For thousands of years, what is now known as Kansas was home to numerous and diverseIndigenous tribes. The first settlement of non-indigenous people in Kansas occurred in 1827 atFort Leavenworth. The pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over theslavery debate. When it was officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854 with theKansas–Nebraska Act, conflict between abolitionistFree-Staters fromNew England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri broke out over the question of whether Kansas would become afree state or a slave state, in a period known asBleeding Kansas. On January 29, 1861,[17][18] Kansas entered theUnion as a free state, hence the unofficial nickname "The Free State". Passage of theHomestead 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.[19][20]
As of 2015, Kansas was among the most productive agricultural states, producing high yields of wheat, corn,sorghum, andsoybeans.[21] 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 the15th-largest state by area, the36th most-populous of the 50 states, with a population of 2,940,865[22] according to the 2020 census, and the10th least densely populated. Residents of Kansas are calledKansans.Mount Sunflower is Kansas's highest point at 4,039 feet (1,231 meters).[23]
The nameKansas derives from theAlgonquian termAkansa, referring to theQuapaw people. These were aDhegiha Siouan-speaking people who settled inArkansas around the 13th century. The stem -kansa is named after theKaw people, also known as theKansa, a federally recognized Native American tribe.[24] Thetribe's name (nativelykką:ze) is often said to mean "people of the (south) wind", although this was probably not the term's original meaning.[25][26]
Samuel Seymour's 1819 illustration of aKansa lodge and dance is the oldest drawing known to have been done in Kansas.
BeforeEuropean colonization, Kansas was occupied by theCaddoanWichita and later theSiouanKaw people. Tribes in the eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along the river valleys. Tribes in the western part of the state were semi-nomadic and hunted large herds ofbison. The first European to set foot in present-day Kansas was the SpanishconquistadorFrancisco Vázquez de Coronado, who explored the area in 1541.
The first non-military settlement of Euro-Americans in Kansas Territory consisted ofabolitionists fromMassachusetts and otherFree-Staters who founded the town of Lawrence and attempted to stop the spread of slavery from neighboring Missouri.
Missouri andArkansas continually sent settlers into Kansas Territory along its eastern border to sway votes in favor of slavery prior to Kansas statehood elections. Directly presaging theAmerican Civil War these forces collided, entering into skirmishes and guerrilla conflicts that earned the territory the nicknameBleeding Kansas. These includedJohn Brown'sPottawatomie massacre of 1856.
Kansas wasadmitted 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 intoLawrence, destroying much of the city and killing nearly 200 people. He was roundly condemned by both the conventionalConfederate military and the partisan rangers commissioned by theMissouri legislature. His application to that body for a commission was flatly rejected due to his pre-war criminal record.[29]
Passage of theHomestead 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 the land of "John Brown" and, led byfreedmen likeBenjamin "Pap" Singleton, began establishing black colonies in the state. Leaving southern states in the late 1870s because of increasing discrimination, they became known asExodusters.
At the same time, theChisholm Trail was opened and theWild West era commenced in Kansas. Storied lawmanWild Bill Hickok was a deputy marshal atFort Riley and a marshal atHays andAbilene.Dodge City was home to bothBat Masterson andWyatt Earp, who worked as lawmen in the town. TheDalton Gang robbed trains and banks throughout Kansas and the Southwest and maintained a hideout inMeade. In one year alone,[which?] eight million[citation needed] 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 ofMethodists and otherevangelical Protestants, in 1881 Kansas became the first U.S. state to adopt a constitutional amendmentprohibiting allalcoholic beverages, which was repealed in 1948. Anti-saloon activistCarrie Nation vandalized her first saloon inKiowa in 1900. In 1922, suffragistElla Uphay Mowry became the first female gubernatorial candidate in the state when she ran as "Mrs. W.D. Mowry". She later stated: "Someone had to be the pioneer. I firmly believe that some day a woman will sit in the governor's chair in Kansas."[30][31][32]
Kansas suffered severe environmental damage in the 1930s due to the combined effects of theGreat Depression and theDust Bowl, and large numbers of people left southwestern Kansas in particular for better opportunities elsewhere.[33] The outbreak ofWorld War II spurred rapid growth in aircraft manufacturing near Wichita in the so-calledBattle of Kansas, and the aerospace sector remains a significant portion of the Kansan economy to this day.
Kansas is underlain by a sequence of horizontal to gently westwarddippingsedimentary rocks. A sequence ofMississippian,Pennsylvanian andPermian rocks outcrop in the eastern and southern part of the state. The state's western half has exposures ofCretaceous through Tertiary sediments, the latter derived from theerosion of theupliftedRocky 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 toglaciation in thePleistocene and is covered byglacial drift andloess.
The western third of the state, lying in thegreat central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, while the eastern third has many hills and forests; the middle third is generally hilly, with more sparse vegetation than the eastern third.[35] The land gradually rises from east to west; its altitude ranges from 684 ft (208 m) along theVerdigris River atCoffeyville inMontgomery County, to 4,039 ft (1,231 m) atMount Sunflower, 0.5 miles (0.80 kilometers) from the Colorado border, inWallace 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".[36] In fact, Kansas has a maximum topographic relief of 3,360 ft (1,020 m),[37] making it the 23rd flattest U.S. state measured by maximum relief.[38]
Around 74 mi (119 km) of the state's northeastern boundary is defined by theMissouri River. TheKansas River (locally known as the Kaw), formed by the junction of theSmoky Hill andRepublican rivers at appropriately namedJunction City, joins the Missouri River atKansas City, after a course of 170 mi (270 km) across the northeastern part of the state.
Kansas's other rivers are theSaline and Solomon Rivers, tributaries of the Smoky Hill River; theBig Blue,Delaware, andWakarusa, which flow into the Kansas River; and theMarais des Cygnes, a tributary of the Missouri River. Spring River is located betweenRiverton andBaxter Springs.
