Kansas
Sunflower State · Capital: Topeka · Midwest (Plains)
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Bordering states: Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado.
About Kansas
Kansas sits in the Midwest between Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Colorado, and the geographic center of the contiguous 48 states is marked near Lebanon. Three of its borders are surveyed lines; only the Missouri boundary bends to follow a river. The land climbs 3,362 feet from the Verdigris River to Mount Sunflower, at 4,041 feet, but so gradually across about 400 miles that it reads as level. The High Plains cover the west, and the Flint Hills, never plowed because chert in the limestone wrecked plowshares, hold the large majority of the tallgrass prairie left in North America. Rainfall drops from over 45 inches a year in the southeast to about 16 near Colorado.
The Kansa, who gave the state its name, shared the land with the Osage, Wichita and Pawnee. After the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 left slavery to a vote of the settlers, the territory became Bleeding Kansas: proslavery forces sacked Lawrence in 1856, and John Brown and his sons killed five men at Pottawatomie Creek. Kansas joined the Union as the 34th state, and a free one, on January 29, 1861. Cattle shipping at Abilene, the Turkey Red wheat brought by Mennonite families and the Black settlement of Nicodemus followed. The southwest was the core of the Dust Bowl, and Topeka parents brought Brown v. Board of Education, decided in 1954.
Kansas counted 2,937,880 residents in the 2020 census, up 3.0 percent from 2010, and holds four House seats. Topeka is the capital and Wichita the largest city, an aviation center since Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech and Lloyd Stearman built aircraft there in the 1920s. Wind turbines supply more than a third of its electricity. Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, and Dwight Eisenhower grew up in Abilene. The wild sunflower, state flower since 1903, gave Kansas its nickname, and the motto Ad astra per aspera recalls the violence before statehood.
4 fun facts about Kansas
- Kansas is the geographic center of the contiguous 48 states (the exact point is near Lebanon, KS).
- The state averages 50+ tornadoes per year, "Tornado Alley" runs right through it.
- "The Wizard of Oz" famously starts in Kansas with Dorothy on a farm.
- Hutchinson hosts the only underground salt museum in the western hemisphere, 650 feet below ground.
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Frequently asked questions about Kansas
Is Kansas a US state?
Yes, Kansas is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1861, making it the 34th state. Its capital is Topeka and its largest city is Wichita.
What is the capital of Kansas?
The capital of Kansas is Topeka. Note that the largest city in Kansas is Wichita, not the capital, a common point of confusion.
When did Kansas become a state?
Kansas became a US state in 1861. It is the 34th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Kansas?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Kansas is KS.
How big is Kansas?
Kansas ranks #15 of 50 US states by area. With 35.9 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the 41st most densely populated state.
What is the population of Kansas?
Kansas had 2,937,880 residents at the 2020 census, the 35th largest population of the 50 states, up 3.0% since 2010. That count gives it 4 seats in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Kansas in?
Kansas is in the Midwest region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Kansas in?
Kansas observes Central Time (the state spans multiple time zones).
Learn more
How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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