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121-455: Kansas City (abbreviated as KCK ) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County . It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri , after which it is named. As of the 2020 census , the population of the city was 156,607, making it one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area . It
242-466: A 370-acre (1.5 km) resort and waterpark, opened across I-435 from Village West in June 2009; however, it has been closed since the end of the 2018 season. On March 30, 2011, Google announced that Kansas City had been selected as the site of an experimental fiber-optic network that it would build at no cost to the city. Kansas City was chosen from a field of 1,100 U.S. communities that had applied for
363-571: A Historical Landmark by the city in 1985 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1986. In 1889, the Wyandotte County Museum and Historical Society was established as a permanent repository of the county's history. The Argentine Carnegie Library , the only Carnegie library that exists in the metropolitan area, was built in 1917. The library has moved the collections and staff from Argentine to
484-727: A bending course for nearly 500 mi (800 km) across the western and southern parts of the state. With its tributaries, (the Little Arkansas , Ninnescah , Walnut, Cow Creek , Cimarron , Verdigris, and the Neosho ), it forms the southern drainage system of the state. Kansas's other rivers are the Saline and Solomon Rivers, tributaries of the Smoky Hill River; the Big Blue , Delaware , and Wakarusa , which flow into
605-542: A citizens assist program, fire prevention, safe place, and a smoke detector program. The Kansas City Police Department (Kansas) performs law enforcement in the city. The department was established in 1898 with a staff of 46. Of the statistics available in 2000 based on data collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which represent from arrests made by State and local law enforcement agencies as reported to
726-477: A high-end EF3+ and high-end EF2 which caused catastrophic damage to areas in both Ottawa and Gatineau. 2023 saw 5 tornadoes of varying intensities strike the region, including two EF1 tornadoes which touched down in the Barrhaven suburb within minutes of one another. This phenomenon, while still in the preliminary stages of study, has led some to name this hotspot "Tornado Valley". Southwestern Ontario weather
847-543: A life expectancy near the U.S. national average. In 2013, males in Kansas lived an average of 76.6 years compared to a male national average of 76.7 years and females lived an average of 81.0 years compared to a female national average of 81.5 years. Increases in life expectancy between 1980 and 2013 were below the national average for males and near the national average for females. Male life expectancy in Kansas between 1980 and 2014 increased by an average of 5.2 years, compared to
968-399: A male householder with no wife present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.32. The racial composition of Kansas City, Kansas, as of 2010, was as follows: As of the 2000 census , the median household income in
1089-493: A male national average of a 6.7-year increase. Life expectancy for females in Kansas between 1980 and 2014 increased by 4.3 years, compared to a female national average of a 4.0 year increase. Using 2017–2019 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for Kansas counties ranged from 75.8 years for Wyandotte County to 81.7 years for Johnson County . Life expectancy for
1210-782: A marshal at Hays and Abilene . Dodge City was home to both Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp , who worked as lawmen in the town. The Dalton Gang robbed trains and banks throughout Kansas and the Southwest and maintained a hideout in Meade . In one year alone , eight million head of cattle from Texas boarded trains in Dodge City bound for the East, earning Dodge the nickname "Queen of the Cowtowns". In response to demands of Methodists and other evangelical Protestants , in 1881 Kansas became
1331-432: 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. Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. The residents of Kansas have
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#17327730539571452-484: A separate race. The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 40.98% (64,177) white or European American (34.46% non-Hispanic white ), 21.53% (33,715) black or African-American , 1.14% (1,786) Native American or Alaska Native , 4.85% (7,590) Asian , 0.24% (370) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian , 16.07% (25,172) from other races , and 15.2% (23,797) from two or more races . The racial and ethnic makeup (where Hispanics are excluded from
1573-439: A significant body of water, there is significant potential for extremes of hot and cold swings in temperature throughout the year. Unless otherwise stated, normal figures below are based on data from 1981 to 2010 at Downtown Airport. The warmest month of the year is July, with a 24-hour average temperature of 81.0 °F (27.2 °C). The summer months are hot but can get very hot and moderately humid, with moist air riding up from
1694-537: A very high number of overall tornadoes, the tornadoes in the state seldom reach the velocity of those that may occur in the Southern Plains. In the United States, tornadoes typically occur in late spring and early summer during the changing season patterns as a warm air mass typically collides with a cold air mass resulting in tornadoes. Another criterion for the location of Tornado Alley can be where
1815-551: A woman will sit in the governor's chair in Kansas." Kansas suffered severe and environmental damage in the 1930s due to the combined effects of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl , and large numbers of people left southwestern Kansas in particular for better opportunities elsewhere. The outbreak of World War II spurred rapid growth in aircraft manufacturing near Wichita in the so-called Battle of Kansas , and
1936-449: 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 . Olathe is the county seat and home to Johnson County Executive Airport . The cities of Olathe, Shawnee , De Soto and Gardner have some of the state's fastest growing populations. The cities of Overland Park, Lenexa , Olathe, De Soto, and Gardner are also notable because they lie along
