Kansas (IPA: /'kænz?s/) is
a Midwestern state[3] in the central region of the United States
of America, an area often referred to as the American "Heartland".
It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which
in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area.[4]
The tribe's name (natively kka:ze) is often said to mean "people
of the wind" or "people of the south wind", although
this was probably not the term's original meaning.[5][6] Residents
of Kansas are called "Kansans".
Historically, the area was home to large numbers of nomadic Native
Americans that hunted bison. It was first settled by European Americans
in the 1830s, but the pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s,
in the midst of political wars over the slavery issue. When officially
opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854, abolitionist
Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring
Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become
a free state or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence
and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known
as Bleeding Kansas. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on
January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After
the Civil War, the population of Kansas exploded when waves of immigrants
turned the prairie into productive farmland. Today, Kansas is one
of the most productive agricultural states, producing many crops,
and leading the nation in wheat and sunflower production most years.
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Topography
1.2 National parks and historic sites
1.3 Climate
2 History
3 Demographics
3.1 Rural flight
4 Economy
5 Transportation
6 Law and government
6.1 State and local politics
6.2 Federal politics
6.3 State law
6.4 State agencies
7 Important cities and towns
7.1 Northeast Kansas
7.2 Wichita
7.3 Around the state
8 Education
9 Professional sports teams
10 Miscellaneous topics
10.1 Notable residents
10.2 Landmarks
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
[edit] Geography
Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east;
Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west. The state is divided
up into 105 counties with 628 cities. It is located equidistant
from the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. The geographic center
of the 48 contiguous states is located in Smith County near Lebanon,
Kansas. The geodetic center of North America was located in Osborne
County until 1983. This spot was until then used as the central
reference point for all maps of North America produced by the U.S.
government. The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton
County. Kansas is also one of the six states located on the Frontier
Strip and one of several within Tornado Alley.
[edit] Topography
The western two thirds of the state, lying in the great central
plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface,
and on a large scale appears almost perfectly flat.[7] However,
the eastern third is more hilly and forested. The land displays
a gradual slope up from east to west; its altitude above the sea
ranges from 684 feet (208 m) along the Verdigris River at Coffeyville
in Montgomery County, to 4039 feet (1,231 m) at Mount Sunflower,
one half mile from the Colorado border, in Wallace County.
Spring River, KansasThe Missouri River forms nearly 75 miles (120
km) of the state's northeastern boundary. The Kansas River (locally
known as the Kaw), formed by the junction of the Smoky Hill and
Republican rivers at appropriately-named Junction City, joins the
Missouri at Kansas City, after a course of 170 miles (274 km) across
the northeastern part of the state. The Arkansas River (pronounced
Ar-Kansas), rising in Colorado, flows with a bending course for
nearly 500 miles (800 km) across the western and southern parts
of the state. It forms, with its tributaries (the Little Arkansas,
Ninnescah, Walnut, Cow Creek, Cimarron, Verdigris, and the Neosho),
the southern drainage system of the state. Other important rivers
are the Saline and Solomon, tributaries of the Smoky Hill River;
the Big Blue, Delaware, and Wakarusa, which flow into the Kansas
River; and the Marais des Cygnes, a tributary of the Missouri River.
[edit] National parks and historic sites
Areas under the protection of the National Park Service include:
Brown v. Board Of Education National Historic Site in Topeka
California National Historic Trail
Fort Larned National Historic Site in Larned
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Nicodemus National Historic Site at Nicodemus
Oregon National Historic Trail
Pony Express National Historic Trail
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City
[edit] Climate
Storm clouds in northeastern KansasKansas contains three climate
types, according to the Köppen climate classification: humid
continental, semiarid steppe, and humid subtropical. The eastern
two-thirds of the state has a humid continental climate, with cold
winters and hot summers. Most of the precipitation falls in the
summer and spring. The western third of the state has a semiarid
steppe climate. Summers are hot, often very hot. Winters are cold
in the northwest and cool to mild in the southwest. Also, the western
region is semiarid, receiving an average of only about 16 inches
(40 cm) of precipitation per year. Chinook winds in the winter can
warm western Kansas all the way into the 80 degree Fahrenheit (25
°C) range. The far south-central and southeastern reaches of
the state have a humid subtropical climate, with long, hot summers,
short, mild winters, and much more precipitation than the rest of
the state.
Precipitation ranges from about 46 inches (1200 mm) annually in
the southeast of the state, to about 16 inches (400 mm) in the southwest.
Snowfall ranges from around 5 inches (130 mm) in the fringes of
the south, to 35 inches (900 mm) in the far northwest. Frost-free
days range from more than 200 days in the south, to 130 days in
the northwest. Thus, Kansas is the 9th or 10th sunniest state in
the country, depending on the source. Western Kansas is as sunny
as parts of California and Arizona.
