Chanute, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chanute, Kansas
|
|
|---|---|
Aerial view of Chanute (2013)
|
|
Location within Neosho County and Kansas
|
|
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Neosho |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Incorporated | 1873 |
| Named for | Octave Chanute |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.22 sq mi (18.70 km2) |
| • Land | 7.10 sq mi (18.38 km2) |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2) |
| Elevation | 974 ft (297 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 8,722 |
| • Density | 1,208.0/sq mi (466.42/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
66720
|
| Area code | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-12500 |
| GNIS ID | 485552 |
Chanute is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. It was founded on January 1, 1873. The city is named after Octave Chanute, who was a railroad engineer and aviation pioneer. In 2020, about 8,722 people lived in Chanute. It is also home to Neosho County Community College.
Contents
History of Chanute
In 1870, two railroad lines crossed paths in Neosho County. This led to four small towns popping up nearby. These towns were called New Chicago, Chicago Junction, Alliance, and Tioga. For two years, these towns argued about which one would be the most important.
In 1872, a smart railroad engineer named Octave Chanute came to town. He was the Chief Engineer for one of the railroads. He suggested that the four towns should join together. This way, they could stop arguing and work as one big community. On January 1, 1873, the towns merged and became the city of Chanute. It was named in honor of Octave Chanute.
After the merger, Chanute started to grow quickly. A major railroad company set up its main office there. By 1887, the city had many new businesses. These included flour mills, grain storage buildings, banks, and stores. Natural gas was also discovered, which helped the city grow even more. In 1903, Chanute started its own electric company. Over the years, it also set up its own gas, water, and trash services. A large cement company, Ash Grove Cement, began making cement in Chanute in 1908. In 2011, Spirit AeroSystems expanded its factory, creating more jobs.
Geography and Climate
Chanute is located in Kansas. The city covers about 7.15 square miles (18.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Chanute's Weather
Chanute has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Chanute was 116°F (47°C) on July 18, 1936. The coldest temperature was -23°F (-31°C) on January 30, 1949.
| Climate data for Chanute, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
83 (28) |
95 (35) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
108 (42) |
116 (47) |
113 (45) |
107 (42) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
80 (27) |
116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.5 (19.2) |
72.1 (22.3) |
80.1 (26.7) |
84.4 (29.1) |
88.0 (31.1) |
94.0 (34.4) |
99.5 (37.5) |
99.8 (37.7) |
94.6 (34.8) |
86.3 (30.2) |
75.1 (23.9) |
67.4 (19.7) |
101.2 (38.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.2 (5.1) |
46.6 (8.1) |
56.7 (13.7) |
65.9 (18.8) |
74.1 (23.4) |
83.6 (28.7) |
88.2 (31.2) |
87.8 (31.0) |
80.6 (27.0) |
68.7 (20.4) |
55.7 (13.2) |
44.3 (6.8) |
66.1 (19.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.5 (−0.3) |
36.1 (2.3) |
45.7 (7.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
64.6 (18.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
78.7 (25.9) |
77.3 (25.2) |
69.5 (20.8) |
57.6 (14.2) |
45.4 (7.4) |
35.0 (1.7) |
55.9 (13.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.9 (−5.6) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
34.6 (1.4) |
44.0 (6.7) |
55.1 (12.8) |
64.6 (18.1) |
69.1 (20.6) |
66.8 (19.3) |
58.4 (14.7) |
46.4 (8.0) |
35.2 (1.8) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
45.6 (7.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 3.1 (−16.1) |
8.3 (−13.2) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
38.7 (3.7) |
51.9 (11.1) |
58.7 (14.8) |
55.5 (13.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
17.7 (−7.9) |
7.5 (−13.6) |
−1.1 (−18.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−22 (−30) |
−4 (−20) |
14 (−10) |
28 (−2) |
44 (7) |
48 (9) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
17 (−8) |
1 (−17) |
−17 (−27) |
−23 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.52 (39) |
1.73 (44) |
2.80 (71) |
4.42 (112) |
7.09 (180) |
5.29 (134) |
4.68 (119) |
4.46 (113) |
4.79 (122) |
3.87 (98) |
2.19 (56) |
1.81 (46) |
44.65 (1,134) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.2 (8.1) |
1.6 (4.1) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
3.2 (8.1) |
9.7 (24.65) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.3 | 5.2 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 9.7 | 8.3 | 6.3 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 79.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 5.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People of Chanute
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 887 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,826 | 218.6% | |
| 1900 | 4,208 | 48.9% | |
| 1910 | 9,272 | 120.3% | |
| 1920 | 10,286 | 10.9% | |
| 1930 | 10,277 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 10,142 | −1.3% | |
| 1950 | 10,109 | −0.3% | |
| 1960 | 10,849 | 7.3% | |
| 1970 | 10,341 | −4.7% | |
| 1980 | 10,506 | 1.6% | |
| 1990 | 9,488 | −9.7% | |
| 2000 | 9,411 | −0.8% | |
| 2010 | 9,119 | −3.1% | |
| 2020 | 8,722 | −4.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010-2020 |
|||
Population in 2020
The 2020 United States census counted 8,722 people living in Chanute. There were 3,530 households, which are groups of people living together. About 31.2% of these households had children under 18. Most people in Chanute are white. About 8.11% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Chanute was 37 years old. About 25.7% of the people were under 18. And 18.5% were 65 years or older.