2057-458: Is 113 °F (45 °C), set on August 14, 1936, at Downtown Airport, while the official record minimum temperature is −23 °F (−31 °C), set on December 22 and 23, 1989. Normal seasonal snowfall is 13.4 inches (34 cm) at Downtown Airport and 18.8 in (48 cm) at Kansas City International Airport. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 31 to April 4, while for measurable (0.1 in or 0.25 cm) snowfall, it
2178-593: Is November 27 to March 16 as measured at Kansas City International Airport. Precipitation, both in frequency and total accumulation, shows a marked uptick in late spring and summer. Kansas City is situated on the edge of the " Tornado Alley ", a broad region where cold air from the Rocky Mountains in Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico , leading to the formation of powerful storms, especially during
2299-683: Is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States . It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named after the Kansas River , in turn named after the Kansa people. Its capital is Topeka , and its most populous city is Wichita ; however, the largest urban area is the bi-state Kansas City, MO–KS metropolitan area . For thousands of years, what
2420-544: Is a 3,500-seat indoor arena/auditorium located in the city's downtown. The venue, which has a permanent stage, is used for public assemblies, concerts, and sporting events. In 1887, John G. Braecklein constructed a Victorian home for John and Margaret Scroggs in the area of Strawberry Hill . It is a fine example of the Queen Anne style architecture erected in Kansas City, Kansas. The Rosedale Arch , dedicated to
2541-420: Is a charter member and was organized on February 28, 1918. The department has 18 fire stations in the city and covers an area of approximately 127 square miles. The department also has specialty teams, including heavy rescue, hazardous materials, foam team, water rescue, tactical medic, trench rescue, high angle/rope rescue, and technical urban search and rescue. The fire department has four public service programs:
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#17327730539572662-476: Is a single Tornado Alley in the United States and Canada, and that this can simply be subdivided into smaller areas based on regional attributes. The extension of the North American tornadically active in the southeastern U.S., notably the lower Mississippi Valley and the upper Tennessee Valley , are sometimes called by the nickname " Dixie Alley ", coined in 1971 by Allen Pearson , former director of
2783-712: 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
2904-615: Is covered by glacial drift and loess . The western two-thirds of the state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, while the eastern third has many hills and forests. The land gradually rises from east to west; its altitude ranges from 684 ft (208 m) along the Verdigris River at Coffeyville in Montgomery County , to 4,039 ft (1,231 m) at Mount Sunflower , 0.5 miles (0.80 kilometers) from
3025-690: Is defined by the Missouri River . 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 River at Kansas City , after a course of 170 mi (270 km) across the northeastern part of the state. The Arkansas River ( pronunciation varies ), rising in Colorado , flows with
3146-495: Is focused on the African-American community), business newspaper Kansas City Business Journal , and the bilingual publication Dos Mundos . The major U.S. broadcast television networks have affiliates in the Kansas City market, including WDAF-TV 4 ( Fox ), KCTV 5 ( CBS ), KMBC-TV 9 ( ABC ), KCPT 19 ( PBS ), KCWE 29 ( The CW ), KSHB-TV 41 ( NBC ) and KSMO-TV 62 ( MyNetworkTV ). Other television stations in
3267-716: 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 20,001. Tornado Alley Tornado Alley , also known as Tornado Valley , is a loosely defined location of the central United States and Canada where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to study severe weather in areas of Texas , Louisiana , Oklahoma , Kansas , South Dakota , Iowa and Nebraska . Tornado climatologists distinguish peaks in activity in certain areas and storm chasers have long recognized
3388-568: Is now Kansas was home to numerous and diverse Indigenous tribes . The first settlement of non-indigenous people in Kansas occurred in 1827 at Fort Leavenworth . The pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery debate. When it was officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854 with the Kansas–Nebraska Act , conflict between abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri broke out over
3509-469: Is particularly prone to violent, long track tornadoes. Much of the housing in this region is less robust compared to other areas in the United States, and many people live in mobile homes. As a result, tornado-related casualties in the southern United States are higher. Significant tornadoes occur less frequently than in the traditionally recognized tornado alley; however, very severe and expansive outbreaks occur every few years. These figures, reported by
3630-548: Is situated at Kaw Point , the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. It is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified Government". It is the location of the University of Kansas Medical Center and Kansas City Kansas Community College . In October 1872, "old" Kansas City, Kansas, was incorporated. The first city election was held on October 22 of that year by order of Judge Hiram Stevens of
3751-602: Is strongly influenced by its peninsular position between the Great Lakes . As a result, increases in temperature in this region are likely to increase the amount of precipitation in storms due to lake evaporation. Increased temperature contrasts may also increase the violence and possibly the number of tornadoes. Northern Ontario between the Manitoba border and Lake Superior is also prone to severe tornadoes, but tornadoes in this area are believed to be underestimated due to
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3872-463: 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 , and
3993-559: Is the site of his Presidential Library and the tombs of the former president, First Lady and son who died in infancy. To the west is Lucas , the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas. Westward along the Interstate, the city of Russell , traditionally the beginning of sparsely-populated northwest Kansas, was the base of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole and the boyhood home of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter . The city of Hays
4114-524: The 2011 Goderich tornado , have been violent. However, most Ontario tornadoes are concentrated in a narrow corridor from Windsor to Ottawa as well as through portions of Central Quebec. Tornadoes up to F4 in strength have been documented in this region. In more recent years, an emerging trend has suggested that the Ottawa Valley is seeing an increasing number of frequent and violent tornadoes. The 2018 National Capital Region Outbreak spawned
4235-632: The 2022 season to Children's Mercy Park . The team's ownership committed to building a soccer specific stadium across the state line in Kansas City, Missouri, on the Berkley Riverfront Park, which broke ground on October 6, 2022, with a goal to open by March 2024. The Kansas City Monarchs is an independent baseball team in the American Association , which moved to Kansas City, Kansas, in 2003 and, through 2019, played its home games at Legends Field, located adjacent to
4356-652: The Amerindians . Explorer Antoine de Marigny and others continued trading across the Kansas River , especially at its confluence with the Missouri River , tributaries of the Mississippi River . In 1803, most of modern Kansas was acquired 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
4477-539: The Great Flood of 1951 and the Great Flood of 1993 . The 2020 United States census counted 156,607 people, 57,079 households, and 36,392 families in Kansas City. The population density was 1,255.5 per square mile (484.7/km). There were 63,446 housing units at an average density of 508.6 per square mile (196.4/km). The U.S. Census accounts for race by two methodologies. "Race alone" and "Race alone less Hispanics" where Hispanics are delineated separately as if
4598-490: The Great Plains tornado belt . As a colloquial term there are no definitively set boundaries of Tornado Alley, but the area common to most definitions extends from Texas, through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota , Wisconsin , Illinois , Indiana , Missouri , Arkansas , North Dakota , Montana , Ohio , and eastern portions of Colorado , New Mexico and Wyoming . Research suggests that
4719-420: The Gulf of Mexico . High temperatures surpass 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.6 days of the year and 90 °F (32 °C) on 47 days. The coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of 31.0 °F (−0.6 °C). Winters are cold, with 22 days where the high is at or below the freezing mark and 2.5 nights with a low at or below 0 °F (−18 °C). The official record maximum temperature
4840-530: The Kansa , a federally recognized Native American tribe. The tribe 's name (natively kką:ze ) is often said to mean "people of the (south) wind" although this was probably not the term's original meaning. Before European colonization , Kansas was occupied by the Caddoan Wichita and later the Siouan Kaw people . Tribes in the eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along
4961-698: The Kansas Speedway , tenants include Hollywood Casino, The Legends At Village West , AMC Theatres IMAX , Cabela's , Nebraska Furniture Mart , Great Wolf Lodge , Monarchs Stadium , the home stadium of the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball , over three dozen restaurants, and Children's Mercy Park , the home stadium of the Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer franchise. Schlitterbahn Vacation Village ,
Kansas City, Kansas - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-502: The Köppen climate classification , Kansas has three climates: humid continental, semi-arid steppe, and humid subtropical. The eastern two-thirds of the state (especially the northeastern portion) has a humid continental climate , with cool to cold winters and hot, often humid summers. Most of the precipitation falls during both the summer and the spring. The USDA hardiness zones for Kansas range from Zone 5b (−15 °F to −10 °F) in
5203-570: 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 and Washburn Institute of Technology . 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
5324-563: The Muncie area. Kansas City, Kansas, is part of a bi-state media market that comprises 32 counties in northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri. The Kansas City media market (ranked 32nd by Arbitron and 31st by Nielsen ) includes 10 television stations and 30 FM and 21 AM radio stations. Due to its close proximity to the Topeka media market, most of the television and radio stations from that city are receivable over-the-air in portions of
5445-570: The National Climatic Data Center for the period between 1991 and 2010, show the seventeen U.S. states with the highest average number of EF0-EF5 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles (25,899.9 km ) per year. Canada records the second most tornadoes in the world after the United States. The average number of tornadoes per equal area of land is highest in the southern parts of Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba , and Ontario . Roughly half of all Canadian tornadoes strike
5566-605: The National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC). A 2018 study found in the U.S., over the study period 1979–2017, an overall eastward shift of tornado frequency and impacts - toward Dixie Alley. The study found, since 1979, relatively-lower tornado frequency and impacts in parts of the traditional Tornado Alley, especially areas from north-central Texas toward the Houston, TX area, and relatively-higher tornado frequency and impacts in parts of
5687-808: The National Weather Service (NWS). Thus, differences in location are the result of the different criteria used. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) FAQ, "Tornado Alley" is a term used by the media as a reference to areas that have higher numbers of tornadoes. A study of 1921–1995 tornadoes concluded almost one-fourth of all significant tornadoes occur in this area. Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, and western Ohio are sometimes included in Tornado Alley. Some research suggests that tornadoes are becoming more frequent in