In spite of the frequent sunshine throughout much of the state,
the state is also vulnerable to strong thunderstorms, especially
in the spring. Many of these storms become Supercell thunderstorms.
These can spawn tornadoes, often of F3 strength or higher. According
to statistics from the National Climatic Data Center, Kansas has
reported more tornadoes (for the period 1st January 1950 through
to 31st October 2006) than any state except for Texas - marginally
even more than Oklahoma. It has also - along with Alabama - reported
more F5 tornadoes than any other state. These are the most powerful
of all tornadoes. Kansas averages over 50 tornadoes annually.[8]
According to NOAA, the all time highest temperature recorded in
Kansas is 121 degrees F (49.4 C) on July 24, 1936 near Alton, and
the all time low is -40 F (-40 C) on February 13, 1905 near Lebanon.
Kansas' all time record high of 121F/49.4C ties with North Dakota
for the fifth highest all time record high recorded in a state in
the United States, behind California (134F/56.7C), Arizona (128F/53.3C),
Nevada (125F/51.7C), and New Mexico (122F/50C).
Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Kansas Cities
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Concordia 36/17 43/22 54/31 64/41 74/52 85/62 91/67 88/66 80/56
68/44 51/30 40/21
Dodge City 41/19 48/24 57/31 67/41 76/52 87/62 93/67 91/66 82/56
70/44 54/30 44/22
Goodland 39/16 45/20 53/26 63/35 72/46 84/56 89/61 87/60 78/50 66/38
50/25 41/18
Topeka 37/17 44/23 56/33 66/43 75/53 84/63 89/68 88/65 80/56 69/44
53/32 41/22
Wichita 40/20 47/25 57/34 67/44 76/54 87/64 93/69 92/68 82/59 70/47
54/34 43/24
[2]
[edit] History
Main article: History of Kansas
For millennia, the land that is presently Kansas was inhabited by
Native Americans. The first European to set foot in present-day
Kansas was Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, who explored the
area in 1541. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the
United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Southwest Kansas,
however, was still a part of Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of
Texas until the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848.
From 1812 to 1821, Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory. The
Santa Fe Trail traversed Kansas from 1821 to 1880, transporting
manufactured goods from Missouri and silver and furs from Santa
Fe, New Mexico. Wagon ruts from the trail are still visible in the
prairie today.
In 1827, Fort Leavenworth became the first permanent settlement
of white Americans in the future state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
became law on May 30, 1854, establishing the U.S. territories of
Nebraska and Kansas, and opening the area to broader settlement
by whites. Kansas Territory stretched all the way to the Continental
Divide and included the sites of present-day Denver, Colorado Springs,
and Pueblo.
Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, KansasMissouri and Arkansas sent settlers
into Kansas all along its eastern border. These settlers attempted
to sway votes in favor of slavery. The secondary settlement of Americans
in Kansas Territory were abolitionists from Massachusetts and other
Free-Staters, who attempted to stop the spread of slavery from neighboring
Missouri. Directly presaging the American Civil War, these forces
collided, entering into skirmishes that earned the territory the
name of Bleeding Kansas. Kansas was admitted to the United States
as a free state on January 29, 1861, making it the 34th state to
enter the Union. By that time the violence in Kansas had largely
subsided. However, during the Civil War, on August 21, 1863, William
Quantrill led several hundred men on a raid into Lawrence, destroying
much of the city and killing nearly two hundred people. Until the
1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma, Quantrill's raid was the single bloodiest act of
domestic terrorism in America.[citation needed]
After the Civil War, many veterans constructed homesteads in Kansas.
Many African Americans also looked to Kansas as the land of "John
Brown," and led by men like Benjamin "Pap" Singleton
began establishing black colonies in the state. At the same time,
the Chisholm Trail was opened and the Wild West era commenced in
Kansas. Wild Bill Hickok was a deputy marshal at Fort Riley and
a marshal at Hays and Abilene. Dodge City was another wild cowboy
town, and both Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp worked as lawmen in
the town. In one year alone, 8 million head of cattle from Texas
boarded trains in Dodge City bound for the East, earning Dodge the
nickname "Queen of the Cowtowns." In part as a response
to the violence perpetrated by cowboys, on February 19, 1881, Kansas
became the first U.S. state to adopt a Constitutional amendment
prohibiting all alcoholic beverages.