In theKöppen 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 ahumid continental climate, with cool to cold winters and hot, often humid summers. Most of the precipitation falls during both the summer and the spring. TheUSDAhardiness zones for Kansas range from Zone 5b (−15 °F to −10 °F) in the North to Zone 7a (0 °F to 5 °F) in the South.[45]
The western third of the state—from roughly theU.S. Route 83 corridor westward—has asemi-aridsteppe 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 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 theWichita area, have ahumid 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 the winter.
Temperatures in areas between U.S. Routes 83 and81, as well as the southwestern portion of the state along and south ofU.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 theheat index into life-threatening territory, especially in Wichita,Hutchinson,Salina,Russell,Hays, andGreat Bend. Temperatures are often higher inDodge City,Garden City, andLiberal, but 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 theurban heat island effect lead most summer days to heat indices between 107 and 114 °F (42 and 46 °C) inTopeka,Lawrence, and theKansas City metropolitan area. Also, combined with humidity between 85 and 95 percent, dangerous heat indices can be experienced at every hour of 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 the source. Western Kansas is as sunny as parts of California andArizona.
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 becomesupercell thunderstorms; these can produce sometornadoes, occasionally those ofEF3 strength or higher. Kansas averages more than 50 tornadoes annually.[46] Severe thunderstorms sometimes drop some very largehail over Kansas as well. Furthermore, these storms can even bring in flash flooding and damaging straight line winds.
According to NOAA, the all-time highest temperature recorded in Kansas is (121 °F or 49.4 °C) on July 24, 1936, nearAlton inOsborne County, and the all-time low is −40 °F (−40 °C) on February 13, 1905, nearLebanon inSmith County. Alton and Lebanon are approximately 50 miles (80 km) apart.
Kansas's record high of 121 °F (49.4 °C) ties withNorth 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), andNew Mexico (122 °F or 50 °C).
Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Kansas cities (°F)[47]
Known asrural flight, 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 6,000ghost towns and dwindling communities,[48] according to one Kansas historian, Daniel C. Fitzgerald. At the same time, some of the communities in Johnson County (metropolitan Kansas City) are among the fastest-growing in the country.
Kansas has 627incorporated 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 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 anytownship and are not included within the township's territory.
Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
The residents of Kansas have 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 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.[60]
Using 2017–2019 data, theRobert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for Kansas counties ranged from 75.8 years forWyandotte County to 81.7 years forJohnson County. Life expectancy for the state as a whole was 78.5 years.[61] Life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2019 was 78.8 years.[62]
The northeastern portion of the state, extending from the eastern border toJunction 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 Topekametropolitan areas.Overland Park, a young city incorporated in 1960, has the largest population and the largest land area in the county. It is home toJohnson County Community College.
Olathe is thecounty seat and home toJohnson County Executive Airport. The cities of Olathe,Shawnee,De Soto andGardner 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 the former route of theSanta Fe Trail. Among cities with at least one thousand residents,Mission Hills has the highest median income in the state.
To the west, nearly a quarter million people reside in the Topeka metropolitan area.Topeka is the state capital and home toWashburn University andWashburn Institute of Technology. Built at aKansas River crossing along the oldOregon Trail, this historic city has several nationally registered historic places. Further westward alongInterstate 70 and the Kansas River isJunction City with its historic limestone and brick buildings and nearbyFort Riley, well known as the home to theU.S. Army's1st Infantry Division (nicknamed "the Big Red One"). A short distance away, the city ofManhattan is home toKansas State University, the second-largest public university in the state and the nation's oldest land-grant university, dating back to 1863. South of the campus,Aggieville dates back to 1889 and is the state's oldest shopping district of its kind.
In south-central Kansas, theWichita metropolitan area is home to more than 600,000 people.[64]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 ofWichita State University. Before Wichita was 'The Air Capital' it was a Cowtown.[65] 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 ofGoddard has grown by more than 11% per year since 2000.[66] Other fast-growing cities includeAndover,Maize,Park City,Derby, andHaysville.
Wichita was one of the first cities to add the city commissioner and city manager in their form of government.[65] Wichita is also home of the nationally recognizedSedgwick County Zoo.[65]
TheCosmosphere, the world-renowned space museum in Hutchinson.
Up river (theArkansas River) from Wichita is the city ofHutchinson. The city was built on one of the world's largest salt deposits (of what would formStrataca), and it has the world's largest and longest wheat elevator. It is also the home ofKansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Prairie Dunes Country Club and theKansas State Fair. North of Wichita alongInterstate 135 is the city ofNewton, the former western terminal of theSanta Fe Railroad and trailhead for the famedChisholm Trail. To the southeast of Wichita are the cities ofWinfield andArkansas City with historic architecture and theCherokee Strip Museum (in Ark City). The city ofUdall was the site of the deadliesttornado in Kansas on May 25, 1955; it killed 80 people in and near the city.[67]
Southeast Kansas has a unique history with a number of nationally registered historic places in this coal-mining region. Located inCrawford County (dubbed the Fried Chicken Capital of Kansas),Pittsburg is the largest city in the region and the home ofPittsburg State University. The neighboring city ofFrontenac in 1888 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 ofWest Mineral. Along with the restored fort, historicFort Scott has a national cemetery designated by President Lincoln in 1862. The region also shares a Media market withJoplin, Missouri, a city in Southwest Missouri.
Cedar Point Mill, built in 1875 in Cedar Point, on the National Register of Historic Places.
Salina is the largest city in central and north-central Kansas. South of Salina is the small city ofLindsborg with its numerousDala horses. Much of the architecture and decor of this town has a distinctly Swedish style. To the east alongInterstate 70, the historic city ofAbilene was formerly a trailhead for theChisholm Trail and was the boyhood home of PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower, and is the site of hisPresidential Library and the tombs of the former president, First Lady and son who died in infancy. To the west isLucas, the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas.