5808-600: The Providence Medical Center Amphitheater , the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame , and the annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival . 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
5929-413: The 1930s. It was one of the nation's 100 largest cities for many U.S. Census counts, from 1890 to 1960, including 1920, when it had a population of over 100,000 residents for the first time. As with adjacent Kansas City, Missouri, the percentage of the city's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic whites , has declined from 76.3% in 1970 to 40.2% in 2010. In 1997, voters approved a proposition to unify
6050-639: The 2020 census, and the 10th least densely populated . Residents of Kansas are called Kansans . Mount Sunflower is Kansas's highest point at 4,039 feet (1,231 meters). The name Kansas derives from the Algonquian term, Akansa , for the Quapaw people. These were a Dhegiha Siouan -speaking people who settled in Arkansas around the 13th century. The stem - kansa is named after the Kaw people , also known as
6171-744: The 48 contiguous states is in Smith County near Lebanon . Until 1989, the Meades Ranch Triangulation Station in Osborne County was the geodetic center of North America: the central reference point for all maps of North America. The geographic center of Kansas is in Barton County . Kansas is underlain by a sequence of horizontal to gently westward dipping sedimentary rocks . A sequence of Mississippian , Pennsylvanian and Permian rocks outcrop in
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#17327730539576292-416: The 57,079 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18; 38.2% were married couples living together; 30.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 29.2% of households consisted of individuals, and 10.2% 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 3.5. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher
6413-566: The Canadian Prairies and Northern Ontario as far east as Lake Superior . Together, these regions make up the northernmost border of the U.S. Tornado Alley. Tornadoes up to F5 in strength have been documented in this region. Another third of Canadian tornadoes strike Southern Ontario and Quebec , especially in the region between the Great Lakes and the nation's capital city, Ottawa . Tornadoes do not often hit lake shadow regions, although they are not unknown, and some, such as
6534-547: The Colorado border, in Wallace County . It is a common misconception that Kansas is the flattest state in the nation—in 2003, a tongue-in-cheek study famously declared the state "flatter than a pancake". In fact, Kansas has a maximum topographic relief of 3,360 ft (1,020 m), making it the 23rd flattest U.S. state measured by maximum relief. Around 74 mi (119 km) of the state's northeastern boundary
6655-576: The FBI, there were a total of 696 incidents. Retired KCK police detective Roger Golubski has been accused of sexual assault , protecting organized crime, and obtaining convictions on falsified evidence and coerced perjury. Lamonte McIntire was exonerated and released in October 2017 after 23 years in prison for a double murder. His mother claimed Golubski tried to force her into a sexual relationship. When she refused, Golubski framed her son. Detectives working
6776-748: The Kansas City, Kansas, area. KCTV , the market's CBS affiliate, is licensed to Kansas City, Missouri, but operates out of Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas City, Kansas, is served by the Kansan , a daily newspaper which ceased its print publication and became an online-only paper in 2009. Newspapers serving the city's suburbs include The Record (serving Turner, Argentine, and Rosedale), Piper Press (serving Piper), and The Wyandotte West (weekly publication for western Wyandotte County). Weekly newspapers include alternative publication The Pitch , faith-oriented newspaper The Kansas City Metro Voice , The Wyandotte Echo (which focuses on legal news), The Call (which
6897-540: 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 (nicknamed "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
7018-988: The Kansas River; and the Marais des Cygnes , a tributary of the Missouri River. Spring River is located between Riverton and Baxter Springs . Areas under the protection of the National Park Service include: In Kansas, there are currently 238 species of rare animals and 400 rare plants. Among those include: Smooth rockress , Virginia rail , Western Grotto Salamander , Royal Fern , Turkey-tangle , Bobolink , Cave salamander , Snowy Plover , Strecker's Chorus Frog , Peregrine falcon , and Black-footed ferret . Common animal species and grasses include: Crows , Deer , Lesser prairie chicken , Mice , Moles , Virginia Opossum , Prairie dogs , Raccoon , Eastern Gama Grass , Prairie Dropseed , Indian Grass , Little Bluestem , Switch grass , Northern Sea Oats , Tussock Sedge , Sideoats grama , and Big Bluestem . In
7139-475: The Mid-South, especially eastern Arkansas, the greater Memphis, TN area and northern Mississippi - all areas near the heart of Dixie Alley - see especially Figure 4. In Tornado Alley, warm, humid air from the equator meets cool to cold, dry air from Canada and the Rocky Mountains . This creates an ideal environment for tornadoes to form within developed thunderstorms and supercell . The term "tornado alley"
7260-523: The North to Zone 7a (0 °F to 5 °F) in the South. The western third of the state—from roughly the U.S. Route 83 corridor westward—has a semi-arid steppe climate. Summers are hot, often very hot, and generally less humid. Winters are highly changeable between warm and very cold. The western region receives an average of about 16 inches (410 millimeters) of precipitation per year. Chinook winds in
7381-449: The T-Bones joined many other former Northern League teams in the relatively new American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The T-Bones won the Northern League Championship in 2008 and the American Association Championship in 2018. The Unified Government evicted it from its stadium on October 14, 2019, for nonpayment of rent and utilities. Kansas Kansas ( / ˈ k æ n z ə s / KAN -zəss )
