Goodland, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Goodland, Kansas
|
|
|---|---|
|
City and County seat
|
|
Downtown Goodland (2012)
|
|
| Nickname(s):
The Golden Buckle on the Wheat Belt
|
|
Location within Sherman County and Kansas
|
|
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Sherman |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Incorporated | 1887 |
| Named for | Goodland, Indiana |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.51 sq mi (11.67 km2) |
| • Land | 4.50 sq mi (11.66 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,691 ft (1,125 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 4,465 |
| • Density | 990.0/sq mi (382.60/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
67735
|
| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-26875 |
| GNIS ID | 485583 |
Goodland is a city in Sherman County, Kansas, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the county government is located. In 2020, about 4,465 people lived there. The city was named after Goodland, Indiana. Goodland is also home to Northwest Kansas Technical College.
Contents
History of Goodland
Goodland has an interesting past. One important event was the Kidder Massacre in 1867. A group of soldiers and an Indian guide were killed by Cheyenne and Sioux Indians. They were carrying important messages for Lieutenant Colonel George Custer. Custer later found their remains after a battle.
In 1886, several towns wanted to be the county seat for Sherman County. These towns were Itasca, Voltaire, Sherman Center, and Eustis. In 1887, a man named Clark suggested creating a new town called Goodland. This new town would help settle the argument.
The people of the county voted for the county seat. Goodland won with 872 votes out of 1495. Eustis came in second with 611 votes. Some people from Eustis thought the voting was unfair. However, the state government said nothing could be done. The Supreme Court of Kansas also looked into it but did not change the result. Eustis refused to give up the county records. Finally, in January 1888, a group from Goodland took the records to the new county seat.
Goodland grew quickly because of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The railroad was built right through the area. The town was named after Goodland, Indiana.
Goodland's Location and Climate
Goodland is in the northwestern part of Kansas. It is located in the High Plains region. This area is part of the larger Great Plains. The city sits near the Middle Fork of Sappa Creek. This creek is part of the Republican River system.
Goodland is easy to reach by road. It is at the crossing of Interstate 70 and K-27. It's about 17 miles (27 km) east of the Colorado state line. Denver is about 176 miles (283 km) away to the east-southeast. Wichita is 265 miles (426 km) to the northwest. Kansas City is about 383 miles (616 km) to the west.
The city covers about 4.37 square miles (11.32 km2) of land. Only a tiny part, 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), is water.
Goodland's Weather
Goodland has a humid continental climate. This means it has four distinct seasons. Winters are usually cold and dry. Summers are hot and get a moderate amount of rain.
The average temperature for the year is about 51 °F or 10.6 °C. Temperatures can go above 90 °F or 32.2 °C about 50 days a year. They can drop below 32 °F or 0 °C about 159 mornings a year. Goodland is higher up than many other places in Kansas. This means it often has stronger winds and more snow. The wind usually blows at about 13 mph (21 km/h).
Goodland gets about 19.75 inches or 502 millimetres of rain each year. It also gets about 41.9 inches or 1.06 metres of snow annually. January is usually the coldest month. July is both the warmest and the wettest month. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 111 °F or 43.9 °C in 1940. The coldest was −27 °F or −32.8 °C in 1989.
People of Goodland
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 1,027 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,059 | 3.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,993 | 88.2% | |
| 1920 | 2,664 | 33.7% | |
| 1930 | 3,626 | 36.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,306 | −8.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,690 | 41.9% | |
| 1960 | 4,459 | −4.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,510 | 23.6% | |
| 1980 | 5,708 | 3.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,983 | −12.7% | |
| 2000 | 4,948 | −0.7% | |
| 2010 | 4,489 | −9.3% | |
| 2020 | 4,465 | −0.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
_from_S_1.JPG)
The population of Goodland has changed over the years. In 1890, there were just over 1,000 people. The population grew steadily for many decades. It reached its highest point in 1980 with 5,708 residents. Since then, the population has slowly decreased. In 2020, there were 4,465 people living in Goodland.
The median age in Goodland in 2010 was 40 years old. About 22.7% of the people were under 18. About 19% were 65 years or older. The city has a nearly equal number of males and females.
Education in Goodland
Goodland has a public school system called Goodland USD 352. It runs three schools in the city:
- West Elementary School (for students from pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- North School (for students from 3rd to 6th grade)
- Goodland Junior Senior High School (for students from 7th to 12th grade)
Goodland is also home to a college. The Northwest Kansas Technical College offers different technical programs.
Media and News
Goodland has its own local newspaper. It's called The Goodland Star-News and comes out twice a week.
You can also listen to several radio stations in Goodland:
- KLOE (730 AM) plays news and talk shows.
- KKCI (102.5 FM) plays classic rock music.
- KWGB (97.9 FM) plays country music.
- KGCR (107.7 FM) plays Christian contemporary music.
Goodland is in the Wichita-Hutchinson television market. This means it gets TV channels from that area. CBS affiliate KBSL-DT broadcasts from Goodland.
Because Goodland is in the Mountain Time Zone, TV shows air an hour earlier than in the Central Time Zone. So, prime-time shows are from 6 to 9 p.m. instead of 7 to 10 p.m.
Fun Things to See in Goodland
Goodland has some unique attractions:
- The World's Largest Easel: You can see a huge steel easel in Goodland. It's 80 feet tall! On it is a giant copy of Vincent van Gogh's painting 3 Sunflowers in a Vase. The painting is 24 feet by 32 feet. An artist named Cameron Cross created it in 2001. He came back in 2012 to repaint it and make the colors brighter.
- High Plains Museum: This museum has a cool replica of a "gyrocopter." This was an early type of helicopter. It was built in Goodland but didn't become a big success. However, it received a patent in 1912. This is thought to be the first U.S. patent for a helicopter-like aircraft.
Famous People from Goodland
Many notable people have lived in or were born in Goodland. Here are a few:
- Milo Baughman (1923–2003), a famous furniture designer.
- Brook Berringer (1973–1996), a football quarterback for the University of Nebraska.
- Harry Felt (1902–1992), a U.S. Navy Admiral.
- Marla Luckert (1955– ), a justice on the Kansas Supreme Court.
- Charles Sparks (1872–1937), a U.S. Representative from Kansas.
See also
In Spanish: Goodland (Kansas) para niños