Population pyramidAs of 2006, Kansas has an estimated population
of 2,764,075, which is an increase of 15,903, or 0.6%, from the
prior year and an increase of 71,128, or 2.6%, since the year 2000.[9]
This includes a natural increase since the last census of 93,899
people (that is 246,484 births minus 152,585 deaths) and a decrease
due to net migration of 20,742 people out of the state. Immigration
from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 44,847
people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of
65,589 people.[10] The center of population of Kansas is located
in Chase County, at 38°27'N, 96°32'W, approximately three
miles north of the community of Strong City.[11]
Demographics of Kansas (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native — NHPI is Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 91.19% 6.41% 1.78% 2.10% 0.12%
2000 (Hispanic only) 6.63% 0.23% 0.19% 0.05% 0.02%
2005 (total population) 90.87% 6.60% 1.67% 2.45% 0.12%
2005 (Hispanic only) 7.89% 0.28% 0.20% 0.06% 0.02%
Growth 2000–2005 (total population) 1.74% 5.04% -4.13% 19.15%
3.43%
Growth 2000–2005 (non-Hispanic only) 0.19% 4.28% -5.09% 19.19%
2.86%
Growth 2000–2005 (Hispanic only) 21.51% 25.88% 3.71% 17.69%
5.86%
As of 2004, the population included 149,800 foreign-born (5.5%
of the state population). The largest reported ancestries in the
state are: German (25.9%), Irish (11.5%), English (10.8%), American
(8.8%), French (3.1%), and Swedish (2.4%).[12] People of German
ancestry are especially strong in the northwest, while those of
British ancestry and descendants of white Americans from other states
are especially strong in the southeast. Mexicans are present in
the southwest and make up nearly half the population in certain
counties. Many African Americans in Kansas are descended from the
Exodusters, newly freed blacks who fled the South for land in Kansas
following the Civil War.
See Also British American and German-American
[edit] Rural flight
Urban and rural populations
Kansas is one of the slowest-growing states in the nation. Known
as a rural exodus, the last few decades have been marked by a migratory
pattern out of the countryside into cities.
Out of all the cities in these Midwestern states, 89% have fewer
than 3000 people, and hundreds of those have fewer than 1000. In
Kansas alone, there are more than 6,000 ghost towns, according to
one Kansas historian.
At the same time, some of the communities in Johnson County (metropolitan
Kansas City) are among the fastest growing in the country.
[edit] Economy
Top 9 Kansas Employers (by number of employees)[13]
Rank Business Employees Location
#1 Spirit AeroSystems 21,000 Wichita
#2 Cessna 13,000 Wichita
#3 Fort Riley 12,500 Riley County
#4 Raytheon 9,500 Wichita
#5 Scanlon's LLC 6,000 Leavenworth
#6 University of Kansas Medical Center 5,000 Kansas City
#7 Via Christi St. Joseph Hospital 5,000 Wichita
#8 Via Christi St. Francis Hospital 3,300 Wichita
#9 Kansas State University 3,030 Manhattan
The 2003 gross domestic product of Kansas was US$98 billion, an
increase of 4.3% over the prior year, but trailing the national
average increase of 4.8%. Its per-capita income was US$29,438. The
December 2003 unemployment rate was 4.9%. The agricultural outputs
of the state are cattle, sheep, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, cotton,
hogs, corn, and salt. The industrial outputs are transportation
equipment, commercial and private aircraft, food processing, publishing,
chemical products, machinery, apparel, petroleum and mining.
Kansas ranks 8th in U.S. oil production. Production has experienced
a steady, natural decline as it becomes increasingly difficult to
extract oil over time. Since oil prices bottomed in 1999, oil production
in Kansas has remained fairly constant, with an average monthly
rate of about 2.8 million barrels in 2004. The recent higher prices
have made carbon dioxide sequestration and other oil recovery techniques
more economical.
Kansas ranks 8th in U.S. natural gas production. Production has
steadily declined since the mid-1990’s with the depletion
of the Hugoton Natural Gas Field—the state's largest field
which extends into Oklahoma and Texas. In 2004, slower declines
in the Hugoton gas fields and increased coalbed methane production
contributed to a smaller overall decline. Average monthly production
was over 32 billion cubic feet (0.9 km³).
Kansas has three income brackets for income tax calculation, ranging
from 3.5% to 6.45%. The state sales tax in Kansas is 5.3%. Various
cities and counties in Kansas have an additional local sales tax.
Except during the 2001 recession (March–November 2001) when
monthly sales tax collections were flat, collections have trended
higher as the economy has grown and two rate increases have been
enacted. Total sales tax collections for 2003 amounted to $1.63
billion, compared to $805.3 million in 1990.
