locations in and around the city. The University of Kansas School of Medicine has one of its three campuses in Wichita. Baker University, Butler Community College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Southwestern College, Tabor College, Vatterott College, and Webster University have Wichita facilities as do for-profit institutions including Heritage College and University of Phoenix.

Media
The Wichita Eagle, which began publication in 1872, is the city's major daily newspaper. It was founded and edited for forty years by Marshall Murdock (1837-1908), a major player in local and state Republican politics, as well as doubling as postmaster. Colloquially known as The Eagle. In 1960, the Wichita Eagle purchased Beacon Newspaper Corp. After purchasing the paper, the Wichita Eagle begin publishing the Eagle, which was a morning and afternoon newspaper, and the Beacon which was the evening paper. The Wichita Business Journal is a weekly newspaper that covers local business events and developments. Several other newspapers and magazines, including local lifestyle, neighborhood, and demographically focused publications are also published in the city. These include: The Community Voice, a weekly African American community newspaper; El Perico, a monthly Hispanic community newspaper; The Liberty Press, monthly LGBT news; Splurge!, a monthly local fashion and lifestyle magazine; The Sunflower, the Wichita State University student newspaper. The Wichita media market also includes local newspapers in several surrounding suburban communities.

The Wichita radio market includes Sedgwick County and neighboring Butler and Harvey counties. Six AM and more than a dozen FM radio stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from the city.

Wichita is the principal city of the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market, which comprises the western two-thirds of the state. All of the market's network affiliates broadcast from Wichita with the ABC, CBS, CW, FOX and NBC affiliates serving the wider market through state networks of satellite and translator stations. The city also hosts a PBS member station, a Univision affiliate, and several low-power stations.

Filmed in Wichita
The 1980 horror film, The Attic, was set and filmed in Wichita. Scenes from the films Mars Attacks! and Twister were filmed in Wichita.

Flood control
Wichita suffered severe floods of the Arkansas river in 1877, 1904, 1916, 1923, 1944, 1951 and 1955. In 1944 the city flooded 3 times in 11 days. As a result of the 1944 flood, the idea for the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway (locally known as the "Big Ditch") was conceived. The project was completed in 1958. The Big Ditch diverts part of the Arkansas River's flow around west-central Wichita, running roughly parallel to the Interstate 235 bypass. A second flood control canal lies between the lanes of Interstate 135, running south through the central part of the city. Chisholm Creek is diverted into this canal for most of its length. The city's flood defenses were tested in the Great Flood of 1993. Flooding that year kept the Big Ditch full for more than a month and caused $6 million of damage to the flood control infrastructure. The damage was not fully repaired until 2007. In 2019, the Floodway was renamed the MS Mitch Mitchell Floodway in honor of the man credited for its creation.

Utilities
Evergy provides electricity. Kansas Gas Service provides natural gas. The City of Wichita provide water and sewer. Multiple privately owned trash haulers, licensed by the county government, offer trash removal and recycling service. Cox Communications and Spectrum offer cable television, and AT&T U-Verse offers IPTV. All three also offer home telephone and broadband internet service. Satellite TV is offered by DIRECTV and DISH. Satellite internet is available from Viasat, Hughes, and soon Starlink.

Health care
Ascension Via Christi operates three general medical and surgical hospitals in Wichita—Via Christi Hospital St. Francis, Via Christi Hospital St. Joseph, and Via Christi Hospital St. Teresa—and other specialized medical facilities. The Hospital Corporation of America manages a fourth general hospital, Wesley Medical Center, along with satellite locations around the city. All four hospitals provide emergency services. In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs runs the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, a primary and secondary care facility for U.S. military veterans.

