Emporia is a city in Kansas, United States. It is the main city of Lyon County. In 2020, about 24,139 people lived here. Emporia is located between two larger cities, Topeka and Wichita. You can find it where several major highways meet, including U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 35.

Emporia is home to Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College. It also hosts two big yearly sports events: Unbound Gravel, a bicycle race, and the Dynamic Discs Open, a disc golf tournament.

History of Emporia

Sixth Avenue in Emporia around 1912

An aerial view of Emporia in 1944

Emporia was founded in 1857 on a high prairie area. Its name comes from an ancient city called ancient Carthage, which was famous for being a busy trading center.

In 1864, a railroad company called Union Pacific Railway started building tracks towards Emporia. The first train arrived in Emporia in 1869. Another railroad, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, reached the city in 1870. After the American Civil War, Emporia became a very important place for railroads.

In 1888, a railroad leader named John Byers Anderson gave his personal library to the College of Emporia. This was to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary. Later, Andrew Carnegie gave more money to build a library in Anderson's honor.

Emporia is special because it was the first place in the United States to celebrate Veterans Day. In 1953, a local shoemaker named Alvin J. King suggested changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed this idea into law in 1954.

On June 8, 1974, a strong tornado hit Emporia. It caused a lot of damage and sadly, some people were hurt.

In 1988, there was a shooting at a church in Emporia. One person died and four others were injured.

Emporia's Geography and Climate

Emporia is located in the eastern part of Kansas. It sits along the Kansas Turnpike, where it meets Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 50. The city is about 108 miles (174 km) southwest of Kansas City. It is also 58 miles (93 km) southwest of Topeka and 87 miles (140 km) northeast of Wichita. Emporia is on the eastern edge of the Flint Hills.

The city covers about 11.94 square miles (30.92 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The Neosho River flows north of the city. The Cottonwood River flows along the southern side. These two rivers meet near the eastern edge of Emporia.

Emporia's Climate

Emporia has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Emporia was 116 °F (47 °C) in July 1934 and August 1936. The coldest temperature recorded was -24 °F (-31 °C) in January 1947.

Climate data for Emporia Municipal Airport, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–1954, 1979–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	76 (24)	84 (29)	93 (34)	95 (35)	100 (38)	112 (44)	116 (47)	116 (47)	108 (42)	96 (36)	86 (30)	77 (25)	116 (47)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	63.6 (17.6)	68.6 (20.3)	78.0 (25.6)	85.0 (29.4)	89.3 (31.8)	94.2 (34.6)	99.3 (37.4)	99.4 (37.4)	94.1 (34.5)	86.5 (30.3)	74.6 (23.7)	65.4 (18.6)	100.9 (38.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41.3 (5.2)	46.5 (8.1)	57.4 (14.1)	67.3 (19.6)	75.9 (24.4)	85.0 (29.4)	90.0 (32.2)	89.2 (31.8)	80.8 (27.1)	69.2 (20.7)	55.9 (13.3)	44.3 (6.8)	66.9 (19.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	31.0 (−0.6)	35.4 (1.9)	45.6 (7.6)	55.5 (13.1)	65.1 (18.4)	74.2 (23.4)	79.0 (26.1)	77.5 (25.3)	69.0 (20.6)	57.2 (14.0)	44.6 (7.0)	34.3 (1.3)	55.7 (13.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	20.7 (−6.3)	24.2 (−4.3)	33.7 (0.9)	43.6 (6.4)	54.2 (12.3)	63.5 (17.5)	68.0 (20.0)	65.8 (18.8)	57.2 (14.0)	45.2 (7.3)	33.3 (0.7)	24.2 (−4.3)	44.5 (6.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	2.3 (−16.5)	7.2 (−13.8)	15.3 (−9.3)	28.0 (−2.2)	40.6 (4.8)	52.8 (11.6)	59.1 (15.1)	56.9 (13.8)	43.0 (6.1)	30.0 (−1.1)	17.4 (−8.1)	8.3 (−13.2)	−1.1 (−18.4)
Record low °F (°C)	−24 (−31)	−23 (−31)	−7 (−22)	8 (−13)	25 (−4)	41 (5)	46 (8)	44 (7)	29 (−2)	15 (−9)	−1 (−18)	−22 (−30)	−24 (−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.78 (20)	1.31 (33)	2.12 (54)	3.84 (98)	5.01 (127)	4.53 (115)	3.90 (99)	3.86 (98)	3.25 (83)	3.06 (78)	1.85 (47)	1.30 (33)	34.81 (885)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	4.8	6.0	8.5	10.1	13.1	10.7	9.3	9.4	8.7	8.7	5.9	5.3	100.5
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

People of Emporia (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	843	—
1870	2,168	157.2%
1880	4,631	113.6%
1890	7,551	63.1%
1900	8,223	8.9%
1910	9,058	10.2%
1920	11,273	24.5%
1930	14,067	24.8%
1940	13,188	−6.2%
1950	15,669	18.8%
1960	18,190	16.1%
1970	23,327	28.2%
1980	25,287	8.4%
1990	25,512	0.9%
2000	26,760	4.9%
2010	24,916	−6.9%
2020	24,139	−3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 2010-2020

Emporia is the main city in the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Lyon and Chase counties.

