Hugoton, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugoton, Kansas
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City and County seat
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Stevens County Courthouse (2009)
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| Nickname(s):
Natural Gas Capital
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Location within Stevens County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Stevens |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Incorporated | 1910 |
| Named for | Victor Hugo |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.08 sq mi (5.39 km2) |
| • Land | 2.08 sq mi (5.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,114 ft (949 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,747 |
| • Density | 1,801/sq mi (695.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67951
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| Area code | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-33425 |
| GNIS ID | 470626 |
Hugoton is a city in and the county seat of Stevens County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,747.
Contents
History
Settlers from McPherson, Kansas established a settlement in what was then west-central Seward County, Kansas in 1885. They originally named this settlement Hugo in honor of French writer Victor Hugo, but then changed its name to Hugoton to distinguish it from Hugo, Colorado. The first post office in Hugoton was established in April 1886.
In 1886, the Kansas Legislature reestablished the surrounding area as Stevens County, and Gov. John Martin designated Hugoton as the interim county seat. This set off a violent county seat war with nearby Woodsdale. Hugoton became the permanent county seat in 1887, but the conflict continued, culminating in the Hay Meadow Massacre.
During the 1890s, economic decline drove many residents to leave for newly opened territories in the American Southwest, and the population declined significantly. The Santa Fe Railway reached Hugoton in 1913, which spurred growth. Natural gas was discovered southwest of the city in 1927, leading to the development of the Hugoton Natural Gas Area and the transformation of Hugoton into a major center of natural gas extraction.
Geography
Hugoton is located at 37°10′35″N 101°20′44″W / 37.17639°N 101.34556°W (37.176367, -101.345569) at an elevation of 3,110 feet (948 m). Located in southwestern Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 56, K-25, and K-51, Hugoton is approximately 136 miles (219 km) north of Amarillo, 222 miles (357 km) west-southwest of Wichita, and 271 miles (436 km) southeast of Denver.
It lies in the High Plains region of the Great Plains approximately 11 miles (18 km) southeast of the Cimarron River. It also lies within, and is the namesake of, the Hugoton Natural Gas Area. The Hugoton natural gas field is the largest such field in North America and the second largest in the world.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.75 square miles (4.53 km2), all land.
Climate
Hugoton has a semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) with hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature is 55 °F (13 °C), and the average yearly precipitation is 18.4 inches (468 mm). Hugoton experiences precipitation an average of 58 days a year and snowfall an average of 4 days a year. Snowfall averages 10.4 inches (264 mm) per year. On average, the coldest month is January, the hottest month is July, and the wettest month is May. The hottest temperature recorded in Hugoton was 112 °F (44 °C) in 1980; the coldest temperature recorded was -20 °F (-29 °C) in 1959.
| Climate data for Hugoton, Kansas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
112 (44) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
96 (36) |
90 (32) |
84 (29) |
112 (44) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
51 (11) |
59 (15) |
69 (21) |
77 (25) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
72 (22) |
57 (14) |
47 (8) |
69 (21) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 32 (0) |
37 (3) |
45 (7) |
54 (12) |
64 (18) |
74 (23) |
79 (26) |
77 (25) |
69 (21) |
57 (14) |
43 (6) |
34 (1) |
55 (13) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 17 (−8) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
49 (9) |
60 (16) |
64 (18) |
62 (17) |
53 (12) |
40 (4) |
27 (−3) |
19 (−7) |
40 (5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−14 (−26) |
−3 (−19) |
15 (−9) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
45 (7) |
47 (8) |
29 (−2) |
13 (−11) |
−4 (−20) |
−13 (−25) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.42 (11) |
0.38 (9.7) |
1.29 (33) |
1.65 (42) |
2.99 (76) |
2.85 (72) |
2.66 (68) |
2.06 (52) |
1.65 (42) |
1.18 (30) |
0.86 (22) |
0.44 (11) |
18.43 (468.7) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.7 (9.4) |
1.1 (2.8) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.6 (1.5) |
2.5 (6.4) |
10.4 (26.42) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.7 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 58.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 4.2 |
| Source: National Weather Service; The Weather Channel | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 136 | — | |
| 1900 | 54 | −60.3% | |
| 1910 | 105 | 94.4% | |
| 1920 | 644 | 513.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,368 | 112.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,349 | −1.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,781 | 106.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,912 | 4.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,739 | −5.9% | |
| 1980 | 3,165 | 15.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,179 | 0.4% | |
| 2000 | 3,708 | 16.6% | |
| 2010 | 3,904 | 5.3% | |
| 2020 | 3,747 | −4.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 3,904 people, 1,413 households, and 993 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.9 people per square mile (837.4/km2). There were 1,560 housing units at an average density of 866.7 per square mile (339.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.0% White, 0.8% American Indian, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Asian, 10.1% from some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 36.4% of the population.
There were 1,413 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,161, and the median income for a family was $57,269. Males had a median income of $45,750 versus $33,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,851. About 11.6% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
U.S. Route 56 and K-25 enter Hugoton concurrently from the north, intersecting K-51, which runs east-west, in the southern part of the city. Both U.S. 56 and K-25 then run concurrently with K-51 to the west.
Hugoton Municipal Airport is located on the south side of U.S. 56 less than a mile west of the city. Publicly owned, it has two paved runways and is used for general aviation.
A line of the Cimarron Valley Railroad passes through the northwestern corner of the city.
Economy
As of 2011, 67.5% of the population over the age of 16 was in the civilian labor force with 64.9% being employed and 2.6% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 27.2% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.2% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 25.0% in sales and office occupations; 14.3% in service occupations; 8.3% in production, transportation, and material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining (23.0%); educational services, health care, and social assistance (20.7%); and construction (8.3%).
The cost of living in Hugoton is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 80.5. As of 2011, the median home value in the city was $79,300, the median selected monthly owner cost was $991 for housing units with a mortgage and $445 for those without, and the median gross rent was $628.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Hugoton Public Schools (USD 210) operates five public schools in Hugoton:
- Hugoton Primary School (Grades Pre-K-2)
- Hugoton Intermediate School (3-6)
- Hugoton Middle School (7-8)
- Hugoton High School (9-12)
- Hugoton Learning Academy (7-12), charter school
Heritage Christian Academy, a Christian school, offers preschool and classes for grades K-8.
Notable people
- Billy Drago (1945–2019), actor
- Steve Morris (1946- ), eight-year Kansas Senate president, 2005-2013
Images for kids
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Hugoton, 1891
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See also
In Spanish: Hugoton (Kansas) para niños