Westward along the Interstate, the city ofRussell, traditionally the beginning of sparsely populated northwest Kansas, was the base of former U.S. SenatorBob Dole and the boyhood home of U.S. SenatorArlen Specter. The city ofHays is home toFort 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.
Two other landmarks are located in smaller towns inEllis County: the "Cathedral of the Plains" is located 10 miles (16 km) east of Hays inVictoria, and the boyhood home ofWalter Chrysler is 15 miles (24 km) west of Hays inEllis. West of Hays, population drops dramatically, even in areas along I-70, and only two towns containing populations of more than 4,000:Colby andGoodland, which are located 35 miles (56 km) apart along I-70.
Located midway between Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita in the heart of the Bluestem Region of theFlint Hills, the city ofEmporia has several nationally registered historic places and is the home ofEmporia State University, well known for its Teachers College. It was also the home of newspaper manWilliam Allen White.
TheUnited States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Kansas was 2,913,314 on July 1, 2019, a 2.11% increase since the2010 United States census and an increase of 58,387, or 2.05%, since 2010.[69] This includes a natural increase since the last census of 93,899 (246,484 births minus 152,585 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 20,742 people out of the state.Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 44,847 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 65,589 people.[70] At the2020 census, its population was 2,937,880.
The focus on labor-efficient grain-based agriculture—such as a large wheat farm that requires only one or a few people with largemachinery to operate, rather than avegetable farm that requires many people—is causing thede-population of rural areas across Kansas.[74]
According to the 2021 United States census estimates, the racial makeup of the population was:[79]White American, non-Hispanic (74.7%),Hispanic orLatino (12.7%), Black or African American (6.2%), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (0.1%), two or more races (3.3%),Asian (3.2%), and American Indian and Alaska Native (1.2%). At the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 75.6% White, 5.7% African American, 2.9% Asian American, 1.1% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.9% some other race, and 9.5% two or more races.
Map of counties in Kansas by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census.
Legend
Non-Hispanic White
30–40%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90%+
Hispanic or Latino
50–60%
60–70%
As of 2004, the population included 149,800 foreign-born (5.5% of the state population). The ten largest reported ancestry groups, which account for nearly 90% of the population, in the state are:German (33.75%),Irish (14.4%),English (14.1%),American (7.5%),French (4.4%),Scottish (4.2%),Dutch (2.5%),Swedish (2.4%),Italian (1.8%), andPolish (1.5%).[84] Kansas is also home to a large Czech community.[85]
Mexicans are present in the southwest and make up nearly half the population in certain counties. Many African Americans in Kansas are descended from theExodusters, newly freed blacks who fled the South for land in Kansas following the Civil War.[86]
There is a growing Asian community in Kansas. Since 1965, more and more Asian families have moved to Kansas from countries such as the Philippines, China, Korea, India, and Vietnam.[87]
As of 2011, 35.0% of Kansas's population younger than one year of age belonged to minority groups (i.e., did not have two parents of non-Hispanic white ancestry).[89]
English is the most-spoken language in Kansas, with 91.3% of the population speaking only English at home as of the year 2000. 5.5% speak Spanish, 0.7% speak German, and 0.4% speak Vietnamese.[90]
Rev.Richard Cordley, the first graduate of theUniversity of Kansas, and nicknamed "The Abolition Preacher", due to his strong views against slavery, and his influence on Kansas's founding as a free state.ReverendCharles Sheldon, Topeka resident and coiner of the phrase "What would Jesus do?".
The 2014 Pew Religious Landscape Survey showed the religious makeup of adults in Kansas was as follows:[91] 57% Protestant, 18% Catholic, 1% Mormon, 1% Jehovah's Witness, 20% unaffiliated, 1% Buddhist, and 2% other religions. In 2022, thePublic Religion Research Institute (PRRI)'s study revealed 74% of the total population were Christian; among them, 59% were Protestant, 13% Catholic, and 2% Mormon. The religiously unaffiliated were 23% of the population, Unitarian Universalists 1%, and New Agers 1%.[92]
Kansas is the location of the secondBaháʼí Faith community west of Egypt, when the Baháʼí community ofEnterprise, KS was started in 1897. From that beginning the Baháʼí Faith spread across Kansas.[93]
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita.
Topeka is also home of theWestboro Baptist Church, ahate group according to theSouthern Poverty Law Center.[94][95][96] The church has garnered worldwide media attention for picketing the funerals of U.S. servicemen and women for what church members claim as "necessary to combat the fight for equality for gays and lesbians". They have sometimes successfully raised lawsuits against the city of Topeka.
Kansas's total gross domestic product was $226 billion in 2023.[97] The state's 2023per capita income was $63,732, which ranked 29th among U.S. states, andmedian household income was measured at $68,925.[98][99]
Total Employment of the metropolitan areas in the State of Kansas by total Non-farm Employment in 2016[100]
Kansas Portion of theKansas City MO-KS MSA: 468,400 non-farm, accounting for 40.9% of state GDP in 2015[101]
Total Number of employer establishments in 2016: 74,884[102]
In 2015, the job growth rate was 0.8%, among the lowest rates in America with only "10,900 total nonfarm jobs" added that year.[103] As of April 2016, the state's unemployment rate was 4.2%.[104]
The State of Kansas had a $350 million budget shortfall in February 2017.[105] In February 2017, S&P downgraded Kansas's credit rating to AA−.[106]
Nearly 90% of Kansas's land is devoted to agriculture.[74] The state's agricultural outputs are cattle, sheep, wheat,sorghum,soybeans, cotton,hogs,corn, and salt. As of 2018, there were 59,600 farms in Kansas, 86 (0.14%) of which arecertified organic farms.[74] The average farm in the state is about 770 acres (more than a square mile), and in 2016, the average cost of running the farm was $300,000.[74]
By far, the most significant agricultural crop in the state is wheat. Eastern Kansas is part of theGrain Belt, an area of major grain production in the central United States. Approximately 40% of all winter wheat grown in the U.S. is grown in Kansas.[74] Roughly 95% of the wheat grown in the state ishard red winter wheat.[74] During 2016, farmers of conventionally grown wheat farmed 8.2 million acres and harvested an average of 57 bushels of wheat per acre.[74]
The industrial outputs are transportation equipment, commercial and private aircraft, food processing, publishing, chemical products, machinery, apparel, petroleum, and mining.
