Alton, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alton, Kansas
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Location within Osborne County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Osborne |
| Founded | 1870 (Bull City) |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Named for | Alton, Illinois |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.31 sq mi (0.80 km2) |
| • Land | 0.31 sq mi (0.80 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,647 ft (502 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 100 |
| • Density | 320/sq mi (130/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67623
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-01600 |
| GNIS ID | 2393938 |
Alton is a small city located in Osborne County, Kansas, in the United States. In 2020, about 100 people lived there.
Contents
History
Alton started in 1870. It was first called Bull City. The city got its name from Hiram C. Bull. In 1885, its name changed to Alton. This new name came from the city of Alton, Illinois. The change happened because some women living in Bull City did not like the original name.
Geography
Alton is a small city. It covers about 0.31 square miles (0.80 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Climate
Alton has a climate called humid continental. This means it has hot, often humid summers. Thunderstorms with heavy rain are common. Winters can be very cold, especially when cold air comes from Canada. Sometimes, warm winds called chinook winds can make winter days warm.
Tornadoes are a frequent danger in this area. They are often followed by heavy rainfall.
Temperature Records
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Alton was -31°F (-35°C). This happened on December 23, 1989.
One of the highest temperatures ever recorded in Kansas was near Alton. On July 24, 1936, it reached 121°F (49°C). Only a few other states have had higher record temperatures.
Alton also had a very high April temperature of 106°F (41°C) in 1989. This is one of the highest April temperatures recorded in the U.S.
Temperatures over 100°F (38°C) happen about 16 days each year. Temperatures over 90°F (32°C) happen about 65 days each year.
The lowest temperature ever in Kansas was recorded near Alton, in Lebanon.
| Climate data for Alton, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1902–2018 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
87 (31) |
99 (37) |
106 (41) |
105 (41) |
115 (46) |
121 (49) |
116 (47) |
112 (44) |
103 (39) |
88 (31) |
82 (28) |
121 (49) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.0 (18.9) |
72.3 (22.4) |
81.0 (27.2) |
87.9 (31.1) |
93.1 (33.9) |
101.0 (38.3) |
105.3 (40.7) |
103.2 (39.6) |
99.2 (37.3) |
90.8 (32.7) |
76.8 (24.9) |
66.3 (19.1) |
106.7 (41.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.6 (5.3) |
46.0 (7.8) |
56.7 (13.7) |
66.5 (19.2) |
76.3 (24.6) |
87.6 (30.9) |
92.6 (33.7) |
90.6 (32.6) |
82.9 (28.3) |
70.0 (21.1) |
55.8 (13.2) |
44.0 (6.7) |
67.6 (19.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.0 (−2.2) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
41.9 (5.5) |
51.4 (10.8) |
62.3 (16.8) |
73.5 (23.1) |
78.9 (26.1) |
76.6 (24.8) |
67.9 (19.9) |
54.6 (12.6) |
40.9 (4.9) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
53.2 (11.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.4 (−9.8) |
17.9 (−7.8) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
36.4 (2.4) |
48.3 (9.1) |
59.5 (15.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
62.6 (17.0) |
52.9 (11.6) |
39.3 (4.1) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
38.9 (3.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −4.4 (−20.2) |
−3.3 (−19.6) |
8.5 (−13.1) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
32.9 (0.5) |
44.5 (6.9) |
52.9 (11.6) |
50.4 (10.2) |
34.2 (1.2) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
8.6 (−13.0) |
0.1 (−17.7) |
−10.7 (−23.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−29 (−34) |
−17 (−27) |
4 (−16) |
19 (−7) |
33 (1) |
41 (5) |
33 (1) |
18 (−8) |
6 (−14) |
−12 (−24) |
−31 (−35) |
−31 (−35) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.67 (17) |
0.69 (18) |
1.55 (39) |
2.30 (58) |
4.23 (107) |
3.51 (89) |
4.92 (125) |
3.85 (98) |
2.64 (67) |
2.11 (54) |
1.19 (30) |
0.93 (24) |
28.59 (726) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.8 (9.7) |
4.8 (12) |
2.0 (5.1) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
2.1 (5.3) |
3.3 (8.4) |
17.6 (44.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 8.3 | 10.7 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 81.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 9.3 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 338 | — | |
| 1900 | 287 | −15.1% | |
| 1910 | 414 | 44.3% | |
| 1920 | 423 | 2.2% | |
| 1930 | 383 | −9.5% | |
| 1940 | 435 | 13.6% | |
| 1950 | 317 | −27.1% | |
| 1960 | 299 | −5.7% | |
| 1970 | 214 | −28.4% | |
| 1980 | 135 | −36.9% | |
| 1990 | 115 | −14.8% | |
| 2000 | 117 | 1.7% | |
| 2010 | 103 | −12.0% | |
| 2020 | 100 | −2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census
In 2020, Alton had 100 people living in 35 households. About 21 of these were families. Most residents (97%) were white.
About 17% of households had children under 18. Nearly 43% were married couples. About 37% of households had just one person living there.
The average age in Alton was 42.5 years. About 28% of the people were under 18. About 18% were 65 or older.
2010 Census
In 2010, Alton had 103 people. There were 47 households. The city had 68 housing units. Most people (97.1%) were white.
About 21% of households had children under 18. About 38% were married couples. Many households (40%) had only one person.
The average age was 48.3 years. About 18% of residents were under 18. About 28% were 65 or older. There were slightly more males than females.
Education
Students in Alton go to schools in USD 392 Osborne County Schools. Alton High School closed in 1970. Its sports teams were called the Wildcats.
Notable people
- Hiram C. Bull – a politician and businessman
- Len Dugan – an American football player
- Bruce Goff – an architect who designed the Boston Avenue Methodist Church
- Russell Stover – a candy maker who first made the Eskimo Pie for many people
See also
In Spanish: Alton (Kansas) para niños