Highway

The average commute time in Wichita was 18.2 minutes from 2013 to 2017. Several federal and state highways pass through the city. Interstate 35, as the Kansas Turnpike, enters the city from the south and turns northeast, running along the city's southeastern edge and exiting through the eastern part of the city. Interstate 135 runs generally north-south through the city, its southern terminus lying at its interchange with I-35 in south-central Wichita. Interstate 235, a bypass route, passes through north-central, west, and south-central Wichita, traveling around the central parts of the city. Both its northern and southern termini are interchanges with I-135. U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 400 run concurrently through Wichita as Kellogg Avenue, the city's primary east-west artery, with interchanges, from west to east, with I-235, I-135, and I-35. U.S. Route 81, a north-south route, enters Wichita from the south as Broadway, turns east as 47th Street South for approximately half a mile, and then runs concurrently north with I-135 through the rest of the city. K-96, an east-west route, enters the city from the northwest, runs concurrently with I-235 through north-central Wichita, turns south for approximately a mile, running concurrently with I-135 before splitting off to the east and traveling around northeast Wichita, ultimately terminating at an interchange with U.S. 54/U.S. 400 in the eastern part of the city. K-254 begins at I-235's interchange with I-135 in north-central Wichita and exits the city to the northeast. K-15, a north-south route, enters the city from the south and joins I-135 and U.S. 81 in south-central Wichita, running concurrently with them through the rest of the city. K-42 enters the city from the southwest and terminates at its interchange with U.S. 54/U.S. 400 in west-central Wichita.

Bus
Wichita Transit operates 53 buses on 18 fixed bus routes within the city. The organization reports over 2 million trips per year (5,400 trips per day) on its fixed routes. Wichita Transit also operates a demand response paratransit service with 320,800 passenger trips annually. A 2005 study ranked Wichita near the bottom of the fifty largest American cities in terms of percentage of commuters using public transit. Only 0.5% used it to get to or from work.

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service northeast to Topeka and south to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Bus service is provided daily north towards Salina and west towards Pueblo, Colorado by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of Greyhound Lines). The Greyhound bus station that was built in 1961 at 312 S Broadway closed in 2016, and services relocated 1 block northeast to the Wichita Transit station at 777 E Waterman.

Air
The Wichita Airport Authority manages the city's two main public airports, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Colonel James Jabara Airport. Located in the western part of the city, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport is the city's primary airport as well as the largest airport in Kansas. Seven commercial airlines (Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest & United) serve Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport with non-stop flights to several U.S. airline hubs. Jabara Airport is a general aviation facility on the city's northeast side. The city also has several privately owned airports. Cessna Aircraft Field and Beech Factory Airport, operated by manufacturers Cessna and Beechcraft, respectively, lie in east Wichita. Two smaller airports, Riverside Airport and Westport Airport, are in west Wichita.

Rail

Two Class I railroads, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (UP), operate freight rail lines through Wichita. UP's OKT Line runs generally north-south through the city; north of downtown, the line consists of trackage leased to BNSF. An additional UP line enters the city from the northeast and terminates downtown. BNSF's main line through the city enters from the north, passes through downtown, and exits to the southeast, paralleling highway K-15. The Wichita Terminal Association, a joint operation between BNSF and UP, provides switching service on three miles (5 km) of track downtown. In addition, two lines of the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad enter the city, one from the northwest and the other from the southwest, both terminating at their junction in west-central Wichita.

Wichita has not had passenger rail service since 1979. The nearest Amtrak station is in Newton 25 mi north, offering service on the Southwest Chief line between Los Angeles and Chicago. Amtrak offers bus service from downtown Wichita to its station in Newton as well as to its station in Oklahoma City, the northern terminus of the Heartland Flyer line.

Walkability
A 2014 study by Walk Score ranked Wichita 41st most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.

Cycling
After numerous citizen surveys showed Wichitans want better bicycle infrastructure, The Wichita Bicycle Master Plan, a set of guidelines toward the development of a 149-mile Priority Bicycle Network, was endorsed by the Wichita City Council on February 5, 2013, as a guide to future infrastructure planning and development. As a result, Wichita's bikeways covered 115 miles of the city by 2018. One-third of the bikeways were added between 2011, when the plan was still in development, and 2018.

In popular culture
Wichita is mentioned in the 1968 hit song "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell. It is also mentioned in the songs "I've Been Everywhere", and "Seven Nation Army".

Allen Ginsberg wrote about a visit to Wichita in his poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra", for which Philip Glass subsequently wrote a solo piano piece.

The stage play Hospitality Suite takes place in Wichita as does its 1999 film adaptation, The Big Kahuna. The city is the setting for the comic strip Dennis the Menace.

The films Wichita (1955) and portions of Wyatt Earp (1994), both of which dramatize the life and career of former Wichita lawman Wyatt Earp, are set in Wichita, as were early episodes of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955-1961),  the first adult-oriented western TV series. The short-lived 1959–1960 television western Wichita Town was set during the city's early years.

Other films wholly or partially set in the city include Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), The Ice Harvest (2005), and Knight and Day (2010). In the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven, the lead character is identified as a Wichita lawman.