Revenue shortfalls resulting from lower than expected tax collections
and slower growth in personal income following a 1998 permanent
tax reduction has contributed to the substantial growth in the state's
debt level as bonded debt increased from $1.16 billion in 1998 to
$3.83 billion in 2006. Some increase in debt was expected as the
state continues with its 10-year Comprehensive Transportation Program
enacted in 1999. As of June 2004, Moody's Investors Service ranked
the state 14th for net tax-supported debt per capita. As a percentage
of personal income, it was at 3.8%—above the median value
of 2.5% for all rated states and having risen from a value of less
than 1% in 1992. The state has a statutory requirement to maintain
cash reserves of at least 7.5% of expenses at the end of each fiscal
year.
Major company headquarters in Kansas include the Sprint Nextel
Corporation (with operational headquarters in Overland Park), Embarq
(with national headquarters in Overland Park), YRC Corp Overland
Park, Garmin in Olathe, and Payless Shoes (National headquarters
and major distribution facilities in Topeka).
[edit] Transportation
Map of the Kansas road system.Kansas is served by two Interstate
highways with two spur routes, three bypasses, and one beltway over
a total of 874 miles. The first section of Interstate in the nation
was opened on I-70 just west of Topeka on November 14, 1956. I-70
is a major east/west route connecting to St. Louis and Kansas City,
Missouri, in the east and Denver, Colorado, in the west. Cities
along this route (from east to west) include Kansas City, Lawrence,
Topeka, Junction City, Salina, Hays, and Colby. I-35 is a major
north/south route connecting to Des Moines, Iowa, in the north and
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in the south. Cities along this route (from
north to south) include Kansas City (and suburbs), Ottawa, Emporia,
El Dorado, and Wichita.
Spur routes serve as connections between the two major routes.
I-135, a north/south route, connects I-70 at Salina to I-35 at Wichita.
I-335, a northeast/southwest route, connects I-70 at Topeka to I-35
at Emporia. I-335 and portions of I-35 and I-70 make up the Kansas
Turnpike. Bypasses include I-470 around Topeka and I-235 around
Wichita. I-435 is a beltway around the Kansas City Metropolitan
Area while I-635 bypasses through Kansas City, Kansas.
US Route 69 runs north and south, from Minnesota to Texas. The
highway passes through the eastern section of Kansas, from the Kansas
City area, through Louisburg, Fort Scott, Frontenac, Pittsburg,
and Baxter Springs before entering Oklahoma.
Kansas also has the second largest state highway system in the
country after California. This is because of the high number of
counties and county seats (105) and the inter-twineing of them all.
In January 2004, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)
announced the new Kansas 511 traveler information service.[14] By
dialing 511, callers will get access to information about road conditions,
construction, closures, detours and weather conditions for the state
highway system. Weather and road condition information is updated
every 15 minutes. The elaborate and efficient transportation system
in Kansas has attracted praise from experts nationwide, including
the former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, who frequents Kansas
roadways.
The state's only major commercial airport is Wichita Mid-Continent
Airport, located along U.S. 54 on the western edge of the city.
Most air travelers in eastern Kansas fly out of Kansas City International
Airport, located in Platte County, Missouri. For those in the far
western part of the state, Denver International Airport is a popular
option. Connecting flights are available from smaller airports in
Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, Hays, Manhattan, Salina, and
Topeka.
[edit] Law and government
[edit] State and local politics
See also: List of Governors of Kansas
Governor Kathleen SebeliusThe top executives of the state are Democratic
Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson.
Both officials are elected on the same ticket to a maximum of two
consecutive 4-year terms. Parkinson replaced John E. Moore who served
as Lt. Governor during Sebelius's first term which ended on January
8, 2007. Sebelius will not be up for re-election in 2010. The state's
Attorney General is Democrat Stephen Six, a former Douglas County
District Court Judge who was appointed to the post.
The legislative branch of the state government is the Kansas Legislature.
The bicameral body consists of the Kansas House of Representatives,
with 125 members serving two year terms, and the Kansas Senate,
with 40 members serving four year terms.
State symbols
Amphibian: Barred Tiger Salamander
Animal: Buffalo
Fish: Channel Catfish
Bird: Western Meadowlark
Flower: Sunflower
Insect: European honey bee
Motto: Ad astra per aspera, or "To the stars through difficulties"
Reptile: Ornate Box Turtle
Soil: Harney silt loam
Song: "Home on the Range"
Tree: Cottonwood
Kansas has a reputation as a progressive state with many firsts
in legislative initiatives—it was the first state to institute
a system of workers' compensation (1910) and to regulate the securities
industry (1911). Kansas was also one of the first states to permit
women's suffrage in 1912. Suffrage in all states would not be guaranteed
until ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
in 1920. The council-manager government was adopted by many larger
Kansas cities in the years following World War I while many American
cities were being run by political machines or organized crime.
Kansas was also at the center of Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka, a 1954 Supreme Court decision that banned racially segregated
schools throughout the U.S.
