WaKeeney, Kansas

county seat in Kansas, United States

WaKeeney is a city in Trego County, Kansas, United States.[4] It is also the county seat of Trego County. In 2020 census, 1,799 people lived there.[3]

WaKeeney, Kansas
Trego County fairgrounds exhibit building (2014)
Trego County fairgrounds exhibit building (2014)
Location within Trego County and Kansas
Location within Trego County and Kansas
KDOT map of Trego County (legend)
Coordinates: 39°1′24″N 99°52′53″W / 39.02333°N 99.88139°W / 39.02333; -99.88139[1]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyTrego
Founded1879
Incorporated1880
Area
 • Total1.78 sq mi (4.61 km2)
 • Land1.78 sq mi (4.61 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation2,448 ft (746 m)
Population
 • Total1,799
 • Density1,000/sq mi (390/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67672
Area code785
FIPS code20-74450 [1]
GNIS ID472517 [1]
Websitewakeeney.org

History

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In 1877, James Keeney, a land speculator in Chicago, bought land at the place of modern-day WaKeeney from the Kansas Pacific Railway. He, and business partner Albert Warren, created Warren, Keeney, & Co., surveyed and plotted the site in 1878. They created a colony there in 1879.[5] They named the colony WaKeeney, a portmanteau of their last names.

They said it was "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers.[6] The colony grew quickly, but crop failures made settlers leave in 1880 as quickly as they had come. By 1882, all that was left were "five poorly patronized retail stores".[7] Years later, Volga Germans began settling the area.[5]

WaKeeney became the county seat in June 1879. It was incorporated as a city in 1880.[5][6]

Geography

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WaKeeney is at 39°01′24″N 99°52′53″W / 39.023449°N 99.881455°W / 39.023449; -99.881455 (39.023449, -99.881455)[2] at an elevation of 2,447 feet (746 m).[8] It is in northwestern Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 283. It is 162 miles (261 km) northwest of Wichita, 281 miles (452 km) east-southeast of Denver, and 284 miles (457 km) west of Kansas City.[9]

WaKeeney is in the High Plains region of the Great Plains. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Big Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River.[10][11] A small tributary of Big Creek goes south from near the center of the city.[11]

The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 1.78 square miles (4.61 km2). All of it is land.[2]

Climate

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WaKeeney has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). It has hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature is 52.8 °F (11 °C), and the average yearly precipitation is 23.6 inches (600 mm).[12] Snowfall averages 25.2 inches (640 mm) per year.[13] On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature ever in WaKeeney was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1980; the coldest temperature ever was -25 °F (-32 °C) in 1989.[14]

Climate data for WaKeeney, Kansas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 79
(26)
84
(29)
90
(32)
102
(39)
101
(38)
110
(43)
110
(43)
107
(42)
104
(40)
98
(37)
89
(32)
79
(26)
110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 40
(4)
46
(8)
55
(13)
66
(19)
75
(24)
87
(31)
93
(34)
91
(33)
82
(28)
70
(21)
53
(12)
42
(6)
67
(19)
Average low °F (°C) 16
(−9)
21
(−6)
29
(−2)
39
(4)
50
(10)
60
(16)
65
(18)
63
(17)
53
(12)
41
(5)
28
(−2)
19
(−7)
40
(5)
Record low °F (°C) −14
(−26)
−14
(−26)
−9
(−23)
11
(−12)
27
(−3)
39
(4)
47
(8)
47
(8)
24
(−4)
12
(−11)
−4
(−20)
−25
(−32)
−25
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.68
(17)
0.77
(20)
1.87
(47)
2.17
(55)
3.62
(92)
2.57
(65)
3.64
(92)
2.95
(75)
2.02
(51)
1.33
(34)
1.33
(34)
0.66
(17)
23.61
(599)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.5
(14)
4.9
(12)
4.9
(12)
1.8
(4.6)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.3
(0.76)
0.8
(2.0)
2.6
(6.6)
4.5
(11)
25.3
(62.96)
Source: The Weather Channel;[14] National Weather Service[13]

People

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Historical population
Census Pop.
1880418
18904395.0%
1900394−10.3%
1910883124.1%
19201,00313.6%
19301,40840.4%
19401,85231.5%
19502,44632.1%
19602,80814.8%
19702,334−16.9%
19802,3882.3%
19902,161−9.5%
20001,924−11.0%
20101,862−3.2%
20201,799−3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

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The 2020 census says that there were 1,799 people, 837 households, and 482 families living in the city. Of the households, 73.5% owned their home and 26.5% rented their home.

The median age was 47.4 years. Of the people, 93.6% were White, 0.6% were Asian, 0.2% were Black, 0.1% were Native American, 0.4% were from some other race, and 5.2% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the people.[3][15]

2010 census

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The 2010 census says that there were 1,862 people, 864 households, and 500 families residing in the city.[16]

Infrastructure

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Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40 run concurrently southeast-northwest just south of WaKeeney. They intersect U.S. Route 283, which goes north-south through WaKeeney. U.S. 283 goes east-west for one mile in downtown WaKeeney. It is concurrent with U.S. Route 40 Business and the old alignment of U.S. 40.[17]

Trego WaKeeney Airport is on the west side of U.S. 283. It is just south of I-70.[18] The airport is publicly owned. It has one concrete runway. It is used for general aviation.[19]

Union Pacific Railroad has one freight railroad, the Kansas Pacific (KP) line, through WaKeeney. It goes east-west through the WaKeeney.[17][20]

The Western Kansas World is the local newspaper. It is published once per week.[21]

K231BG is a translator of radio station KJIL in Copeland, Kansas. It broadcasts from WaKeeney on 94.1 FM. It plays a Contemporary Christian format.[22][23]

WaKeeney is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.[24]

Famous people

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "WaKeeney, Kansas". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Homesteading in Trego County - WaKeeney". Kansas Heritage Project. Fort Hays State University. Archived from the original on 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "History". WaKeeney, Kansas. Archived from the original on 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  7. Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. p. 858.
  8. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  9. "City Distance Tool". Geobytes. Archived from the original on 2010-10-05. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  10. "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  11. 11.0 11.1 "General Highway Map - Trego County, Kansas". Kansas Department of Transportation. 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  12. "Historical Weather for WaKeeney, Kansas, United States of America". Weatherbase. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  13. 13.0 13.1 "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service Forecast Office - Dodge City, KS. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  14. 14.0 14.1 "Average weather for WaKeeney, KS". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  15. "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  16. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  17. 17.0 17.1 "City of WaKeeney [Map]" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. May 2007. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  18. "WaKeeney, KS". Google Maps. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  19. "0H1 - Trego WaKeeney Airport". AirNav.com. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  20. "UPRR Common Line Names" (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  21. "About this Newspaper: Western Kansas world". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  22. "K231BG-FM 94.1 MHz". Radio-Locator. Theodric Technologies LLC. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  23. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  24. "Kansas". TV Market Maps. EchoStar Knowledge Base. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  25. Garrigues, George (January 2006). He Usually Lived With a Female: The Life of California Newspaperman Charles Harris (Brick) Garrigues. Los Angeles: Quail Creek Press. ISBN 978-0963483010.
  26. Caywood, Kurt (1999-07-20). "Taking aim at the PGA Tour". Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  27. "Harlan, Andrew Jackson (1815-1907)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  28. "Frank Mechau Jr". askART. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  29. "Profile: Green Leader Mike Schreiner". CBC News. 2011-08-26. Retrieved 2015-07-16.

Other websites

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