Located in the heartland of the nation, Kansas is equidistant from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Lying in the great central plain, the state has a flat surface, where the Missouri River and Arkansas River provide boundaries and intersect the state respectively. Considered a Midwestern state, it is named after the Kansas River that flows through it. With nearly 2.8 million residents, the state remains an area of agriculture and family values. However, Kansas’ “Big Sky,” dramatic sunsets and great variability in temperature and precipitation are all significant aspects of the regional personality.
      Historically home to large numbers of Native Americans who hunted buffalo, the populace can now experience the famous cow-towns, see the ancient hunting grounds of the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians, find excellent birding opportunities, learn about the buffalo soldiers or explore several bison-filled regions. The “Sunflower State,” welcomes residents to enjoy the scenic landscapes, exciting attractions and rich history.
      Kansas offers new developments, master-planned communities and investment properties. Of course, sprawling ranches and farms are found in Kansas, providing expansive views of the horizon. Condominiums and townhouses are found closer to the metropolitan areas, while suburban tree-lined streets welcome residents home.

Did You Know...

State Nickname: The Sunflower State State Capital: Topeka State Flower: Sunflower State Bird: Western Meadowlark

      Served by two Interstate highways with two spur routes, three bypasses and one beltway, transportation through the state is easy. The northeastern portion of the state has a rich history and is home to more than 1.1 million people in the Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, and St. Joseph metropolitan areas.

      In south central Kansas, the Wichita metropolitan area is home to nearly 600,000 people.Wichita, the largest city in the state, also known as “The Air Capital,” is a major manufacturing center for the aircraft industry and the home of Wichita State University. With a number of nationally registered historic places, museums and other entertainment destinations, it has a desire to become a cultural mecca.
      After the Civil War, the population of Kansas exploded as the waves of immigrants turned the desolate prairie into productive farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, leading the nation in wheat production. At least 90 percent of the land area is devoted to agriculture production in this nearly treeless region of immense horizons. Beginning in the mid-1800s, cattle rapidly replaced the buffalo and homesteaders displaced the Indians. The honey-colored limestone provided building blocks, even fence posts, for settlers in the wood-scarce landscape. Because its rocky soil stubbornly resists the plow, the Flint Hills region has kept much of its untamed character. The hills serve primarily to fatten up cattle as more than a million graze here each summer, making Kansas the nation's second largest producer of beef cattle, behind only Texas.
      The Smoky Hills are rugged limestone hills in central Kansas. The Flint Hills, in east central Kansas, cover several million acres of undulating, virtually treeless prairie and are also the largest segment of true tall grass prairie remaining in the U.S. The Gypsum Hills in south central Kansas provide a panorama of buttes and mesas. In and around Gove County, historically significant fossils have been unearthed with many on display at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays. The most significant is the “fish within a fish” fossil.

      Attractions in the area range from the odd to historic. The world’s largest and longest wheat elevator is in Hutchinson and the world’s largest ball of twine is located in Cawker City. Numerous modern and primitive campsites dot the state, while hiking in the nearly 11,000-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and local fishing are prevalent at Marion and Council Grove Lake and El Dorado Reservoir. The Kansas Museum of History is the award-winning state museum, located in the capital city of Topeka. Art seems to come naturally in the Sunflower State, where golden wheat fields and colorful Flint Hills’ sunsets provide the creative inspiration. Browse an array of arts and crafts originating from Kansas, including metalwork, jewelry, musical instruments and pottery of the area. Events in Kansas range from the National Sports Car Club of America Championship Runoffs to the Great American Cattle Drive Experience.