The state's economy is also heavily influenced by the aerospace industry. Several large aircraft corporations have manufacturing facilities in Wichita and Kansas City, includingSpirit AeroSystems,Bombardier Aerospace (LearJet), andTextron Aviation (a merger of the formerCessna,Hawker, andBeechcraft brands).Boeing ended a decades-long history of manufacturing in Kansas between 2012 and 2013.
Kansas is also home to three major military installations:Fort Leavenworth (Army),Fort Riley (Army), andMcConnell Air Force Base (Air Force). Approximately 25,000 active duty soldiers and airmen are stationed at these bases which also employ approximately 8,000 civilian DoD employees. The U.S. Army Reserve also has the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command headquartered in Wichita that serves reservists and their units from around the region. The Kansas Air National Guard has units atForbes Field in Topeka and the 184th Intelligence Wing in Wichita. The Smoky Hill Weapons Range, a detachment of the Intelligence Wing, is one of the largest and busiest bombing ranges in the nation. During World War II, Kansas was home to numerous Army Air Corps training fields for training new pilots and aircrew. Many of those airfields live on today as municipal airports.
NRC workers at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant inBurlington.Kansas electricity production by type.
Kansas has vast renewable resources and is a top producer ofwind energy in the US, with an installed capacity of about 6,100 Megawatts (MW) from nearly 3,200 wind turbines in 2019. Wind generated thelargest share of electricity from the state at 41%. An additional 700 MW of capacity was scheduled to come online during 2020. Kansas is also a leading national producer of renewableethanol andbiodiesel fuels at nearly 600 million gallons per year.[108]
Kansas is one of 28 states with a nuclear power plant, Wolf Creek in Burlington, which houses a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor. The plant came online in 1985, and cost over $5 billion to construct. It is owned byEvergy.
Kansas is ranked eighth inU.S. petroleum extraction. Production has experienced a steady decline as the state's limited economical reserves especially from theAnadarko Basin are depleted. Sinceoil prices bottomed in 1999, oil production in Kansas has remained fairly constant, with an average monthly rate of about 2.8 million barrels (450,000 cubic meters) in 2004. Therecent higher prices have madecarbon dioxide sequestration and other oil recovery techniques more economical.
Kansas is also ranked eighth in U.S. natural gas production. Production has steadily declined since the mid-1990s with the gradual depletion of theHugoton Natural Gas Field—the state's largest field which extends into Oklahoma and Texas. In 2004, slower declines in the Hugoton gas fields and increasedcoalbed methane production contributed to a smaller overall decline. Average monthly production was over 32 billion cubic feet (0.91 cubic kilometers).
Revenue shortfalls resulting from lower than expected tax collections and slower growth in personal income following a 1998 permanent tax reduction have contributed to the substantial growth in the state's debt level as bonded debt increased from $1.16 billion in 1998 to $3.83 billion in 2006. Some increase in debt was expected as the state continues with its 10-year Comprehensive Transportation Program enacted in 1999.
In 2003, Kansas had three income brackets for income tax calculation, ranging from 3.5% to 6.45%.
The state sales tax in Kansas is 6.15%. Various cities and counties in Kansas have an additional local sales tax. Except during the 2001recession (March–November 2001), when monthly sales tax collections were flat, collections have trended higher as the economy has grown and two rate increases have been enacted. If there had been no change in sales tax rates or in the economy, the total sales tax collections for 2003 would have been $1,797 million, compared to $805.3 million in 1990. However, they instead amounted to $1,630 million an inflation-adjusted reduction of 10%. The state sales tax is a combined destination-based tax, meaning a single tax is applied that includes state, county, and local taxes, and the rate is based on where the consumer takes possession of the goods or services. Thanks to the destination structure and the numerous local special taxing districts, Kansas has 920 separate sales tax rates ranging from 6.5% to 11.5%.[109] This taxing scheme, known as "Streamlined Sales Tax" was adopted on October 1, 2005, under the governorship ofKathleen Sebelius.[110] Groceries are subject to sales tax in the state. All sales tax collected is remitted to the state department of revenue, and local taxes are then distributed to the various taxing agencies.
As of June 2004,Moody's Investors Service ranked the state 14th for net tax-supported debt per capita. As a percentage of personal income, it was at 3.8%—above the median value of 2.5% for all rated states and having risen from a value of less than 1% in 1992. The state has a statutory requirement to maintain cash reserves of at least 7.5% of expenses at the end of each fiscal year; however, lawmakers can vote to override the rule, and did so during the most recent budget agreement.