Wichita's Old Cowtown Museum, a re-creation of early Wichita, has served as a setting for various western- and pioneer-themed films, including two of the Sarah Plain and Tall trilogy. A Wichita-area airport served as settings for The Gypsy Moths.

Sister cities

 * 🇲🇽 Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico - November 25, 1975
 * Kaifeng, Henan, China - December 3, 1985
 * 🇫🇷 Orléans, Loiret, France - August 16, 1944, through Sister Cities International
 * 🇲🇽 Tlalnepantla de Baz, State of Mexico, Mexico

title: Wichita, Kansas


text:
Kismet, Kansas

Kismet is a city in Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 340. It is located along U.S. Route 54 highway.

History
The first post office in Kismet was established in November 1888.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.24 sqmi, all of it land.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 340 people, 124 households, and 101 families in Kismet. The population density was 1,440.7 per square mile (556.2/km$2$). There were 154 housing units at an average density of 652.5 per square mile (251.9/km$2$). The racial makeup was 69.12% (235) white or European American (59.71% non-Hispanic white), 0.88% (3) black or African-American, 2.94% (10) Native American or Alaska Native, 1.76% (6) Asian, 0.0% (0) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 14.12% (48) from other races, and 11.18% (38) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 32.94% (112) of the population.

Of the 124 households, 40.3% had children under the age of 18; 58.9% were married couples living together; 18.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 16.9% of households consisted of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 21.8% of the population.

26.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 110.9 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $58,542 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,709) and the median family income was $60,625 (+/- $13,870). Males had a median income of $40,000 (+/- $7,799) versus $15,625 (+/- $14,835) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,386 (+/- $10,772). Approximately, 7.6% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.8% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 459 people, 145 households, and 115 families residing in the city. The population density was 1912.5 PD/sqmi. There were 155 housing units at an average density of 645.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 86.1% White, 0.7% African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 9.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.5% of the population.

There were 145 households, of which 48.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.7% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.64.

The median age in the city was 29.1 years. 37.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 18.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.5% male and 47.5% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 484 people, 159 households, and 123 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,097.0 PD/sqmi. There were 172 housing units at an average density of 745.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 71.90% White, 1.24% African American, 0.62% Native American, 21.07% from other races, and 5.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.23% of the population.

There were 159 households, out of which 54.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.51.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 37.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,531, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $25,729 versus $29,583 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,600. About 10.5% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education
The community is served by Southwestern Heights USD 483 public school district. Its high school, Southwestern Heights, is located between Kismet and Plains along U.S. Route 54 highway. The Southwestern Heights High School mascot is Southwestern Heights Mustangs.

Kismet High School was closed through school unification. The Kismet High School mascot was Kismet Pirates.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Kismet, Kansas


text:
Liberal, Kansas

Liberal is the county seat of Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 19,825. It is located in southwest Kansas, along U.S. Route 54 highway, near the Kansas-Oklahoma state line. Liberal is home of Seward County Community College.

History
Early settler Seymour S. Rogers built the first house in what would become Liberal in 1872. Rogers became famous in the region for giving free water to thirsty travelers. Reportedly, Liberal gained its name from the common response to his acts of kindness, "That's very liberal of you." In 1885 Rogers built a general store, and with it came an official U.S. Post Office. Rogers named the post office 'Liberal'. After the railroad was built close by, a plan for the town site was created in 1888. A year later the population was around 800.

Drought caused some farmers to give up and look for more fertile territory; however, when the nearby Indian Territory was opened, more settlers headed to the cheap land that would become Oklahoma.

Natural gas was discovered west of town, in what would become part of the massive Panhandle-Hugoton Gas Field, in 1920. Oil was discovered southwest of town in 1951. In 1963 the largest helium plant in the world, National Helium, was opened.

Geography
Liberal is located in southwestern Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 83 and U.S. Route 54, Liberal is 140 mi north-northeast of Amarillo, Texas, 202 mi west-southwest of Wichita, and 288 mi southeast of Denver, Colorado.

The city lies approximately 10 mi southwest of the Cimarron River in the High Plains region of the Great Plains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.75 sqmi, of which 11.61 sqmi is land and 0.14 sqmi is water.

Climate
Liberal has a semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) characterized by hot, dry summers, cool, dry winters, and large diurnal temperature variation year-round; relative humidity averages 63%. On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month.