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 24,139 people living in Emporia. There were 9,876 households. About 28% of households had children under 18.

The people in Emporia come from many backgrounds. About 68% were white, 2.6% were black, and 2.3% were Asian. About 28% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Emporia was 32.3 years. About 22% of the population was under 18 years old.

Emporia's Economy

Emporia has many different types of jobs. Large employers include Emporia State University and local government offices. There are also public schools and a county hospital.

Some big private companies are also in Emporia. Hostess Brands has a bakery here. Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation, which started in Emporia in 1953, makes products for cars. The Braum dairy store chain began in Emporia in 1952. Simmons Pet Food has a large factory that makes wet dog food.

In 2008, Tyson Foods, a large meat-packing company, announced it would lay off many workers. This was a big change for the city. In 2024, Tyson announced that its plant in Emporia would close permanently in 2025.

Education in Emporia

Colleges and Universities

Emporia is home to two important schools for higher education:

Emporia State University
Flint Hills Technical College

Long ago, from 1882 to 1974, there was another private school called the College of Emporia. Because the city had two colleges for many years, it was sometimes called the "Athens of Kansas."

Schools for Kids

The public schools in Emporia are part of the Emporia USD 253 district. This district has:

One high school (Emporia High School)
One middle school
Six elementary schools
An early childhood center

There are also two private schools:

Emporia Christian School (for preschool through 8th grade)
Sacred Heart Catholic School (for preschool through 5th grade)

Library

The Emporia Public Library opened in 1869. It is the oldest library in Kansas that is still open today.

Getting Around Emporia (Transportation)

Plumb Administration Building and Albert Taylor Hall at Emporia State University (2012)

The Lyon County courthouse (2009)

Air Travel

The city has its own airport, the Emporia Municipal Airport.

Bus Services

Bus service within Emporia is provided by LCAT, which stands for Lyon County Area Transportation. They offer bus routes and on-demand services. This service is supported by Lyon County and the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Highways

Several major highways serve Emporia, making it easy to travel to and from the city:

I-35
I-335
Kansas Turnpike (Kansas Turnpike)
US-50
K-99

Train Travel

The main train line of BNSF Railway (formerly Santa Fe) runs through Emporia. There is also a train yard in the city.

Passenger trains used to serve Emporia until 1971. The Southwest Chief train stopped here until 1997. The old train station was destroyed by a fire in 1999. Since 2014, people in Emporia have been working to bring back train service and build a new station.

Media in Emporia

The Emporia Gazette is the city's main newspaper. It is published six days a week. The Gazette also publishes a Spanish language newspaper called La Voz once a month. Students at Emporia State University publish their own newspaper, the Emporia State University Bulletin.

Emporia is also a center for radio and TV in east-central Kansas. There is one AM radio station and ten FM radio stations that broadcast from the city. Emporia is part of the Topeka television market. One TV station, which is a local broadcast of the Fox channel from Topeka, also broadcasts from Emporia.

Culture and Fun in Emporia

The William Allen White House (2009)

Waiting for the Unbound Gravel bike race to start at sunrise in Emporia

Places to Visit

Emporia has 14 buildings and places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

The Old Emporia Public Library
The Granada Theater
The William Allen White House (also known as Red Rocks)
The Soden's Grove Bridge

You can also visit an old one-room schoolhouse on the Emporia State University campus. You can take tours through the ESU Teachers College. The National Teachers Hall of Fame is also located there.

There is a Kansas Historical Marker at the Emporia service area of the Kansas Turnpike. It is called Emporia - Home of William Allen White.

Events and Festivals

Emporia hosts several exciting events each year:

Unbound Gravel: This is a famous gravel bicycle race that goes through the Flint Hills. It starts and ends in Emporia. There are races of different lengths, from 25 to 350 miles. It happens every year on the first weekend after Memorial Day.
Dynamic Discs Open: This is one of the biggest disc golf tournaments.
The Taste: At this event, you can try products from wineries, breweries, and distilleries from all over Kansas.
Great American Market: This is a large market held in downtown Emporia every second Saturday in September. You can find antiques, collectibles, artwork, crafts, and food.

Famous People from Emporia

Many notable people have lived in or were born in Emporia, including:

R. Lee Ermey: An actor
William Allen White: A famous journalist
Dean Smith: A well-known college basketball coach
Maud Wagner: A circus performer and tattoo artist

Emporia, Kansas facts for kids

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