During his campaign for the 2010 election, GovernorSam Brownback called for a complete "phase out of Kansas's income tax".[111] In May 2012, Governor Brownback signed into law theKansas Senate Bill Substitute HB 2117.[112] Starting in 2013, the "ambitious tax overhaul" trimmed income tax, eliminated some corporate taxes, and createdpass-through income tax exemptions, he raised the sales tax by one percent to offset the loss to state revenues but that was inadequate. He made cuts to education and some state services to offset lost revenue.[113] The tax cut led to years of budget shortfalls, culminating in a $350 million budget shortfall in February 2017. From 2013 to 2017, 300,000 businesses were considered to be pass-through income entities and benefited from the tax exemption. The tax reform "encouraged tens of thousands of Kansans to claim their wages and salaries as income from a business rather than from employment."[105]
The economic growth that Brownback anticipated never materialized. He argued that it was because of "low wheat and oil prices and a downturn in aircraft sales".[111] The state general fund debt load was $83 million in fiscal year 2010 and by fiscal year 2017 the debt load sat at $179 million.[114] In 2016, Governor Brownback earned the title of "most unpopular governor in America". Only 26 percent of Kansas voters approved of his job performance, compared to 65 percent who said they did not.[115] In the summer of 2016S&P Global Ratings downgraded Kansas's credit rating.[106] In February 2017, S&P lowered it to AA−.[106]
In February 2017, a bi-partisan coalition presented a bill that would repeal the pass-through income exemption, the "most important provisions of Brownback's overhaul", and raise taxes to make up for the budget shortfall. Brownback vetoed the bill but "45 GOP legislators had voted in favor of the increase, while 40 voted to uphold the governor's veto."[105] On June 6, 2017, a coalition of Democrats and newly elected Republicans overrode [Brownback's] veto and implemented tax increases to a level close to what it was before 2013.[111] Brownback's tax overhaul was described in a June 2017 article inThe Atlantic as the United States' "most aggressive experiment in conservative economic policy".[111] The drastic tax cuts had "threatened the viability of schools and infrastructure" in Kansas.[111]
Standard Kansas license plate 2018-2024.An example of a custom Kansas rear license plate. Kansas allows residents to purchase license plates with college and university logos on them for an extra fee.Kansas residents who are veterans, work as a first responder, and people who work in agriculture may request a custom plate reflecting their profession.
For automobiles, Kansas first required its residents to register their vehicles and display license plates in 1913. Plates are currently issued by the Kansas Department of Revenue through its Division of Vehicles and only rear plates have been required since 1956. Kansas is one of only 19 U.S. states that don't require front license plates.
Spur routes serve as connections between the two major routes.I-135, a north–south route, connects I-35 at Wichita to I-70 at Salina.I-335, a southwest–northeast route, connects I-35 at Emporia to I-70 at Topeka. I-335 and portions of I-35 and I-70 make up theKansas Turnpike. Bypasses includeI-470 around Topeka,I-235 around Wichita, andI-670 in downtown Kansas City.I-435 is a beltway around theKansas City metropolitan area whileI-635 bypasses through Kansas City.
Kansas also has the country's third largest state highway system after Texas and California. This is because of the high number of counties andcounty seats (105) and their intertwining.
In January 2004, theKansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced the new Kansas511 traveler information service.[117] By dialing 511, callers will get access to information about road conditions, construction, closures, detours and weather conditions for the state highway system. Weather and road condition information is updated every 15 minutes.
Up through the mid 20th century, railroads connected most cities in Kansas. DuringWorld War II, less profitable links were abandoned forscrap metal drives, then additional mileage was reduced as passenger service was halted caused by the wide spread use of automobiles and trucking on the expanding highway system.
Public transportation in Kansas is provided through a network of regional and local transit systems that serve both urban and rural communities throughout the state. In the Kansas City metropolitan area, RideKC integrates services across multiple providers, offering bus routes, theKC Streetcar, and mobility options to facilitate regional travel. Johnson County Transit, operating under the RideKC brand, delivers fixed commuter and express bus routes, microtransit, and paratransit services, connecting Johnson County with the broader Kansas City, Kansas and downtown Kansas City, Missouri.[125]
Lawrence Transit provides fare-free public transit to the city of Lawrence through a partnership with the University of Kansas. The service includes fixed-route buses and paratransit, with routes serving both the university campus and the broader community. The fare-free model is funded through a combination of university student fees and city resources. Also available through KU is "SafeRide", which is a free transportation service for Lawrence college students at KU and Haskell Indian Nations University for night time transportation to the passenger's home. Lawrence Transit also partners with RideKC for routes to Johnson County along K-10 Highway.[126][127][128]
Topeka Metro and Wichita Transit have both operated in their respective cities since the 1950s, and Kansas Rides is a statewide initiative that connects Kansans living in rural parts of the state with public transit providers in all 105 counties. It helps users find fixed-route systems, demand-response services, and specialized transportation options across the state.[129]
Executive branch: The executive branch consists of one officer and five elected officers. The governor andlieutenant governor are elected on the sameticket. The attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, and state insurance commissioner are each elected separately.
Judicial branch: The judicial branch of the state government isheaded by theKansas Supreme Court. The court has seven judges. A vacancy is filled by the Governor picking one of three nominees selected by the nine-memberKansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission. The board consists of five Kansas lawyers elected by other Kansas lawyers and four members selected by the governor.
Since the 1930s, Kansas has remained one of the most socially conservative states in the nation. The 1990s brought the defeat of prominent Democrats, includingDan Glickman, and theKansas State Board of Education's 1999 decision to eliminateevolution from the state teaching standards, a decision that was later reversed.[130] In 2005, voters accepted a constitutional amendment to bansame-sex marriage. The next year, the state passed a law setting a minimum age for marriage at 15 years.[131] Kansas's path to a solid Republican state has been examined by journalist and historianThomas Frank in his 2004 bookWhat's the Matter with Kansas?.
Kansas was founded as a free-state by anti-slavery advocates from New England. During its early history, it faced political turmoil from politicians trying to sway the newly founded state towards pro-slavery or pro-abolition sentiment. Ultimately, upon achieving statehood in 1861, Kansas became a Republican stronghold due to the Republican party's establishment as the anti-slavery party. The state's first officials, including Governor Charles Robinson and Senators James Lane and Samuel Pomeroy, were Republicans. From 1861 to 1888, Republicans dominated Kansas politics, winning the majority of congressional and gubernatorial races. This era saw the implementation of progressive policies, including the adoption of prohibition in 1881 and early support for women's suffrage.[132]
In the 1890 elections, Populists secured a majority in the state legislature and elected a U.S. Senator. However, internal divisions and strategic counteractions by Republicans led to the movement's decline by the late 1890s.[134]
Kansas was the first state to institute a system ofworkers' compensation (1910) and to regulate thesecurities industry (1911). Kansas also permittedwomen's suffrage in 1912, almost a decade before the federal constitution was amended to require it.[135] Suffrage in all states would not be guaranteed until ratification of the19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.