The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F an average of 80.1 days a year and 100 °F an average of 16.5 days. The minimum temperature falls to or below 0 °F on an average 1.6 days a year. The highest temperature recorded in Liberal was 114 °F on June 10, 1981; the coldest temperature recorded was -20 °F on February 27, 1930.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 19,825 people, 6,618 households, and 4,771 families in Liberal. The population density was 1,734.5 per square mile (669.7/km$2$). There were 7,389 housing units at an average density of 646.5 per square mile (249.6/km$2$). The racial makeup was 38.79% (7,690) white or European American (24.25% non-Hispanic white), 3.31% (657) black or African-American, 2.47% (489) Native American or Alaska Native, 2.59% (514) Asian, 0.03% (6) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 28.82% (5,714) from other races, and 23.98% (4,755) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 68.09% (13,499) of the population.

Of the 6,618 households, 44.7% had children under the age of 18; 48.4% were married couples living together; 25.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 23.2% of households consisted of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.9 and the average family size was 3.5. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 6.6% of the population.

30.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 101.8 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $48,434 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,385) and the median family income was $54,167 (+/- $9,562). Males had a median income of $34,371 (+/- $2,664) versus $26,005 (+/- $1,722) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $30,586 (+/- $1,873). Approximately, 10.1% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 20,525 people, 6,623 households, and 4,838 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,832.6 PD/sqmi. There were 7,118 housing units at an average density of 641.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 68.6% White, 3.7% African American, 2.9% Asian, 0.8% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 20.6% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 58.7% of the population.

There were 6,623 households, of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.54.

The median age was 28.4 years. 32.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 19.4% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city population was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,247, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $31,435 versus $25,208 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,668. About 15.3% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,666 people, 6,498 households, and 4,756 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,778.4 PD/sqmi. There were 7,014 housing units at an average density of 634.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 63.56% White, 4.21% African American, 0.72% Native American, 3.25% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 23.93% from other races, and 3.27% from two or more races. 43.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,498 households, out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,482, and the median income for a family was $41,134. Males had a median income of $29,315 versus $22,017 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,108. About 14.3% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Energy and agriculture are the main economic drivers of the area. Natural resources include oil, natural gas, water, gravel and sand. The beef industry (ranches, feed lots and packing plants) is Liberal's largest source of employment. Hard winter wheat, corn, milo, alfalfa and cotton are common crops. Trucking is a major industry. Dairies and pork processors are a growing business.

, 70.2% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.0% was in the armed forces, and 70.2% was in the civilian labor force with 63.4% being employed and 6.9% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 28.5% in production, transportation, and material moving; 20.0% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 19.9% in sales and office occupations; 18.9% in management, business, science, and arts; and 12.6% in service occupations. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: manufacturing (24.4%); educational services, health care, and social assistance (19.4%); and retail trade (10.5%).

The cost of living in Liberal is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 80.8. , the median home value in the city was $85,600, the median selected monthly owner cost was $961 for housing units with a mortgage and $383 for those without, and the median gross rent was $648.

Top employers
According to Liberal's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top 10 employers in the city are:

Government
Liberal has a commission-manager government with a city commission consisting of five members elected at-large. Elections occur every two years in the odd numbered year, and commissioners serve two-year or four-year terms depending on the number of votes they receive. Each year, the commission appoints a member to serve as mayor and another to serve as vice-mayor. The city manager heads the city administration.

Colleges

 * Seward County Community College

Primary and secondary
The community is served by Liberal USD 480 public school district, which operates twelve schools in the city:

 * Bright Start Pre-K Center (Pre-K)
 * Cottonwood Elementary School (K–5)
 * MacArthur Elementary School (K–5)
 * Meadowlark Elementary School (K–5)
 * Prairie View Elementary School (K–5)
 * Sunflower Intermediate School (K–5)

 * Eisenhower Middle School (6–8)
 * Seymour Rogers Middle School (6–8)
 * Liberal High School (9–12)

There is also a Christian school in Liberal: Fellowship Baptist School (K–12).

Transportation
U.S. Route 83 runs north–south along the east side of the city, intersecting U.S. Route 54 which runs northeast-southwest. In addition, Liberal is the western terminus of U.S. Route 270 which runs concurrently with U.S. 83 south from the city.

Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport is immediately west of the city. Publicly owned, it has two operative paved runways and is used primarily for general aviation. United Express provides airline service with daily flights to Denver.

The Tucumcari Line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs parallel to U.S. 54 northeast–southwest through the city.

The City Bus provides fixed-route and dial-a-ride transit services Monday through Friday.

Media
Four newspapers are published in Liberal. The Leader & Times is the city's main daily newspaper, published six days a week. It is the result of the merger between the city's two previous dailies, the High Plains Daily Leader and the Southwest Daily Times. The publisher of the Leader & Times also prints a weekly Spanish language paper, El Lider. Seward County Community College publishes a bi-weekly student newspaper, the Crusader. The fourth paper is the Liberal Light, published weekly.

Liberal is a center of broadcast media for southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Two AM and seven FM radio stations are licensed to and broadcast from the city. Liberal is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market, and one television station broadcasts from the city: KSWE-LD, a sister station of KDGL-LD in Sublette, Kansas.

On cable, viewers can receive stations from the Wichita/Hutchinson market (via semi-satellite stations in Garden City/Ensign), PBS' Tulsa affiliate, KOED, as well as Amarillo, Texas's CBS affiliate, KFDA-TV.

Events
Liberal is famous for its annual Pancake Day race that is held in competition with the town of Olney, United Kingdom for the fastest time between both cities.

Points of interest
Liberal has a water park known as Adventure Bay.

The fifth largest collection of civilian and military aircraft in the United States is located at the Mid-America Air Museum. Started with a gift of fifty planes by General Tom (Thomas) Welch, Jr., the museum has more than one hundred aircraft.

The Coronado Museum has items from the Native Americans that lived in the area, as well as items from Francisco Vásquez de Coronado's expedition to the area in 1541, and the history of farming and ranching in the county in more recent times.

Liberal is home to "The Land of Oz" exhibit from The Wizard of Oz, a recreation of Dorothy Gale's house and the famed Yellow Brick Road, featuring donated bricks bearing the names of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and Liza Minnelli (Judy Garland's daughter). This exhibit was originally designed and displayed for Topeka in 1981, but relocated here eleven years later by its creator Linda Windler.

Liberal Memorial Library is located on North Kansas Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets in Cooper Park. The Book Front entrance was completed in April 1955 and designed by the building's architect George L. Pitcher. Wheeler Williams, a sculptor from New York, signed an agreement in October 1960 to mold the "Pioneer Mother of Kansas." This six foot statue, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. D. K. Baty, was to be erected in Cooper Park on Memorial Day, May 30, 1961. It was placed opposite of the "Statue of Liberty," which was donated and placed in Cooper Park by the Boy Scouts of America.

Sports
The Liberal Bee Jays, a semi-professional baseball team, have won five national championships and 13 state championships. The Bee Jays have been coached by three major league managers and have sent 165 players to the major leagues.

In popular culture

 * B. H. Fairchild wrote the poem, "At the Excavation of Liberal, Kansas" (in: The Art of the Lathe, Alice James Books, 1998), in memory of William Stafford; it contains Stafford's poem, "What I Heard Whispered at the Edge of Liberal, Kansas" (from: Stories That Could Be True: New and Collected Poems, Harper and Row, 1977).
 * In the film National Lampoon's Vacation, Clark W. Griswold suggests altering the family's route of travel in order to visit Liberal so they can see the world's largest house of mud. The idea is rejected by his wife, Ellen, in favor of getting to her cousin Eddie's home.
 * Season 4, Episode 9 of Fargo is set in Liberal.

Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Liberal include:

 * Wayne Angell (born 1930), economist
 * Chris Brown, college football coach
 * Lamar Chapman (born 1976), NFL and CFL player
 * Wantha Davis (1917–2012), horse racing jockey
 * Kasey Hayes (born 1985), professional bull rider
 * Kristin Key (born 1980), comedian
 * Shalee Lehning (born 1986), Women's National Basketball Association guard
 * M. C. Leist (1942–2022), Oklahoma state legislator
 * Martin Lewis (born 1975), National Basketball Association forward
 * Laura Gibbs Maczka, mayor, Richardson, Texas

 * Kelli McCarty (born 1969), 1991 Miss Kansas USA and Miss USA, actress
 * Jerrod Niemann (born 1979), country music singer/songwriter
 * Kelly Overton, animal rights activist and author
 * Melvin Sanders (born 1981), professional basketball guard/forward
 * William Stafford (1914–1993), poet
 * Doug Terry (born 1968), National Football League defensive back
 * Dallas Trahern (born 1985), Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Jerame Tuman (born 1976), National Football League tight end
 * Larry D. Welch (born 1934), U.S. Air Force General

title: Liberal, Kansas


text:
Auburn, Kansas

Auburn is a city in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,273.