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#17327730539577502-400: The Tenth Judicial District and resulted in the election of Mayor James Boyle. The mayors of the city after its organization were James Boyle, C. A. Eidemiller, A. S. Orbison, Eli Teed, and Samuel McConnell. In June 1880, the Governor of Kansas , John St. John , proclaimed the city of Kansas City a city of the second class with Mayor McConnell present. In March 1886, "new" Kansas City, Kansas,
7623-445: The United States and are markedly weaker than some hurricane prone areas, such as south Florida. One particular tornado-afflicted town, Moore, Oklahoma , managed to increase its building requirements in 2014. Other common precautionary measures include the construction of storm cellars and the installation of tornado sirens . Tornado awareness, preparedness , and media weather coverage are also high. The southeastern United States
7744-410: The Village West development in western Wyandotte County. The team was previously a member of the Northern League (which was not affiliated with Major League Baseball ), until it dissolved following the 2010 season. While the remaining Northern League teams became members of the North American League as part of the Northern League's merger with the Golden Baseball League and United Baseball League ,
7865-554: The Village West district. The team originally planned to move to Trails Stadium , a planned stadium facility in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2011, but the project was scuttled in 2009. The developer of the planned venue moved the project to the Village West area, near Legends Field, and received the needed approvals in January 2010. The Kansas City Current replaced the now defunct National Women's Soccer League team FC Kansas City , which ceased operations in 2017. The Current played its inaugural season at Legends Field before moving for
7986-423: The aerospace sector remains a significant portion of the Kansan economy to this day. Kansas is bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. The state is divided into 105 counties with 628 cities , with its largest county by area being Butler County . Kansas is located equidistant from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The geographic center of
8107-409: The age of 18 and 9.6% of those ages 65 or over. According to the 2010 census, there were 145,786 people, 53,925 households, and 35,112 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,168.1 inhabitants per square mile (451.0/km). There were 61,969 housing units at an average density of 496.5 per square mile (191.7/km). The median age in the city was 32.5 years. 28.4% of residents were under
8228-420: The age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. There were 53,925 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had
8349-644: The all-time highest temperature recorded in Kansas is (121 °F or 49.4 °C) on July 24, 1936, near Alton in Osborne County , and the all-time low is −40 °F (−40 °C) on February 13, 1905, near Lebanon in Smith County . Alton and Lebanon are approximately 50 miles (80 km) apart. Kansas's record high of 121 °F (49.4 °C) ties with North Dakota for the fifth-highest record high in an American state, behind California (134 °F or 56.7 °C), Arizona (128 °F or 53.3 °C), Nevada (125 °F or 51.7 °C), and New Mexico (122 °F or 50 °C). Known as rural flight ,
8470-418: The campus, Aggieville dates back to 1889 and is the state's oldest shopping district of its kind. In south-central Kansas, the Wichita metropolitan area is home to more than 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 . Before Wichita
8591-529: The case refused to collect basic evidence. Former KCK Police Chief Terry Ziegler and other supervisors knew about this. On September 15, 2022, Golubski was indicted by a federal grand jury in Topeka , Kansas, and arrested on six counts of sexual assault under color of law. Another three-count federal indictment was unsealed November 14, almost two months later: Golubski and three other men—Cecil Brooks, LeMark Roberson, and Richard Robinson—were charged with conspiring, decades ago, to keep young women as sex slaves. At
8712-662: The city and county governments, creating the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 128.38 square miles (332.50 km), of which, 124.81 square miles (323.26 km) is land and 3.57 square miles (9.25 km) is water. Neighborhoods of Kansas City, Kansas, include the following: Kansas City lies in the Midwestern United States , as well as near
8833-629: The city and killing nearly 200 people. He was roundly condemned by both the conventional Confederate military and the partisan rangers commissioned by the Missouri legislature . His application to that body for a commission was flatly rejected due to his pre-war criminal record. Passage of the Homestead Acts in 1862 accelerated settlement and agricultural development in the state. After the Civil War, many veterans constructed homesteads in Kansas. Many African Americans also looked to Kansas as
8954-556: The city was $ 33,011, and the median income for a family was $ 39,491. Males had a median income of $ 30,992 versus $ 24,543 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,737. About 13.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that employment in Wyandotte County, Kansas, increased 4% from March 2011 to March 2012. The sharp rise in
9075-402: The city. The largest employer is the University of Kansas Hospital . The adjoining University of Kansas Medical Center , including the schools of medicine, nursing, and allied health, is also among the city's largest employers (with a student population of about 3,000). Village West is a business and entertainment district located at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 435 . Anchored by
9196-558: The conclusion of the Mexican–American War in 1848, when these lands were ceded to the United States . 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
9317-453: The day. Precipitation ranges from about 47 inches (1,200 mm) annually in the state's southeast corner to about 16 inches (410 mm) in the southwest. Snowfall ranges from around 5 inches (130 mm) in the fringes of the south, to 35 inches (890 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 country's ninth or tenth sunniest state, depending on