The state backed Republican Presidential CandidatesWendell Willkie andThomas E. Dewey in1940 and1944, respectively, breaking ranks with the majority of the country in the election ofFranklin D. Roosevelt. Kansas also supported Dewey in1948 despite the presence of incumbent presidentHarry S. Truman, who hailed fromIndependence, Missouri, approximately 15 miles (24 km) east of the Kansas–Missouri state line. After Roosevelt carried Kansas in1936, only one Democrat has won the state since,Lyndon B. Johnson in1964.
In 2008, Democrat GovernorKathleen Sebelius vetoed permits for the construction of new coal-fired energy plants in Kansas, saying: "We know that greenhouse gases contribute to climate change. As an agricultural state, Kansas is particularly vulnerable. Therefore, reducing pollutants benefits our state not only in the short term—but also for generations of Kansans to come."[138] However, shortly after Mark Parkinson became governor in 2009 upon Sebelius's resignation to become Secretary of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Parkinson announced a compromise plan to allow construction of a coal-fired plant.
In 2010, RepublicanSam Brownback was elected governor with 63 percent of the state vote. He was sworn in as governor in 2011, Kansas's first Republican governor in eight years. Brownback had established himself as a conservative member of the U.S. Senate in years prior, but made several controversial decisions after becoming governor, leading to a 23% approval rating among registered voters – the lowest of any governor in the United States.[139] In May 2011, much to the opposition of art leaders and enthusiasts in the state, Brownback eliminated the Kansas Arts Commission, making Kansas the first state without an arts agency.[140] In July 2011, Brownback announced plans to close the Lawrence branch of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services as a cost-saving measure. Hundreds rallied against the decision.[141] Lawrence City Commission later voted to provide the funding needed to keep the branch open.[142]
In August 2022, Kansas voters rejected the controversialValue Them Both Amendment, which would have eliminated the right to an abortion in the state constitution. The vote was the first referendum on abortion sinceRoe v. Wade was overturned earlier that summer, and the result was hailed as a landmark victory for pro-choice advocates in the traditionally socially conservative state.[145]
In a 2020 study, Kansas was ranked as the 13th hardest state for citizens to vote in.[146]
Charles Curtis (R) was born near Topeka and served as a State Legislator, Congressman and Senator, before becoming Vice President (1929–33). He is the only Native American elected to the Executive Branch (he was born into theKaw Nation).
Historically, Kansas has been strongly Republican, dating from theAntebellum age when the Republican Party was created out of the movement opposing the extension of slavery into Kansas Territory. Kansas has not elected aDemocrat to the U.S. Senate since the 1932 election, whenFranklin D. Roosevelt won his first term as president in the wake of theGreat Depression. This is the longest Senate losing streak for either party in a single state. SenatorSam Brownback was a candidate for the Republican party nomination for president in 2008. Brownback was not a candidate for re-election to a third full term in 2010, but he was elected Governor in that year's general election. Moran defeated Tiahrt for the Republican nomination for Brownback's seat in the August 2010 primary, then won a landslide general election victory over Democrat Lisa Johnston.
Abilene was the boyhood home to Republican presidentDwight D. Eisenhower, and he maintained lifelong ties to family and friends there. Kansas was the adult home of two losing Republican candidates (GovernorAlf Landon in1936 and Senator Bob Dole in1996).
TheNew York Times reported in September 2014 that as the Democratic candidate for Senator has tried to drop out of the race, independentGreg Orman has attracted enough bipartisan support to seriously challenge the reelection bid of Republican Pat Roberts:
Kansas politics have been roiled in recent years. The rise of the Tea Party and the election of President Obama have prompted Republicans to embrace a purer brand of conservatism and purge what had long been a robust moderate wing from its ranks. Mr. Roberts has sought to adapt to this new era, voting against spending bills that included projects for the state that he had sought.[148]
Thelegal drinking age in Kansas is 21. In lieu of the state retail sales tax, a 10% Liquor Drink Tax is collected for liquor consumed on the licensed premises and an 8% Liquor Enforcement Tax is collected on retail purchases. Although the sale of cerealmalt beverage (also known as3.2 beer) was legalized in 1937, the first post-Prohibition legalization of alcoholic liquor did not occur until thestate's constitution was amended in 1948. The following year theLegislature enacted the Liquor Control Act which created a system of regulating, licensing, and taxing, and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) was created to enforce the act. The power to regulate cereal malt beverage remains with the cities and counties. Liquor-by-the-drink did not become legal until passage of an amendment to the state's constitution in 1986 and additional legislation the following year. As of November 2006, Kansas still has 29dry counties and only 17 counties have passed liquor-by-the-drink with no food sales requirement.[149] Today there are more than 2,600 liquor and 4,000 cereal malt beverage licensees in the state.[150]
On May 12, 2022, Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation (Senate Bill 84) that legalizes sports betting in the state, making Kansas the 35th state to approve sports wagering in the US. This would give the four state-owned casinos the right to partner with online bookmakers and up to 50 retailers, including gas stations and restaurants, to engage in sports betting.[151]
Map of colleges and universities in Kansas offering four-year degrees: – Public universities – Municipal universities – Federal universities – Private universities
Twice since 1999 the Board of Education has approved changes in the state science curriculum standards that encouraged the teaching ofintelligent design. Both times, the standards were reversed after changes in the composition of the board in the next election.