19th century
In July 1854, John W. Brown came to this area and found it highly suitable for a homestead. He acquired 800 acre through bartering with local Indians. He later returned home to Missouri to tell his family and friends about the area. Some returned with him. In 1856, Mr. Brown along with M. C. Dickey, Loring Farnsworth and Henry Fox pre-empted 320 acre for the purpose of a town. They christened it Brownville, although it was changed in 1857 to present name "Auburn" due to the fact there was another settlement with the same name. This was before the introduction of postal codes. It was located on the California Road and work began at once on the many buildings needed in a town of Brownville's size. Two daily stage lines brought mail and people to the town and business was very good.

Robert Simmerwell was a missionary to the Indians in Auburn. He originally served as a missionary among the Pottawatomie Indians in Michigan Territory, while he apprenticed to a blacksmith and attended school at night. He later came to the Baptist Shawnee Mission on Pottawatomie Creek in eastern Kansas. In 1848 the government set up a new mission a few miles west of Topeka. In a three-story stone building with twelve rooms, boys and girls were given instruction in the manual arts, as well as in reading, writing, arithmetic, and religious subjects. In the fall of 1854, he and his wife had retired from active work in the Pottawatomie Mission, to homestead on 160 acresouthwest of the town.

In the 1850s, the city grew fast, and was often referred to as a "boom town". It was one of the largest in the state, and nearly became the state capital. However, Auburn was cast aside as an option, as the railroad bypassed the city. Topeka was chosen to be the capital because it had the railroad and an important ferry site along the Kansas River. Auburn's population dwindled, but continued to hover around 100 for many decades.

20th century
A description of the town from a 1912 volume of Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History is as follows:

''Auburn, a money order post office of Shawnee county, is in the township of the same name, about 15 mi southwest of Topeka and 8 mi west of Wakarusa, which is the nearest railroad station. It is a trading center for that section of the county, has Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, telephone connection with Topeka and other adjacent points, and in 1910 reported a population of 72. Two rural free delivery routes start from the Auburn office and supply daily mail to the farmers of the vicinity.''

Auburn finally began to grow in population in the 1950s. An important issue at this time was the city's small school system. It consisted of Auburn Grade School (grades K-5) and Auburn High School (grades 6-12). The Highschool was quickly becoming overcrowded. It was eventually decided that the Auburn School district would merge with the Washburn School District to increase efficiency. The last class graduated from Auburn High in 1966. The high school was razed to construct Auburn Middle School, and in 1990 this school closed and was converted to a community center, and the grade school remains open to this day.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the city's population shrank, but was re-vitalized with large housing projects. Between 1975 and 1985, roughly 100 new split-level homes were built.

21st century
Most Auburn residents commute to other surrounding cities for work, often Topeka. Currently, there are three churches in Auburn: Presbyterian, Christian, and Methodist. The Auburn Community Center houses a community library.

Auburn has a full-time police department and a fully equipped volunteer fire department (Shawnee County Fire No. 2). There is also a road maintenance and utilities department.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.64 sqmi, all of it land.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Auburn has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
Auburn is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 1,273 people, 483 households, and 331 families in Auburn. The population density was 1,829.0 per square mile (706.2/km$2$). There were 501 housing units at an average density of 719.8 per square mile (277.9/km$2$). The racial makeup was 89.0% (1,133) white or European American (86.96% non-Hispanic white), 1.49% (19) black or African-American, 0.55% (7) Native American or Alaska Native, 0.31% (4) Asian, 0.0% (0) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 1.1% (14) from other races, and 7.54% (96) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 4.79% (61) of the population.

Of the 483 households, 39.8% had children under the age of 18; 48.4% were married couples living together; 31.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 28.0% of households consisted of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 12.7% of the population.

31.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 118.8 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $57,639 (with a margin of error of +/- $12,449) and the median family income was $75,469 (+/- $15,717). Males had a median income of $46,481 (+/- $4,101) versus $27,941 (+/- $6,189) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $39,286 (+/- $2,527). Approximately, 12.9% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,227 people, 467 households, and 320 families residing in the city. The population density was 1917.2 PD/sqmi. There were 492 housing units at an average density of 768.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 94.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 467 households, of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.28.