9438-473: The eastern and southern part of the state. The state's western half has exposures of Cretaceous through Tertiary sediments, the latter derived from the erosion of the uplifted Rocky Mountains to the west. These are underlain by older Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments which correlate well with the outcrops to the east. The state's northeastern corner was subjected to glaciation in the Pleistocene and
9559-410: The fastest-growing in the country. 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
9680-482: The first U.S. state to adopt a constitutional amendment prohibiting all alcoholic beverages , which was repealed in 1948. Anti-saloon activist Carrie Nation vandalized her first saloon in Kiowa in 1900. In 1922, suffragist Ella Uphay Mowry became the first female gubernatorial candidate in the state when she ran as "Mrs. W.D. Mowry". She later stated that, "Someone had to be the pioneer. I firmly believe that some day
9801-683: The first permanent settlement of white Americans in the future state. The Kansas–Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854, establishing Nebraska Territory and Kansas Territory , 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 . The first non-military settlement of Euro-Americans in Kansas Territory consisted of abolitionists from Massachusetts and other Free-Staters who founded
9922-756: 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 Baker University (the oldest university in the state, founded in 1858 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church ) in Baldwin City, Benedictine College (sponsored by St. Benedict's Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica Monastery and formed from
10043-461: The geographic center of the country, at the confluence of the longest river in the country, the Missouri River , and the Kansas River (also known as the Kaw River). The city lies in the humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa ) zone, with four distinct seasons and moderate precipitation, and is part of USDA plant hardiness zone 6. Being located in the center of North America , far removed from
10164-510: The heat index in those three cities is usually lower than the actual air temperature. Although temperatures of 100 °F (38 °C) or higher are not as common in areas east of U.S. 81, higher humidity and the urban heat island effect lead most summer days to heat indices between 107 and 114 °F (42 and 46 °C) in Topeka , Lawrence , and the Kansas City metropolitan area . Also, combined with humidity between 85 and 95 percent, dangerous heat indices can be experienced at every hour of
10285-473: The land of " John Brown " and, led by freedmen like Benjamin "Pap" Singleton , began establishing black colonies in the state. Leaving southern states in the late 1870s because of increasing discrimination, they became known as Exodusters . At the same time, the Chisholm Trail was opened and the Wild West era commenced in Kansas. Storied lawman Wild Bill Hickok was a deputy marshal at Fort Riley and
10406-415: The largest employers in the city are: Kansas City, Kansas, has a consolidated city-county government in which the city and county have been merged into one jurisdiction. As such, it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state. The Kansas Legislature passed enabling legislation in 1997, and voters approved the consolidation proposal
10527-528: 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 3,000 people, and hundreds of those have fewer than 1,000. In Kansas alone, there are more than 6,000 ghost towns and dwindling communities, according to one Kansas historian, Daniel C. Fitzgerald. At the same time, some of the communities in Johnson County (metropolitan Kansas City) are among
10648-540: The main alley may be shifting eastward away from the Great Plains, and that tornadoes are also becoming more frequent in the northern and eastern parts of Tornado Alley where it reaches the Canadian Prairies , Ohio , Michigan , and Southern Ontario . Over the years, the location(s) of Tornado Alley have not been clearly defined. No definition of tornado alley has ever been officially designated by
10769-617: The market include Saint Joseph, Missouri -based KTAJ-TV 16 ( TBN ), KCKS-LD 25, Lawrence, Kansas -based KMCI-TV 38 ( independent ), Spanish-language station KUKC-LD 20 ( Univision ), and KPXE-TV 50 ( Ion Television ). The Major League Soccer franchise Sporting Kansas City (which was originally known as the Kansas City Wiz for its inaugural year in 1996 and the Kansas City Wizards from 1997 to 2010) currently plays its home games at Children's Mercy Park in
10890-403: The median household income was $ 46,424 (with a margin of error of ±$ 1,298) and the median family income was $ 54,955 (±$ 2,431). Males had a median income of $ 32,908 (±$ 1,298) versus $ 26,001 (±$ 789) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $ 29,809 (±$ 1,006). Approximately, 15.5% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 27.6% of those under
11011-527: The men of Kansas City, Kansas, who served in World War I, is a small-scale replica of France's famous Arc de Triomphe . It is located on Mount Marty in Rosedale, overlooking the intersection of Rainbow and Southwest Boulevards. Wyandotte High School is a public school building located at 2501 Minnesota Avenue. Built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project, the school was later designated as
11132-653: The merger of St. Benedict's College (1858) and Mount St. Scholastica College (1923)) in Atchison, 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
11253-416: The network. The network became operational in 2012. Piper, Kansas , became the first full community in the nation (based on actual residential votes and pre-registration counts) to have residential broadband internet network infrastructures using fiber-optic communication of 1 Gbit/s download and upload speeds provided by Google Fiber . According to the city's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
