Kansas is known for:
- Oil wells
- Wizard of Oz
- Wheat and cattle production
- Great plains
- Scorching summers and freezing winters
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
KS |
| State Capital |
Topeka |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 82,277 sq miles; Land Only: 81,815 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
105 |
| Time Zone |
Central Time Zone, Mountain Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma |
| Highest Point | Mount Sunflower, 4,041 feet |
| Tallest Building | Epic Center in Wichita, 320 feet |
| Largest Stadium | Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in Manhattan, capacity 52,200 |
| National Parks | None |
| State Population (2020) | 2,937,880 |
| State Population Density | 35.9 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
316, 620, 785, 913 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Wichita (391,731)
Overland Park (197,381)
Kansas City (152,727)
Olathe (141,665)
Topeka (124,558)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State Amphibian | Barred tiger salamander |
| State Animal | American bison |
| State Bird |
Western meadowlark |
| State Flower |
Sunflower |
| State Grass | Little bluestem |
| State Insect | Western honey bee |
| State Motto |
Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties) |
| State Nickname |
Sunflower State; Jayhawk State
| | State Reptile | Ornate box turtle |
| State Tree |
Cottonwood |
Sports Teams
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Big Brutus: Museum in West Mineral, Kansas.
- Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site: Historic site consisting of a school and adjacent grounds that commemorates the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision aimed at ending racial segregation in public schools, located in Topeka, Kansas.
- Cosmosphere: Space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Eisenhower Presidential Museum : Museum in Abilene, Kansas.
- Exploration Place: Science museum in Wichita, Kansas.
- Kansas Aviation Museum: Aviation museum in Wichita, Kansas.
- Kansas Speedway: Car racing track in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Museum of World Treasures: World history museum in Wichita, Kansas.
- Old Cowtown Museum: History museum in Wichita, Kansas.
- Overland Park Arboretum: Park in Overland Park, Kansas.
- Rolling Hills Zoo: Zoo in Salina, Kansas.
- Sedgwick County Zoo: Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.
- Sunset Zoo: Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas.
- Tanganyika Wildlife Park: Zoo in Goddard, Kansas.
- The Keeper of the Plains: Steel sculpture by Blackbear Bosin, located in Wichita, Kansas.
- Wichita Art Museum: Art museum in Wichita, Kansas.
Festivals and Events
Top festivals and events in Kansas. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.
| Festival / Event |
When |
Location |
| Kansas City Jazz Summit | April | Kansas City |
| Symphony in the Flint Hills June | June | Flint Hills region |
| Wichita Riverfest | June | Wichita |
| Amelia Earhart Festival | July | Atchison |
| SkyFest Marysville | July | Marysville |
| Dodge City Days | July to August | Dodge City |
| Kansas City Ethnic Enrichment Festival | August | Swope Park, Kansas City |
| Huff 'n Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally | September | Topeka |
| Kansas State Fair | September | Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson |
| Walnut Valley Festival | September | Winfield |
| Kansas City Renaissance Festival | September to October | Bonner Springs |
| Columbus Day Balloons | October | Columbus |
| Tallgrass Film Festival | October | Wichita |
Popular Iconic Kansas Foods
Kansas is famous for the following foods:
- BBQ
- Fried Chicken
- Bierocks
- Burnt Ends
- Sour cream and raisin pie
- The Z-Man
- Slider
- Sunflower Seed Brittle
Famous People Born In Kansas
Nobel Prize Winners
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Jack Christiansen (Safety, Kick Returner. Inducted in 1970)
- Gale Sayers (Halfback. Inducted in 1977)
- John Riggins (Running Back. Inducted in 1992)
- Barry Sanders (Running Back. Inducted in 2004)
- Will Shields (Guard. Inducted in 2015)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Walter Johnson (Pitcher. Inducted in 1936)
- Joe Tinker (Shortstop. Inducted in 1946)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Bud Foster (Forward. Inducted in 1964)
- Paul Endacott (Forward. Inducted in 1972)
- Ernest Schmidt (Forward. Inducted in 1974)
- Lynette Woodard (Guard. Inducted in 2004)
- Eddie Sutton (Coach. Inducted in 2020)
- Gene Keady (Coach. Inducted in 2023)
Hockey Hall Of Fame Members
- Silas Griffis (Defense. Inducted in 1950)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Kirstie Alley
- Dennis Hopper
- Kari Wahlgren
Famous Singers
- Martina McBride
- Jerrod Niemann
- James Wesley
Kansas Fun Facts
- The state of Kansas was named after Kansa, an Indian tribe that lived in the region about 12,000 years ago. The Kansa people were called Kansas and that became the name of the state.
- The geographic center of the 48 contiguous United States is located about 2.6 miles northwest of the center of Lebanon, Kansas.
- Because of its importance in the aircraft industry, Wichita is known as "the Air Capital of the World."
- In 1958, the first Pizza Hut restaurant was opened in Wichita, Kansas.
- The first woman mayor in the United States was Susan Madora Salter, who was elected to office in Argonia, Kansas in 1887.
- Kansas State Game rules prohibits the use of mules to hunt ducks.
- DeBruce Grain Elevator in Haysville, Kansas is the largest grain elevator in the world. It is 2,717 feet long.
- Walt Disney opened his first animation studio in Kansas City. Supposedly he fed a small mouse in the building, which he later said was his inspiration for Mickey Mouse.
This page was last updated on October 12, 2024.
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