The state anthem is the American classicHome on the Range, written by Kansan Brewster Higley. Another song, the official state march adopted by the Kansas Legislature in 1935 is calledThe Kansas March, which features the lyrics, "Blue sky above us, silken strands of heat, Rim of the far horizon, where earth and heaven meet, Kansas as a temple, stands in velvet sod, Shrine which the sunshine, sanctifies to God."[152]
Kansas was also the setting of the 1965 best-sellerIn Cold Blood, described by its authorTruman Capote as a "nonfiction novel". Mixing fact and fiction, the book chronicles the events and aftermath of the 1959 murder of a wealthy farmer and his family who lived in the small West Kansas town ofHolcomb inFinney County.
The fictional town ofSmallville, Kansas is the childhood home of Clark Kent/Superman in American comic books published byDC Comics. Also Keystone City is a Kansas city whereThe Flash works and lives.
The winner of the 2011Newbery Medal for excellence in children's literature,Moon Over Manifest, tells the story of a young and adventurous girl named Abilene who is sent to the fictional town of Manifest, Kansas, by her father in the summer of 1936. It was written by KansanClare Vanderpool.
Lawrence is the setting for a number of science fiction writerJames Gunn's novels.
Kansas is home to a number of art museums. TheWichita Art Museum collection focuses on American art.[154] TheNerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park exhibits artists of national and international recognition.[155] TheSpencer Museum of Art, at University of Kansas in Lawrence, has a diverse permanent collection and Ingrid & J.K. Lee Study Center as an education space.[156]
The Orpheum, a historic movie theater in Wichita.The Plaza Cinema inOttawa is the oldest operating movie theater in the world.Fox Theater,Hutchinson.
The first film theater in Kansas was thePatee Theater inLawrence. Most theaters at the time showed films only as part ofvaudeville acts but not as an exclusive and stand alone form of entertainment. Though thePatee family had been involved invaudeville, they believed films could carry the evening without other variety acts, but to show the films it was necessary for the Patee's to establish a generating plant (back in 1903 Lawrence was not yet fully electrified). The Patee Theater was one of the first of its kind west of theMississippi River. The specialized equipment like theprojector came from New York City.[157]
Kansas has been the setting of many award-winning and popular American films, as well as being the home of some of the oldest operating cinemas in the world. The Plaza Cinema in Ottawa, Kansas, located in the northeastern portion of the state, was built on May 22, 1907, and it is listed by theGuinness Book of World Records as the oldest operating cinema in the world.[158][159] In 1926, The Jayhawk Theatre, anart-deco movie house in Topeka opened its doors for the first time to movie going audiences, and today, in addition to screenings of independent films, the theatre acts as a venue for plays and concerts. The Fox Theater in Hutchinson was built in 1930, and was placed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1989.[160] Like the other theaters listed here, The Fox still plays first run movies to this day.
As was the case with the novel,Dorothy Gale (portrayed byJudy Garland) in the 1939 fantasy filmThe Wizard of Oz was a young girl who lived in Kansas with her aunt and uncle. The line, "We're not in Kansas anymore", has entered into the English lexicon as a phrase describing a wholly new or unexpected situation.[161]
The 1967 feature filmIn Cold Blood, like the book on which it was based, was set in various locations across Kansas. Many of the scenes in the film were filmed at the exact locations where the events profiled in the book took place. A1996 TV miniseries was also based on the book.
The 2005 filmCapote, for whichPhilip Seymour Hoffman was awarded theAcademy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character, profiled the author as he traveled across Kansas while writingIn Cold Blood (although most of the film itself was shot in the Canadian province ofManitoba).
The setting ofThe Day After, a 1983 made-for-television movie about a fictional nuclear attack, was the city ofLawrence.
Scenes of the 1996 filmMars Attacks! took place in the fictional town of Perkinsville. Scenes taking place in Kansas were filmed inBurns,Lawrence, andWichita.
The 2007 filmThe Lookout is set mostly in Kansas (although filmed in Canada). Specifically two locations; Kansas City and the fictional town of Noel, Kansas.[162]
The 2017 documentaryWhen Kings Reigned was filmed in Lawrence.
The 2019 filmBrightburn took place in the fictional town of Brightburn. As is evident with scenes in the film depicting mountains (Kansas has no mountain ranges), it was filmed in Georgia instead of in Kansas.
The protagonist brothers of the 2005 TV showSupernatural hail from Lawrence, with the city referenced numerous times on the show.
Most of the second season of the TV SeriesPrison Break had scenes that took place in Kansas. Specifically the towns ofNess City andTribune as the character T–Bag searches for his ex-girlfriend who turned him in to the police. A season 1 episode also briefly took place inTopeka.
2006 TV seriesJericho was based in the fictitious town of Jericho, Kansas, surviving post-nuclear America.
Early seasons ofSmallville, about Superman as a teenager, were based in a fictional town ofSmallville, Kansas. Unlike most other adaptations of the Superman story, the series also places the fictional city ofMetropolis in western Kansas, a few hours from Smallville.
Gunsmoke, a radio series western, ran from 1952 to 1961, took place in Dodge City, Kansas.
Gunsmoke, television series, the longest running prime time show of the 20th century, ran from September 10, 1955, to March 31, 1975, for a total of 635 episodes.
Some Kansans, mostly from the westernmost parts of the state, support the professional sports teams ofDenver, particularly theDenver Broncos of the NFL.
In 1887, the Western League was dominated by a reorganized Topeka team called theGolden Giants: a high-priced collection of major leaguer players, includingBug Holliday,Jim Conway,Dan Stearns,Perry Werden andJimmy Macullar, which won the league by 15.5 games.[165] On April 10, 1887, the Golden Giants also won an exhibition game from the defendingWorld Series champions, theSt. Louis Browns (the present-day Cardinals), by a score of 12–9. However, Topeka was unable to support the team, and it disbanded after one year.