Since the 1960s, Kansas has grown more socially conservative. The
1990s brought new restrictions on abortion, the defeat of prominent
Democrats, including Dan Glickman, and the Kansas State Board of
Education's 1999 decision to eliminate evolution from the state
teaching standards, a decision that was later reversed.[15] In 2005,
voters accepted a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
The next year, the state passed a law setting a minimum age for
marriage at 15 years. [16]
Although Kansas is considered to be one of the most Republican
states in the nation, there has been a long-running feud between
the socially moderate (or "mainstream") faction and the
socially conservative faction of the party. This battle is so heated
that it is often said that there are three parties in Kansas--Democrats,
moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans. It is possible
for a Democrat to win by winning the support of moderate Republicans
and a few registered independents. Thus, recently, Kansas has been
warming to Democrats, re-electing a Democratic Governor, Kathleen
Sebelius in 2006, with 58% of the vote. Democrats also picked up
six seats in the Kansas House of Representatives, and Democrat Nancy
Boyda defeated conservative Republican Congressman Jim Ryun in the
2nd Congressional District.
[edit] Federal politics
See also: U.S. Congressional Delegations from Kansas
Sam BrownbackThe state's current delegation to the Congress of the
United States includes Republican Senators Sam Brownback of Topeka
and Pat Roberts of Dodge City and Representatives Jerry Moran (R)
of Hays (District 1), Nancy Boyda (D) of Topeka (District 2), Dennis
Moore (D) of Lenexa (District 3), and Todd Tiahrt (R) of Goddard
(District 4). Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate
since 1932, when Franklin D. Roosevelt won his first term as President
in the wake of the Great Depression. Senator Sam Brownback carries
the distinction of being the politician elected with the highest
percentage of the statewide vote in Kansas history and was a candidate
for the Republican party nomination for President in 2008.
Historically, Kansas has been strongly Republican. In fact, the
only non-Republicans Kansas has given its electoral vote to are
Populist James Weaver and Democrats Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt,
and Lyndon Johnson. In 2004, George W. Bush won the state's 6 electoral
votes by an overwhelming margin of 25 percentage points with 62%
of the vote. The only two counties to support Democrat John Kerry
in that election were Wyandotte, which contains Kansas City, and
Douglas, home to the University of Kansas, located in Lawrence.
[edit] State law
See also: Alcohol laws of Kansas
The legal drinking age in Kansas is 21. In lieu of the state retail
sales tax, a 10% Liquor Drink Tax is collected for liquor consumed
on the licensed premises and an 8% Liquor Enforcement Tax is collected
on retail purchases. Although the sale of cereal malt beverage (also
known as 3.2 beer) was legalized in 1937, the first post-Prohibition
legalization of alcoholic liquor did not occur until the state's
constitution was amended in 1948. The following year the Legislature
enacted the Liquor Control Act which created a system of regulating,
licensing, and taxing, and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
(ABC) was created to enforce the act. The power to regulate cereal
malt beverage remains with the cities and counties. Liquor-by-the-drink
did not become legal until passage of an amendment to the state's
constitution in 1986 and additional legislation the following year.
As of November 2006, Kansas still has 29 dry counties and only 17
counties have passed liquor-by-the-drink with no food sales requirement.[17]
Today there are more than 2600 liquor and 4000 cereal malt beverage
licensees in the state.[18]
[edit] State agencies
The state's investigative branch is the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
The Kansas Corporation Commission regulates public utilities, common
carriers, oil and gas production, telecommunications companies,
and motor carriers. The Kansas Department of Agriculture regulates
the supply of meat, milk and eggs among other agricultural goods
and services. The Secretary of Agriculture is Adrian Polansky, who
heads the department as well as operating Polansky farms.