11374-825: The new South Branch, at 3104 Strong Ave., a few blocks to the west and north, which opened September 26, 2012. The library has turned over the building to the Kansas City, Kansas, USD 500. Other points of interest in the Kansas City, Kansas, area include Fire Station No. 9 , Granada Theater , Hanover Heights Neighborhood Historic District , Huron Cemetery , Judge Louis Gates House , Kansas City, Kansas Hall, Kansas City, Kansas Fire Headquarters, Great Wolf Lodge , Schlitterbahn Vacation Village , Quindaro Townsite , Sauer Castle , Scottish Rite Temple , Shawnee Street Overpass , Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, St. Augustine Hall, Theodore Shafer House, Trowbridge Archeological Site, Westheight Manor and Westheight Manor District, White Church Christian Church, Wyandotte County Courthouse and
11495-481: The nickname Bleeding Kansas . These included John Brown 's Pottawatomie massacre of 1856. Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861, making it the 34th state to join the United States. By that time, the violence in Kansas had largely subsided, but during the Civil War, on August 21, 1863, William Quantrill led several hundred of his supporters on a raid into Lawrence , destroying much of
11616-522: The northern parts of Tornado Alley where it reaches the Canadian Prairies. No place on earth is entirely free of tornadoes, however, they occur much more frequently in the United States , particularly in the Central states , between the Rocky Mountains to the west and Appalachian Mountains to the east. Texas has the most overall number of tornadoes of any state. Per data collected through 2007, Kansas and Oklahoma ranked first and second respectively in
11737-444: The number of tornadoes per area. However, in 2013 statistics from the National Climatic Data Center reported Florida ranked first in tornadoes per area, although Florida is not a part of Tornado Alley. Florida's high ranking on the tornado list also has to do with the fact that the state sees a high number of waterspouts , small tornadoes that form over water. Although strong land-tornadoes have hit Florida and reports show Florida has
11858-703: The number of workers resulted in Wyandotte County ranking 19th in the nation and 1st in the Kansas City metropolitan area for job growth as of September 28, 2012. Kansas City is the home to the General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant , which manufactures the Chevrolet Malibu and the Cadillac XT4 . The Federal Bureau of Prisons maintains its North Central Region Office in the city. In addition, Associated Wholesale Grocers and Kansas City Steak Company are based within
11979-555: The question of whether Kansas would become a free state or a slave state , in a period known as Bleeding Kansas . On January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state, hence the unofficial nickname "The Free State". Passage of the Homestead Acts in 1862 brought a further influx of settlers, and the booming cattle trade of the 1870s attracted some of the Wild West's most iconic figures to western Kansas. As of 2015, Kansas
12100-448: The racial counts and placed in their own category) was 34.46% (53,962) White alone (non-Hispanic) , 21.14% (33,105) Black alone (non-Hispanic) , 0.40% (619) Native American alone (non-Hispanic) , 4.80% (7,512) Asian alone (non-Hispanic) , 0.22% (347) Pacific Islander alone (non-Hispanic) , 0.34% (537) Other Race alone (non-Hispanic) , 4.07% (6,381) Multiracial or Mixed Race (non-Hispanic) , and 34.57% (54,144) Hispanic or Latino . Of
12221-513: The river valleys. Tribes in the western part of the state were semi-nomadic and hunted large herds of bison . The first European to set foot in present-day Kansas was the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado , who explored the area in 1541. Between 1763 and 1803, the territory of Kansas was integrated into Spanish Louisiana . During that period, Governor Luis de Unzaga 'le Conciliateur' promoted expeditions and good relations with
12342-543: The same year. The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department was founded in 1898. By 1918, the department had begun taking photographs and fingerprints of all the people its officers had arrested. The Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department was founded on December 25, 1883. The fire department is part of the Firefighter's Relief Association and the International Association of Fire Fighters. IAFF Local 64
12463-750: The source. Western Kansas is as sunny as parts of California and Arizona . Kansas is prone to severe weather, especially in the spring and the early-summer. Despite the frequent sunshine throughout much of the state, due to its location at a climatic boundary prone to intrusions of multiple air masses, the state is vulnerable to strong and severe thunderstorms. Some of these storms become supercell thunderstorms; these can produce some tornadoes , occasionally those of EF3 strength or higher. Kansas averages more than 50 tornadoes annually. Severe thunderstorms sometimes drop some very large hail over Kansas as well. Furthermore, these storms can even bring in flash flooding and damaging straight line winds. According to NOAA,
12584-821: The spring. A few areas of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area have had some severe outbreaks of tornadoes at different points in the past, including the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957 , the May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence , and the Tornado Outbreak Sequence of May 2019 . The region can also fall victim to sporadic ice storms during the winter months, such as the 2002 ice storm during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks. Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including
12705-470: The state as a whole was 78.5 years. Life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2019 was 78.8 years. The northeastern portion of the state, extending from the eastern border to Junction City and from the Nebraska border to south of Johnson County is home to more than 1.5 million people in the Kansas City (Kansas portion), Manhattan, Lawrence, and Topeka metropolitan areas . Overland Park ,
12826-458: The state, and Haskell Indian Nations University . To the north, Kansas City , with the second largest land area in the state, contains a number of diverse ethnic neighborhoods. Its attractions include the Kansas Speedway , Sporting Kansas City , Kansas City Monarchs , and The Legends at Village West retail and entertainment center. Nearby, Kansas's first settlement Bonner Springs is home to several national and regional attractions including