Education in Chanute
Colleges in Chanute
Chanute has one college called Neosho County Community College. People often call it NCCC. This college offers two-year programs to almost 3,200 students.
Schools in Chanute
The public schools in Chanute are part of the Chanute USD 413 school district. There is one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school.
- Chanute Elementary School is for younger students.
- Royster Middle School is for middle school students.
- Chanute High School is for older students.
The school district also has New Beginnings Academy. This program helps students who need extra credits to graduate from high school.
Chanute also has two private schools:
- Saint Patrick Catholic School teaches students from pre-school to sixth grade.
- Chanute Christian Academy (CCA) teaches students from kindergarten to twelfth grade.
Fun Places to Visit
Chanute has several interesting places to visit, especially if you like history!
- Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum: This museum celebrates Martin and Osa Johnson. They were famous explorers and filmmakers. They traveled to Africa and other places a long time ago. At the museum, you can see exhibits about their adventures. You can also learn about the cultures and art of West Africa.
- The Tioga Suites Hotel: This historic hotel was built in 1929. It was designed to be very safe from fires. Today, it has been updated and is the biggest hotel in Chanute. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Neosho County, Kansas.
- Chanute Art Gallery: If you love art, visit the Chanute Art Gallery. It has over 1,500 square feet of space for art. The gallery has a collection of more than 500 artworks. These include different types of art from many artists. They also have special exhibits that change every month.
- Chanute Historical Museum: This museum tells the story of Chanute. It has a copy of Octave Chanute's old biplane glider. This glider was once shown at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. You can also see old items from the Santa Fe Railroad.
- Downtown & Historic Homes: Take a walk around downtown Chanute to see many old buildings. You can also see beautiful historic homes. The James and Ella Truitt House is one of these homes. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Neosho County, Kansas.
Getting Around Chanute
Highways
Two main highways pass through Chanute. US-169 goes north and south. K-39 goes east and west. Other major highways like US-75 and US-59 are also close by. These roads make it easy to reach bigger highways like I-70 and I-35.
Bus Service
You can take a bus from Chanute to other cities. Jefferson Lines (which works with Greyhound Lines) offers bus service. You can go north towards Kansas City, Missouri or south towards Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Railways
The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKO) serves Chanute. This railroad helps local businesses move their goods. It connects to bigger railroads across North America.
Airports
The Chanute Martin Johnson Airport (FAA Identifier: CNU) is a local airport. It has a long runway for planes. The airport plans to add more services and improve its facilities in the future.
City Services
In 2014, the City of Chanute announced plans to offer very fast internet service to its residents. This would be a municipal-operated broadband network. It would offer 1 Gigabit internet for about $40 per month. This plan was put on hold for more discussion and a public vote.
Famous People from Chanute
- Eden Ahbez (1908–1995), a songwriter and mystic.
- Jimmy Allen, a guitarist for the band Puddle of Mudd.
- Gilbert Baker, an activist who created the rainbow flag.
- Osa Johnson, an adventurer, author, and documentary filmmaker.
- Jennifer Knapp, a singer-songwriter.
- Paul Lindblad, a professional baseball player.
- Ralph Miller, a famous basketball coach.
- Grace Olive Wiley, a scientist who studied reptiles.
Gallery
-
Steam locomotive in Santa Fe Park
-
Lake in Santa Fe Park
See also
In Spanish: Chanute (Kansas) para niños
