Kansas Facts

68 Kansas Facts

1. Kansas is one of the 50 states of the United States of America.
2. Kansas was the 34th state to join the United States on January 29, 1861.
3. Kansas is in the midwestern region of the United States.
4. Kansas is the 15th largest U.S. state, covering a total of 82,278.36 square miles or 2.16% of the total area of the United States.
5. Kansas's 82,278.36 square miles is 99.37% land and 0.63% surface water.
6. Kansas is ranked 15th with the most land area in the United States, with 81,758.72 square miles of land area.
7. Kansas is ranked 42nd with the most water area in the United States, with 519.64 square miles of water area.
8. Kansas is the 35th most populated U.S. state with a population of 2,937,880 or 0.89% of the total population of the United States.
9. The state capital of Kansas is the city of Topeka.
10. Kansas is divided into 105 counties statewide.
11. Johnson County is the most populated county in Kansas
12. The most populated city in Kansas is Wichita with an estimated 389,225 residents.
13. The five most populated city in Kansas are Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe and Topeka.
14. A native or resident Kansas is called a Kansan.
15. Kansas's average elevation statewide is 2,000 feet.
16. Kansas's highest elevation point is Mount Sunflower at 4,041 feet.
17. Kansas's lowest elevation point is the Verdigris River at 679 feet.
18. Kansas is in both Central Time Zone (CT) and Mountain Time Zone (MT).
19. The two letter abbreviation for Kansas is KS.
20. The ISO 3166 code for Kansas is US-KS.
21. Kansas is called the Sunflower State and the Jayhawker State.
22. The estimated median household income in Kansas is $62,087.
23. Kansas is the 43rd most expensive U.S. state to buy a home with an estimated median home price of $150,657.
24. Kansas is ranked 49th on the cost of living index out of all 50 U.S. states.
25. Kansas has the 43rd oldest population in the United States with a median age of 37.3.
26. Kansas's average temperature is 54.68°F making it the 19th warmest state in the United States.
27. Kansas on average has 32.43 inches of precipitation per year, making it the 36th wettest U.S. state.
28. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Kansas was 121 °F on Friday, July 24, 1936, in Alton, KS.
29. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Kansas was -40 °F on Monday, February 13, 1905, in Lebanon, KS.
30. The geographical center of the United States is a stone monument in Lebanon, Kansas.
31. The first Pizza Hut restaurant was opened in Wichita, Kansas in the late 1950s.
32. During the 1950s and through the 1960s the United States military deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles stations throughout Kansas and would remain in service through the 1980s.
33. During the Late Cretaceous Period, Kansas was completely underwater and part of the Western Interior Seaway. That’s why so many fossils of extinct marine dinosaurs and animals are found in Kansas.
34. The First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas was made with grasshoppers. When it was being built there was a bad invasion of grasshoppers and they got mixed in with the building materials.
35. Kansas is a part of Tornado Alley, which is an area with a high frequency of tornadoes.
36. On average, 96 tornadoes will strike various parts of Kansas every year.
37. Kansas has experienced six F5 or EF5 tornadoes since 1952, which are the strongest tornadoes possible on the tornado rating scale.
38. In 1450, the city of Etzanoa is established by the Wichita people (Kitikiti'sh).
39. In 1541, Spanish conquistador becomes the first European to explore parts of modern-day Kansas.
40. In 1725, Kanza Native Americans destroy the French Fort Orleans.
41. In 1744, Fort Cavagnial is built near modern-day Fort Leavenworth, by the French and used until it’s closed in 1764.
42. In 1780, the future site of Manhattan, Kansas is settled by the Kansa tribe.
43. In 1803, modern-day Kansas becomes part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase.
44. In 1806, a Pawnee Native American chief raises the first American flag in modern-day Kansas.
45. In 1821, the Santa Fe Trail is opened in Kansas.
46. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act is enacted and speeds up the removal of Native Americans in Kansas.
47. In 1863, the American Civil War event known as the Lawrence Massacre took place in Lawrence, Kansas. A Confederate guerilla group destroyed Lawrence and killed over a hundred people.
48. In 1881, Kansas became the first U.S. state to adopt the 18th amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited the use and sale of beverages containing alcohol.
49. In 1895, the Wichita State University is established in Wichita, Kansas.
50. In 1903, the federal penitentiary Leavenworth is opened in Leavenworth, Kansas.
51. In 1916, Kansas sends National Guard troops down to the United States-Mexican border.
52. In 1929, Charles Curtis is elected the 31st vice president of the United States and becomes the first person with Native American ancestry to be elected to the highest office.
53. In 1935, the dust storm referred to Black Sunday devastates portions of Kansas.
54. In 1939, the fantasy film The Wizard of Oz is released.
55. In 1943, Camp Concordia is opened and operates as a prisoner-of-war camp for German Army prisoners.
56. In 1966, a devastating F5 tornado strikes Topeka, Kansas and kills 16 people.
57. In 1985, the Wolf Creek Generating Station, a nuclear power plant, becomes commercial operations in Burlington, Kansas.
58. In 1991, Joan Finney becomes the first woman to be elected as Governor of Kansas and serves from 1991 to 1995.
59. In 2007, a deadly EF5 tornado strikes the Greensburg area and kills 13 people.
60. Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas on July 24th, 1879. She is known for her many first achievement records in aviation and her unsolved disappearance over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.
61. Biochemist and pharmacologist Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr. was born in Burlingame, Kansas on November 19th, 1915. He is known for his discovery of the actions of hormones, which won in the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1971.
62. Electrical engineer Jack Kilby was born in Great Bend, Kansas on November 8th, 1923. He is known for winning the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics for his role in the invention of integrated circuits.
63. Guitarist Dawayne Bailey was born in Manhattan, Kansas on October 3rd, 1954. He is known for his tours with famous singers, such as Bob Seger and the band Chicago.
64. Professional football player Barry Sanders was born in Wichita, Kansas on July 16th, 1968. He is known for his successful in the National Football League (NFL) and is considered one of the greatest running backs of all time.
65. Kansas's official state motto is "Ad astra per aspera" (Latin: To the stars through difficulties).
66. Kansas's official state bird is the Western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).
67. Kansas's official state tree is the Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides).
68. Kansas's official state flower is the Sunflower (Helianthus annuus).

Pictures of Kansas, USA

The state of Kansas and its regional area on a Map of the United States of America.

The official state flag of Kansas waving in the wind on a flag pole.

The official state seal of Kansas that is used by the state's government.

Topeka the capital city of Kansas.

Wichita, Kansas, United States of America.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve