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Wichita ( / ˈwɪtʃɪtɔː / WITCH-ih-taw) [10] is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. [3] . As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. [5] [6] The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. [8] . It is located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River. [3]
- Overview
- History
- The contemporary city
Wichita, city, seat (1870) of Sedgwick county, south-central Kansas, U.S. It lies on the Arkansas River near the mouth of the Little Arkansas, about 140 miles (225 km) southwest of Topeka. The city site is a gently rolling plain at an elevation of about 1,300 feet (400 metres). Summers are hot and winters cool; precipitation is moderate and falls mainly during the warm months.
Wichita, the largest city in the state, is at the heart of a three-county metropolitan area. Nearby communities include Park City (north), Andover (east), and Derby and Haysville (south). Inc. city, 1871. Area city, 139 square miles (360 square km). Pop. (2010) 382,368; Wichita Metro Area, 623,061; (2020) 397,532; Wichita Metro Area, 647,610.
Wichita was founded in 1864 as a trading post on the site of a village of the Wichita Indians. It owed its early development to the Texas cattle trade along the Chisholm Trail and to the rapid spread of agricultural settlement along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, then under construction. In its early years Wichita was a stopover on cattle drives to Abilene (Kansas) and other points as the railroad moved west; in 1872 the line reached Wichita, and the city became a major cattle-shipping centre. By 1875 farmers’ fences were obstructing the movement of beef herds, but grain became an important commodity.
Growth was continuous and rapid after 1900, with the population surpassing 100,000 in the 1920s and 250,000 in the 1950s. Meatpacking was a major industrial activity at the beginning of the 20th century, but aircraft manufacturing, begun in the 1920s, soon dominated Wichita’s economy. The discovery of oil there added to the city’s wealth. People of European ancestry have for long constituted the great majority of the population. African Americans, roughly one-tenth of the total, constitute the largest minority group, and there are small but growing communities of Hispanics and Asians.
Wichita’s economy has become much more diversified since the heyday of aviation manufacturing. Aircraft and aerospace industries continue to be leading economic activities, although they remain susceptible to market fluctuations (such as the downturn in the airline industry following the September 11 attacks in 2001). Other manufactures include machinery, computer and precision equipment, and chemicals and petrochemicals. Services (including wholesale and retail trade, government, and health care) are increasingly important, as is the economic input of McConnell Air Force Base, which adjoins the city on the southeast.
Wichita is the seat of Friends University (1898), Newman University (1933), and Wichita State University (1895). The city has a symphony orchestra and a ballet company. The Museum of World Treasures houses an extensive collection of ancient arts; the Wichita Art Museum contains works by American artists; and the Mid-America All-Indian Center traces the culture and history of Native American peoples.
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Visit the Kansas Aviation Museum to learn about the early aviators and how more than half of all U.S. aircraft are now built in Wichita. The city’s diverse heritage is reflected in the Keeper of the Plains Plaza, Kansas African American Museum and the Mid-American All-Indian Center.
- Discover some world treasures. The Museum of World Treasures is without a doubt one of the best museums in Wichita and in the entire state of Kansas. The museum explores a wide range of exciting exhibits Ivan the T Rex, Ancient Art and Form and Function: Making a Living in the Cenozoic, which explores what life was like in the last ice age.
- Explore Exploration Place. This science museum and not for profit organization aims to inspire interest in science through exciting and thought provoking exhibits.
- Travel back in time to Old Cowtown. The Old Cowtown Museum is a living museum that recreates life in the late 19th Century in and around the Wichita area.
- Visit the Sedgwick County Zoo. This AZA accredited zoo is certainly one of the most popular tourist attractions in Wichita. Founded back in 1971, the zoo has been ranked as one of the best in the country and is home to more than 3,000 animals from over 400 species.
Wichita is the largest city in the state of Kansas and the 48th-largest city in the United States, with a population of more than 389,000. The estimated population of the Wichita metropolitan area is 650,000. The Wild West gave birth to a new era as cowboys and Indians roamed across the Plains, many establishing towns west of the Mississippi.
Wichita is the largest city in Kansas — since Kansas City is divided between the states of Kansas and Missouri. It is not the biggest or flashiest city in the US, but it is a medium-sized city with a small-town feel. It offers much to tourists from both near and far with its variety of attractions.
Wichita, the largest city in Kansas with a population of 395,699, is the county seat of Sedgwick County. Major highways, including the Kansas Turnpike, U.S. 400 and Interstate I-135, link the city with a large trade area that encompasses a population of more than one million people within a 100-mile radius. Historical Background.