The first night game in the history of professional baseball was played in Independence on April 28, 1930, when the Muscogee (Oklahoma) Indians beat the Independence Producers 13–3 in a minor league game sanctioned by the Western League of the Western Baseball Association with 1,500 fans attending the game. The permanent lighting system was first used for an exhibition game on April 17, 1930, between the Independence Producers and House of David semi-professional baseball team of Benton Harbor, Michigan with the Independence team winning 9–1 before a crowd of 1,700 spectators.[166]
David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is the oldest football stadium west of the Mississippi River, and one of the oldest standing football stadiums in the country. Built in 1921, it is home to the Kansas Jayhawks football team.
The history of intercollegiate of athletics in the state dates back to 1866, with the establishment of the University of Kansas baseball team, which competed against local area teams and schools in the Kansas State Fair. The Jayhawks baseball team is one of the oldest intercollegiate baseball programs in the United States.[167]
While there are no franchises of the four major professional sports within the state, many Kansans are fans of the state's major college sports teams, especially theJayhawks of theUniversity of Kansas (KU), and theWildcats ofKansas State University (KSU or "K-State"). The teams are rivals in theBig 12 Conference.
Both KU and K-State have tradition-rich programs in men's basketball. The Jayhawks are a perennial national power, ranking first in all-time victories among NCAA programs. The Jayhawks have won six national titles, including NCAA tournament championships in 1952, 1988, 2008, and 2022. They also were retroactively awarded national championships by theHelms Foundation for 1922 and 1923. K-State also had a long stretch of success on the hardwood, lasting from the 1940s to the 1980s, making fourFinal Fours during that stretch. In 1988, KU and K-State met in theElite Eight, KU taking the game 71–58. After a 12-year absence, the Wildcats returned to the NCAA tournament in 2008, and advanced to the Elite Eight in 2010 and 2018. KU is fifth all-time with 15 Final Four appearances, while K-State's four appearances are tied for 17th.
Conversely, success on thegridiron has been less frequent for both KSU and KU. However, there have been recent breakthroughs for both schools' football teams. The Jayhawks won theOrange Bowl for the first time in three tries in 2008, capping a 12–1 season, the best in school history. And whenBill Snyder arrived to coach at K-State in 1989, he turned the Wildcats from one of the worst college football programs in America,[170] into a national force for most of the 1990s and early 2000s. The team won theFiesta Bowl in 1997, achieved an undefeated (11–0) regular season and No.1 ranking in 1998, and took theBig 12 Conference championship in 2003. After three seasons in which K-State football languished, Snyder came out of retirement in 2009 and guided them to the top of the college football ranks again, finishing second in the Big 12 in 2011 and earning a berth in theCotton Bowl, and winning the Big 12 again in 2012.
Wichita State University, which also fields teams (called theShockers) inDivision I of theNCAA, is best known for its baseball and basketball programs. In baseball, the Shockers won theCollege World Series in 1989. In men's basketball, they appeared in the Final Four in 1965 and 2013, and entered the 2014 NCAA tournament unbeaten. The school also fielded afootball team from 1897 to 1986. The Shocker football team is tragically known for aplane crash in 1970 that killed 31 people, including 14 players.
Notable success has also been achieved by the state's smaller schools in football.Pittsburg State University, an NCAA Division II participant, has claimed four national titles in football, two in the NAIA and most recently the 2011 NCAA Division II national title. Pittsburg State became the winningest NCAA Division II football program in 1995. PSU passed Hillsdale College at the top of the all-time victories list in the 1995 season on its march to the national runner-up finish. The Gorillas, in 96 seasons of intercollegiate competition, have accumulated 579 victories, posting a 579–301–48 overall mark.
Washburn University, in Topeka, won theNAIA Men's Basketball Championship in 1987. TheFort Hays State University men won the 1996 NCAA Division II title with a 34–0 record, and the Washburn women won the 2005 NCAA Division II crown. St. Benedict's College (now Benedictine College), in Atchison, won the 1954 and 1967 Men's NAIA Basketball Championships.
Emporia State's women's basketball team, under head coachBrandon Schneider, who is now serving as the women's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, has seen success as well. In 2010 the team won the NCAA Division II National Championship. Emporia State and Washburn in Topeka share a heated rivalry in all sports, mostly due to the close proximity of both cities.
TheKansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.
Map of Kansas and Missouri withKansas City metro counties.
Kansas andMissouri are two bordering U.S.states with a long and tumultuous history. The relationship between these two states has its roots inBleeding Kansas, but mutual distrust has continued off and on since then,even in sporting contexts.[171] These states also share theKansas City metropolitan area, where both states each have a city named Kansas City on either side of the Missouri River. The bitterness sown during Bleeding Kansas lingers in theBorder War between theUniversity of Kansas and theUniversity of Missouri.[172] The two states compete economically, mainly at the border which is also called a Border War.[173] In 2019, the governors of the two states signed an agreement to stop offering financial incentives to pull business across the border.[174] In 2022, the governor of Kansas said that agreement did not include enticement of theChiefs football team moving its arena from Missouri to Kansas.[175] In 2024, the Kansas House of Representatives and Kansas State Senate passed legislation that would give professional sports programs north of $1 billion in STAR bonds for the development of stadiums and entertainment districts inKansas City, Kansas. The Chiefs and Royals both hired lobbyists in 2024 that appealed to the Kansas Legislature. As of March 2025, the Chiefs haven't commented directly on a move to Kansas, but the Royals have expressed interest in building a riverfront stadium on the junction between the Kansas River and Missouri River. Kansas House of Representatives member Sean Tarwater said that talks with the Chiefs were intensifying in February 2025, and that Kansas was close to "bringing over at least one team, maybe two".[176] In June 2024, an architecture firm in Kansas released a video featuring 3D renderings of a potential design for a domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.[177][178]
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