The median age in the city was 33 years. 32.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,121 people, 385 households, and 301 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,920.5 PD/sqmi. There were 400 housing units at an average density of 685.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.63% White, 0.18% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.

There were 385 households, out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,632, and the median income for a family was $44,934. Males had a median income of $31,699 versus $22,222 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,679. About 2.3% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The community is served by Auburn–Washburn USD 437 public school district.

Transportation
Though Auburn is less than a mile northwest of the Kansas Turnpike, the nearest exit is located northeast in Topeka.

In popular culture
Auburn is the hometown of Cameron Mitchell, a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.

Notable person

 * Nina E. Allender, artist and women's suffrage activist

title: Auburn, Kansas


text:
Rossville, Kansas

Rossville is a city in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,105.

History
Rossville was founded in 1871. It was named for William W. Ross, a Kansas reporter.

In 1889, an all women ticket won mayor and city council.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.61 sqmi, all of it land.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rossville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
Rossville is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 1,151 people in 413 households, including 293 families, in the city. The population density was 1886.9 PD/sqmi. There were 448 housing units at an average density of 734.4 /sqmi. The racial makup of the city was 92.3% White, 0.7% African American, 4.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9%.

Of the 413 households 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.9% of households were one person and 13.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.15.

The median age was 35.5 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 20.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 1,014 people in 383 households, including 279 families, in the city. The population density was 2,075.2 PD/sqmi. There were 411 housing units at an average density of 841.1 /sqmi. The racial makup of the city was 94.48% White, 1.68% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.89% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.37% of the population.

Of the 383 households 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 24.0% of households were one person and 12.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 27.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median household income was $44,118 and the median family income was $53,333. Males had a median income of $37,917 versus $25,347 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,103. About 2.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The community is served by Kaw Valley USD 321 public school district. It serves portions of the Tri-County area which includes Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie Counties, as well as portions of Jackson County.

Sports
Rossville was once home to a Summer Collegiate baseball team, the Rossville Rattlers. In 2013, the Rattlers won the National Baseball Congress 19 and Under World Series. The Rattlers played at Joe Campbell Memorial Stadium. The Rattlers were members of the Mid-Plains League The Rossville Rattlers ceased operations at the end of the 2017 season.

title: Rossville, Kansas


text:
Silver Lake, Kansas

Silver Lake is a city in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,345.

19th century
Silver Lake was founded in 1868. It was named from the lake upon which it was situated. In the spring of 1871, the city of Silver Lake was incorporated.

20th century
In 1911, a new six room brick school building replaced the original two room structure and the first high school class was organized. In 1928, that building became the elementary school. In 1952, the high school burned and a new high school was completed in 1953. In 1961, a new elementary school was completed.

In 1928, a two-lane hard-surfaced road was completed through the city. It was later known as US Highway 40 and later became US Highway 24.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.60 sqmi, of which, 0.58 sqmi is land and 0.02 sqmi is water.

Silver Lake is the nearest city to Topeka to the west, along U.S. Route 24. Recently Silver Lake has had a higher proportion of its citizens commuting into Topeka. The next city west along US 24 is Rossville.

Silver Lake was originally settled along the northern shore of the Kansas River, however in the time since the town's founding, the river has changed course and is located a quarter of a mile south of the town.

Demographics
Silver Lake is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,439 people, 563 households, and 414 families residing in the city. The population density was 2481.0 PD/sqmi. There were 601 housing units at an average density of 1036.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.8% White, 0.3% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 563 households, of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.5% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 29.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,358 people, 538 households, and 394 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,470.7 PD/sqmi. There were 568 housing units at an average density of 1,033.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.83% White, 0.07% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population.

There were 538 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,788, and the median income for a family was $59,875. Males had a median income of $40,847 versus $28,438 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,290. About 2.2% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The community is served by Silver Lake USD 372 public school district, which operates two schools: Silver Lake Jr/Sr High School and Silver Lake Elementary School. There used to be a Silver Lake Kindergarten until 2009, when it merged with the Elementary school.

Notable people

 * Lon Kruger, college basketball player and coach
 * Chad Taylor, district attorney and U.S. Senate candidate

title: Silver Lake, Kansas