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 | 1,650 ft (500 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 | 472257 |
Alton is a city in Osborne County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 100.
History
Alton was founded in 1870 as Bull City, and was named in honor of Hiram C. Bull. It was renamed Alton in 1885, after the city of Alton, Illinois because female residents didn't like the former name.
Geography
Alton is located at 39°28′6″N 98°56′50″W / 39.46833°N 98.94722°W (39.468196, −98.947360). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.31 square miles (0.80 km2), all of it land.
Climate
Alton has a typical borderline humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa)/humid continental (Dfa) climate for the central Great Plains. Summers are hot and often very humid, with heavy rain from thunderstorms not uncommon, whilst tornadoes are a frequent hazard and are often followed by heavy rainfall. Winter weather varies greatly from warm or even hot weather due to chinook winds to extreme cold when a North American High with very cold air moves southwards from Canada. The coldest temperature recorded in Alton has been −31 °F or −35 °C on December 23, 1989.
One of the highest recorded temperatures in American history (and the highest in Kansas' recorded history) was recorded near Alton on July 24, 1936. On that day, the temperature maxed out at 121 °F or 49.4 °C. Only four states — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada — have seen higher record temperatures. Alton’s record April temperature of 106 °F or 41.1 °C on April 23 of 1989 has been exceeded only by California, Arizona and Texas. Temperatures over 100 °F or 37.8 °C are expected on fifteen days each summer and 90 °F or 32.2 °C on more than sixty-seven.
Interestingly, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Kansas was measured in Lebanon, which sits in the adjacent Smith County, only about 35 miles away.
| Climate data for Alton, Kansas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
87 (31) |
94 (34) |
106 (41) |
105 (41) |
113 (45) |
121 (49) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
103 (39) |
88 (31) |
82 (28) |
121 (49) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 41 (5) |
46 (8) |
56 (13) |
67 (19) |
76 (24) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
91 (33) |
83 (28) |
70 (21) |
55 (13) |
42 (6) |
67 (20) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 15 (−9) |
18 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
37 (3) |
49 (9) |
59 (15) |
65 (18) |
63 (17) |
53 (12) |
39 (4) |
26 (−3) |
17 (−8) |
39 (4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −24 (−31) |
−22 (−30) |
−17 (−27) |
9 (−13) |
21 (−6) |
33 (1) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
28 (−2) |
6 (−14) |
−10 (−23) |
−31 (−35) |
−31 (−35) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.58 (15) |
0.70 (18) |
1.98 (50) |
2.47 (63) |
4.16 (106) |
3.80 (97) |
4.44 (113) |
3.48 (88) |
2.34 (59) |
2.02 (51) |
1.24 (31) |
0.86 (22) |
28.07 (713) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.8 (12) |
3.9 (9.9) |
3.1 (7.9) |
0.9 (2.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.2 (5.6) |
4.3 (11) |
19.5 (49.46) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 3.4 | 3.8 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 10.2 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 7.1 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 74.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | trace | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 9.5 |
| Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | |||||||||||||
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 | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 103 people, 47 households, and 22 families residing in the city. The population density was 332.3 inhabitants per square mile (128.3/km2). There were 68 housing units at an average density of 219.4 per square mile (84.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White and 2.9% from two or more races.
There were 47 households, of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.2% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.77.
The median age in the city was 48.3 years. 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 28.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.
Education
Alton is served by USD 392 Osborne County Schools.
Alton High School was closed through school unification in 1970. The Alton High School mascot was Wildcats.
Notable people
- Hiram C. Bull – politician and businessman
- Len Dugan – American football player
- Bruce Goff – architect and a designer of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church
- Russell Stover – confectioner and first mass-producer of the Eskimo Pie
See also
In Spanish: Alton (Kansas) para niños