12947-731: The strongest tornadoes occur more frequently. Tornado Alley can also be defined as an area reaching from central Texas to the Canadian Prairies and from eastern Colorado to western Ohio. Some researchers argue that there are several Tornado Alleys. In addition to the Texas/Oklahoma/Kansas core, such other areas include the Upper Midwest, the lower Ohio Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the lower Mississippi valley, which may have respective distinguishing characteristics. A coherent conception considers that there
13068-678: The time of this indictment, Brooks was in a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas; the locations of the others were unavailable. The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library system has five branch libraries spread throughout Wyandotte County: the Main Library, South Branch Library, Turner Community Library, West Wyandotte Library, and the Mr. & Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Environmental Library in Wyandotte County Lake Park. The system
13189-471: The town of Lawrence and attempted to stop the spread of slavery from neighboring Missouri. Missouri and Arkansas continually sent settlers into Kansas Territory along its eastern border to sway votes in favor of slavery prior to Kansas statehood elections. Directly presaging the American Civil War these forces collided, entering into skirmishes and guerrilla conflicts that earned the territory
13310-554: The winter can warm western Kansas all the way into the 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) range. The south-central and southeastern portions of the state, including the Wichita area, have a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, milder winters, and more precipitation than elsewhere in Kansas. Some features of all three climates can be found in most of the state, with droughts and changeable weather between dry and humid not uncommon, and both warm and cold spells in
13431-605: The winter. Temperatures in areas between U.S. Routes 83 and 81 , as well as the southwestern portion of the state along and south of U.S. 50 , reach 90 °F (32 °C) or above on most days of June, July, and August. High humidity added to the high temperatures sends the heat index into life-threatening territory, especially in Wichita, Hutchinson , Salina , Russell , Hays , and Great Bend . Temperatures are often higher in Dodge City , Garden City , and Liberal , but
13552-571: Was 'The Air Capital' it was a Cowtown. 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. Wichita's population growth has grown by double digits and the 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. Other fast-growing cities include Andover , Maize , Park City , Derby , and Haysville . Wichita
13673-424: Was among the most productive agricultural states, producing high yields of wheat, corn, sorghum , and soybeans . In addition to its traditional strength in agriculture, Kansas possesses an extensive aerospace industry. Kansas, which has an area of 82,278 square miles (213,100 square kilometers) is the 15th-largest state by area , the 36th most-populous of the 50 states, with a population of 2,940,865 according to
13794-415: Was estimated to be 12.0% of the population. 27.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 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
13915-523: Was first used in 1952 by U.S. Air Force meteorologists Major Ernest J. Fawbush (1915–1982) and Captain Robert C. Miller (1920–1998), as the title of a research project to study severe weather in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Despite the elevated frequency of destructive tornadoes, building codes , such as requiring strengthened roofs and more secure connections between the building and its foundation , are not necessarily stricter compared to other areas of
14036-456: Was formed in 1895. In 1899, it came under the authority of the Kansas City, Kansas Public School District Board of Education. River transportation was important to early Kansas City, Kansas, as its location at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers afforded easy access to trade. Kansas City Area Transportation Authority provides transportation for 60k riders daily. A portion of I-70
14157-400: Was formed through the consolidation of five municipalities: "old" Kansas City, Armstrong, Armourdale , Riverview, and Wyandotte. The oldest city of the group was Wyandotte, which was formed in 1857 by Wyandot Native Americans and Methodist missionaries. In the 1890s, the city saw an explosive growth in population as a streetcar suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. This growth continued until
14278-472: Was one of the first cities to add the city commissioner and city manager in their form of government. Wichita is also home of the nationally recognized Sedgwick County Zoo. 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 (of what would form Strataca ), and it has the world's largest and longest wheat elevator. It
14399-662: Was the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (though not the first constructed or to begin construction). The nearest airport is Kansas City International Airport . Kansas City, Kansas, has a number of buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The city is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas , which covers 12,500 square miles (32,000 km) in eastern Kansas. Memorial Hall
14520-582: Was the site of the deadliest tornado in Kansas on May 25, 1955; it killed 80 people in and near the city. 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
14641-479: Was the site of the worst mine disaster in the state in which an underground explosion killed 47 miners. " Big Brutus " is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) outside the city of West Mineral . Along with the restored fort, historic Fort Scott has a national cemetery designated by President Lincoln in 1862. The region also shares a Media market with Joplin, Missouri , a city in Southwest Missouri. Salina
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