Wichita, Kansas

Not to be confused with Wichita County, Kansas.

Wichita, Kansas
City and county seat
Downtown Wichita skyline
Downtown Wichita skyline
Carey House
Carey House
Exploration Place science museum
Flag of Wichita, Kansas
Flag
Official seal of Wichita, Kansas
Seal
Official logo of Wichita, Kansas
Logo
Nickname(s): 
Air Capital of the World,[1] ICT[2]
Location within Sedgwick County and Kansas
Location within Sedgwick County and Kansas
Map
Interactive map of Wichita
Coordinates: 37°41′20″N 97°20′10″W / 37.68889°N 97.33611°W / 37.68889; -97.33611[3]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountySedgwick
Founded1868
Incorporated1870
Named forWichita people
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorLily Wu (L)
 • City ManagerRobert Layton
Area
[4]
 • City and county seat
166.52 sq mi (431.28 km2)
 • Land161.99 sq mi (419.55 km2)
 • Water4.53 sq mi (11.73 km2)
Elevation
[3]
1,303 ft (397 m)
Population
 (2020)[5][6]
 • City and county seat
397,532
 • Estimate 
(2023)[7]
396,119
 • Rank50th in the United States
1st in Kansas
 • Density2,454.05/sq mi (947.52/km2)
 • Urban
500,231 (US: 84th)
 • Urban density2,205.2/sq mi (851.4/km2)
 • Metro
[8]
647,919 (US: 93rd)
DemonymWichitan
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
67201–67221, 67223, 67226–67228, 67230, 67232, 67235, 67260, 67275–67278[9]
Area code316
FIPS code20-79000 [3]
GNIS ID473862 [3]
Websitewichita.gov

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]

Wichita began as a trading post on the Chisholm Trail in the 1860s and was incorporated as a city in 1870. It became a destination for cattle drives traveling north from Texas to Kansas railroads, earning it the nickname "Cowtown".[11][12] Wyatt Earp served as a police officer in Wichita for around one year before going to Dodge City.

In the 1920s and 1930s, businessmen and aeronautical engineers established aircraft manufacturing companies in Wichita, including Beechcraft, Cessna, and Stearman Aircraft. The city became an aircraft production hub known as "The Air Capital of the World".[13][14] Textron Aviation, Learjet, Airbus, and Boeing/Spirit AeroSystems continue to operate design and manufacturing facilities in Wichita, and the city remains a major center of the American aircraft industry. Several airports located within the city of Wichita include McConnell Air Force Base,[15][16] Colonel James Jabara Airport, and Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, the largest airport in Kansas.

As an industrial hub, Wichita is a regional center of culture, media, and trade. It hosts several universities, large museums, theaters, parks, shopping centers, and entertainment venues, most notably Intrust Bank Arena and Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. The city's Old Cowtown Museum maintains historical artifacts and exhibits the city's early history. Wichita State University is the third-largest post-secondary institution in the state.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Harris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Travel Translator: Your guide to the local language in Wichita". VisitWichita.com. September 18, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Wichita, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
  4. ^ "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Profile of Wichita, Kansas in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "QuickFacts; Wichita, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  9. ^ United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  10. ^ "Wichita". CollinsDictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  11. ^ Miner, Craig (Wichita State Univ. Dept. of History), Wichita: The Magic City, Wichita Historical Museum Association, Wichita, KS, 1988
  12. ^ Howell, Angela and Peg Vines, The Insider's Guide to Wichita, Wichita Eagle & Beacon Publishing, Wichita, KS, 1995
  13. ^ "We Built This City," September 2019, Air and Space Magazine, Smithsonian Institution, retrieved March 31, 2023
  14. ^ McCoy, Daniel (interview with Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture), "Back to Beechcraft", Wichita Business Journal, February 22, 2013
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference capital_story was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference ks_av was invoked but never defined (see the help page).