[edit] Important cities and towns
See also: List of cities in Kansas
Cities with population of at least 10,000 City Population* Growth
rate** Metro area
1 Wichita 357,698 0.29% Wichita
2 Overland Park 166,722 1.78% Kansas City
3 Kansas City 143,801 -0.34% Kansas City
4 Topeka 122,113 -0.13% Topeka
5 Olathe 114,662 3.69% Kansas City
6 Lawrence 88,605 1.68% Lawrence
7 Shawnee 59,252 3.64% Kansas City
8 Manhattan 50,737 1.83% ‡
9 Salina 46,140 0.13% ‡
10 Lenexa 44,520 1.71% Kansas City
11 Hutchinson 41,085 -0.29% ‡
12 Leavenworth 34,993 -0.23% Kansas City
13 Leawood 30,702 1.75% Kansas City
14 Garden City 27,175 -0.80% ‡
15 Emporia 26,188 -0.40% ‡
16 Dodge City 26,101 0.54% ‡
17 Prairie Village 21,414 -0.49% Kansas City
18 Derby 21,101 2.62% Wichita
19 Liberal 20,384 0.58% ‡
20 Hays 19,726 -0.23% ‡
21 Pittsburg 19,120 -0.12% ‡
22 Newton 18,093 0.34% Wichita
23 Junction City 16,106 -2.36% Manhattan‡
24 Gardner 15,597 10.17% Kansas City
25 Great Bend 15,537 0.20% ‡
26 McPherson 13,594 -0.23% ‡
27 Ottawa 12,792 1.15% Kansas City
28 El Dorado 12,718 -0.13% Wichita
29 Winfield 11,741 -0.65% Winfield-Arkansas City‡
30 Arkansas City 11,416 -0.78% Arkansas City-Winfield‡
31 Parsons 11,237 -0.36% ‡
32 Merriam 10,773 -0.35% Kansas City
33 Lansing 10,705 1.79% Kansas City
34 Coffeyville 10,387 -0.97% ‡
35 Atchison 10,154 -0.13% ‡
36 Haysville 10,029 2.45% Wichita
*Estimated as of July 1, 2006[19]
**Estimated annual growth rate 2000–2006
‡Defined as a micropolitan area
Kansas has 627 incorporated cities. By state statute, cities are
divided into three classes as determined by the population obtained
"by any census of enumeration". A city of the third class
has a population of less than 5,000, but cities reaching a population
of more than 2,000 may be certified as a city of the second class.
The second class is limited to cities with a population of less
than 25,000, and upon reaching a population of more than 15,000,
they may be certified as a city of the first class. First and second
class cities are independent of any township and are not included
within the township's territory.
[edit] Northeast Kansas
The northeastern portion of the state, extending from the Eastern
border to Junction City and from the Nebraska border to south of
Johnson County, has a rich history and is home to more than 1.5
million people in the Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, and St. Joseph
metropolitan areas. In the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the cities
of Johnson County have some of the fastest growing populations and
highest median incomes in the state and the entire country. Overland
Park, a young city incorporated in 1960, has the largest population
and the largest land area in the county. It is home to Johnson County
Community College, the state's largest community college, and the
corporate campus of Sprint Nextel, the largest private employer
in the metro area. In 2006 the city was ranked as the 6th best place
to live in America; the neighboring city of Olathe was 13th.[20]
Olathe is the county seat and home to Johnson County Executive Airport.
The cities of Olathe, Shawnee, and Gardner have some of the state's
fastest growing populations. The cities of Overland Park, Lenexa,
Olathe, and Gardner are also notable because they lie along the
former route of the Santa Fe Trail. Among cities with at least one
thousand residents, Mission Hills has the highest median income
in the state.
Several institutions of higher education are located in Northeast
Kansas including MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Ottawa
University in Ottawa and Overland Park, Kansas City Kansas Community
College and KU Medical Center in Kansas City, and KU Edwards Campus
in Overland Park. Less than an hour's drive to the west, Lawrence
is home to the University of Kansas, the largest public university
in the state, and Haskell Indian Nations University.
To the north, Kansas City, Kansas, with the second largest land
area in the state, contains a number of diverse ethnic neighborhoods.
Its attractions include the Kansas Speedway, the Woodlands, and
Kansas City T-Bones. Further up the Missouri River, the city of
Lansing is the home of the state's first maximum-security prison.
Historic Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated
city in Kansas. North of the city, Fort Leavenworth is the oldest
active Army post west of the Mississippi River. The city of Atchison
was an early commercial center in the state and is well-known as
the birthplace of Amelia Earhart.
To the west, nearly a quarter million people reside in the Topeka
metropolitan area. Topeka is the state capital and home to Washburn
University. Built at a Kansas River crossing along the old Oregon
Trail, this historic city has several nationally registered historic
places. Further westward along Interstate 70 and the Kansas River
is Junction City with its historic limestone and brick buildings
and nearby Fort Riley, well-known as the home to the U.S. Army's
1st Infantry Division, also known as the "Big Red One".
A short distance away, the city of Manhattan is home to Kansas State
University, the second largest public university in the state and
the nation's oldest land-grant university, dating back to 1863.
South of the campus, Aggieville dates back to 1889 and is the state's
oldest shopping district of its kind.
[edit] Wichita
Wichita, Kansas, the largest city in the state of KansasIn south-central
Kansas, the four-county Wichita metropolitan area is home to nearly
600,000 people. Wichita is the largest city in the state in terms
of both land area and population. 'The Air Capital' is a major manufacturing
center for the aircraft industry and the home of Wichita State University.
