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6 Biggest Cities in Kansas: How Well Do You Know the Sunflower State?

By    |   Tuesday, 07 April 2015 02:08 AM EDT

From the 2000 census to the 2010 census, all but one of the biggest cities in Kansas experienced an increase in population (Kansas City was the lone exception, and its population loss was minimal). Here are six of Kansas' biggest cities:

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1. Wichita

Long known as the Air Capital of the World, Wichita's history is tied to aviation manufacturing. Ever since air travel was invented by the Wright brothers, about 75 percent of all general aviation aircraft have been made in Wichita.

2. Overland Park

Continuing the theme of the importance of aviation to this state, Overland Park was a popular place for the barnstorming pilots of the day in the first few years after the Wright brothers sent a plane aloft in Kitty Hawk. On weekends, Aviation Field drew as many as 25,000 spectators to watch pilots get their planes off the ground.

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3. Kansas City

Dwarfed in size by its Missouri neighbor which goes by the same name, Kansas City is the only city among the 10 biggest in Kansas that lost population from the 2000 census to the 2010 census.

4. Topeka

The literal translation of Topeka from the local Native American dialect is, "A good place to dig potatoes." Or it's possible that it means "smoky hill." Here's hoping the first definition is actually the correct one.


5. Olathe

A suburb of the Kansas City metropolitan area, the name of the city was documented by the Olathe News. John T. Barton, who founded the city, was reportedly struck by the "natural beauty" of the territory he claimed. "He particularly was taken with the surrounding prairie flowers, specifically the verbenas," the publication wrote. "Barton supposedly asked a member of the Shawnee tribe its word for 'beautiful.' The reply: 'O-lay-thee.' Through Barton’s broken pronunciation, the name Olathe was given."

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6. Lawrence

Home to the University of Kansas, Lawrence had to compete with Emporia in 1863 in order to become the official home of the state university. Since Lawrence could submit $10,000 and 40 acres on which to build the university, Lawrence beat out Emporia by one vote in the state legislature.

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FastFeatures
From the 2000 census to the 2010 census, all but one of the biggest cities in Kansas experienced an increase in population (Kansas City was the lone exception, and its population loss was minimal). Here are six of Kansas' biggest cities.
biggest cities, kansas
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2015-08-07
Tuesday, 07 April 2015 02:08 AM
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