With a number of nationally registered historic places, museums,
and other entertainment destinations, it has a desire to become
a cultural mecca in the Midwest. Although Wichita's population growth
has been anemic in recent years, surrounding suburbs are among the
fastest growing cities in the state. The population of Goddard has
grown by more than 11% per year since 2000.[19] Other fast-growing
cities include Andover, Maize, Park City, Derby, and Haysville.
Up river (the Arkansas River) from Wichita is the city of Hutchinson.
The city was built on one of the world's largest salt deposits,
and it has the world's largest and longest wheat elevator. It is
also the home of Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Prairie Dunes
Country Club and the Kansas State Fair. North of Wichita along Interstate
135 is the city of Newton, the former western terminal of the Santa
Fe Railroad and trailhead for the famed Chisholm Trail. To the southeast
of Wichita are the cities of Winfield and Arkansas City with historic
architecture and the Cherokee Strip Museum (in Ark City). The city
of Udall was the site of the deadliest tornado in Kansas on May
25, 1955; it killed 80 people in and near the city.[21] To the southwest
of Wichita is Freeport, the state's smallest incorporated city (population
8).
[edit] Around the state
Kansas Population Density MapLocated midway between Kansas City,
Topeka, and Wichita in the heart of the Bluestem Region of the Flint
Hills, the city of Emporia has several nationally registered historic
places and is the home of Emporia State University, well-known for
its Teachers College. It was also the home of newspaper man William
Allen White.
Southeast Kansas
Southeast Kansas has a unique history with a number of nationally
registered historic places in this coal-mining region. Located in
Crawford County (dubbed the Fried Chicken Capital of Kansas), Pittsburg
is the largest city in the region and the home of Pittsburg State
University. The neighboring city of Frontenac in 1888 was the site
of the worst mine disaster in the state in which an underground
explosion killed 47 miners. "Big Brutus" is located a
mile and a half outside the city of West Mineral. Along with the
restored fort, historic Fort Scott has a national cemetery designated
by President Lincoln in 1862.
Central and North-Central Kansas
Salina is the largest city in central and north-central Kansas.
South of Salina is the small city of Lindsborg with its numerous
Dala horses. Much of the architecture and decor of this town has
a distinctly Swedish style. To the east along Interstate 70, the
historic city of Abilene was formerly a trailhead for the Chisholm
Trail and was the boyhood home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
To the west is Lucas, the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas.
Northwest Kansas
Kansas City, KansasWestward along the Interstate, the city of Russell,
traditionally the beginning of sparsely-populated northwest Kansas,
is the home of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole and the boyhood home
of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. The city of Hays is home to Fort
Hays State University and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History,
and is the largest city in the northwest with a population of around
20,000. Two other landmarks are located in smaller towns in Ellis
County: the "Cathedral of the Plains" is located 10 miles
east of Hays in Victoria, and the boyhood home of Walter Chrysler
is 15 miles west of Hays in Ellis. West of Hays, population drops
dramatically, even in areas along I-70, and only two towns containing
populations of more than 3,000: Colby and Goodland, which are located
35 milies apart along I-70.
Southwest Kansas
Southwest Kansas, and Dodge City in particular, is famously known
for the cattle drive days of the late 19th century. The city of
Dodge was built along the old Santa Fe Trail route. The city of
Liberal is located along the southern Santa Fe Trail route. The
first wind farm in the state was built east of Montezuma. Garden
City has the Lee Richardson Zoo.
[edit] Education
Main article: Education in Kansas
Education in Kansas is governed primarily by the Kansas State Board
of Education (web). Twice the Board has approved changes in the
state science curriculum standards that encouraged the teaching
of intelligent design. Both times, the standards were reversed after
changes in the composition of the board in the next election.
[edit] Professional sports teams
Club Sport League
Kansas City T-Bones Baseball Northern League
Wichita Wranglers Baseball Texas League
Topeka Roadrunners Ice hockey North American Hockey League
Wichita Thunder Ice hockey Central Hockey League
Dodge City Legend Basketball United States Basketball League
Kansas Cagerz Basketball United States Basketball League
Kansas Koyotes Indoor Football American Professional Football League
Although there are no major professional sports league teams within
Kansas, many Kansans support the sports teams of Kansas City, Missouri,
including the Kansas City Royals (MLB), the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL),
the Kansas City Wizards (MLS) and the Kansas City Brigade (AFL).
All three teams except the Brigade, play at the Truman Sports Complex,
located about 10 miles from the Kansas-Missouri state line. However,
the Wizards are considering relocating to a new stadium or complex
in Johnson County. The Kansas City Brigade played at the Kemper
Arena and will move to the new Sprint Center in 2008.
Persons in western Kansas may sometimes support the major league
teams in Denver. Many people who live close to the Oklahoma state
line support the Dallas Cowboys. All Chiefs games are televised
throughout Kansas by television stations in Topeka and Wichita,
and Broncos and Cowboys games which do not conflict with Chiefs
telecasts are also broadcast across the state.
Two major auto racing facilities are located in Kansas. The Kansas
Speedway located in Kansas City hosts races of the NASCAR, IRL,
and ARCA circuits. Also, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)
holds drag racing events at Heartland Park Topeka.
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
Kansas quarter with the American Bison and Sunflowers.
[edit] Notable residents
Amelia Earhart (aviation pioneer), Carrie Nation (temperance activist),
former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, former Vice President Charles
Curtis, and former presidential candidates Bob Dole and Alf Landon
called Kansas their home. NASA astronauts Ronald Evans, Joe Engle,
and Steve Hawley also lived in Kansas.
Despite its strong agricultural reputation, Kansas was home to
industrial and intellectual pioneers Walter Chrysler of automotive
fame, Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman (aviation pioneers), Jack
Kilby (microchip inventor, The Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 2000),
George Washington Carver (educator and scientist), Earl W. Sutherland,
Jr. (The Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine 1971), and
Vernon L. Smith (The Nobel Prize Winner in Economics 2002). Also
from Kansas are General Richard Myers (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff, 2001-05) and Robert Gates (United States Secretary of Defense
December 2006 - Present). In addition, Kansas is the home of "Top
Cop" Vern Miller who raided an Amtrak train on July 20, 1972
and confiscated all the liquor on board. He charged Amtrak with
selling liquor-by-the-drink, illegal in Kansas at that time and
the case was eventually declared al certiore, validating both the
lower court's conviction and the flamboyant Miller's stance that
"If you don't like a law, get it changed...don't break it."
-- Wichita Eagle July 20, 1972
Kansas was also home to Danny Carey (musician), Del Close (comdedian/actor),
Inger Stevens (actress),Vivian Vance (actress), Samuel Ramey (opera
singer), Louise Brooks (actress), Annette Bening (actress), John
Brown (abolitionist), Langston Hughes (poet), Gordon Parks (photographer,
movie director, musician, author), Fatty Arbuckle (actor), William
Inge (writer), Dennis Hopper (actor), Buster Keaton (actor), Coleman
Hawkins (Jazz musician), Martina McBride (Country Singer), Melissa
Etheridge (musician), Kirstie Alley (actress), Paul Rudd (actor),
Charlie Parker (Jazz musician), Steve Doocy (network journalist,
author), Jeff Probst (Survivor host), Survivor: Guatemala winner
Danni Boatwright, Phil Stacey (American Idol Finalist) and William
Allen White (editor).
Famous athletes from Kansas include George Brett, Barry Sanders,
Gale Sayers, John H. Outland, Billy Mills, Jim Ryun, Walter Johnson,
Jackie Stiles, Caroline Bruce, John Riggins, Maurice Greene, and
Lynette Woodard. Kansas was also home to coaches James Naismith,
Phog Allen, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Lon Kruger, Tex Winter, Mark
Turgeon, and Eddie Sutton.
Famous fictional residents include Marshal Matt Dillon from the
TV show Gunsmoke, Mary Ann Summers of Gilligan's Island, Dennis
Mitchell (Dennis the Menace), Dean and Sam Winchester from the TV
show Supernatural, Clark Kent/Superman, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell
of Stargate SG-1, Walter and India Bridge from Mr. and Mrs. Bridge,
Jonas Nightengale from Leap of Faith, and Dorothy Gale from The
Wizard of Oz.
[edit] Landmarks
Konza Prairie, in the Flint HillsMain article: List of Kansas landmarks
See also: List of Registered Historic Places in Kansas
The John Brown museum is located in Osawatomie.
The boyhood home of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Eisenhower Library,
and his grave are located in Abilene.
Abilene is the ending point of the Chisholm Trail where the cattle
driven from Texas were loaded onto rail cars.
The house of Carrie Nation, now a museum, is located in Medicine
Lodge.
Constitution Hall in Lecompton is the location where the Kansas
Territorial Government convened and drafted a pro-slavery constitution.
[22]
The Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego features Dorothy's House, a re-creation
of the farm house featured in the film The Wizard of Oz.
The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, located in Hutchinson,
is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. The museum features
the largest collection of artifacts from the Russian Space Program
outside of Moscow. It is also home to Apollo 13, an SR-71 Blackbird,
Libery 7, and many space artifacts.
The award-winning Kansas Museum of History [23] is the state museum,
and is located in the capital city of Topeka.
The world's largest ball of twine (disputed), created August 15,
1953, in Cawker City.
The Big Well, billed as the Worlds Largest Hand Dug Well is located
in Greensburg, Kansas.
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