Montara, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Montara, Kansas
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Country | United States |
State | Kansas |
County | Shawnee |
Elevation | 1,063 ft (324 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Area code | 785 |
FIPS code | 20-16650 |
GNIS ID | 479070 |
Montara is a small community in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. It is not a city with its own government. Instead, it is part of Shawnee County. You can find Montara just south of Topeka, which is the capital city of Kansas.
History of Montara
Montara started in the 1960s. It was built as homes for military families. These families worked at the nearby Forbes Air Force Base. Back then, it was known as Cullen Village.
The air force base closed in 1973. In 1979, a company called Lario Enterprises bought the community. They bought it from the city of Topeka. The company then fixed up about 1,050 homes to sell them.
By 1989, about 500 homes were sold. After that, the company started renting out the remaining homes. This means some people in Montara own their homes, and others rent them.
Today, many homes are still rented by Montara Leasing. However, more and more people have bought homes there. This means more residents now own their homes.
Montara is a quiet place to live. It is about 3 miles south of Topeka. It is also close to the community of Pauline. The Topeka Regional Airport is nearby too.
Community Features
Montara has several places for fun and activities. There are three parks for people to enjoy. One park is on the north side. The other two are on the south side of the community.
You can also find three baseball fields here. There is also a soccer field. These fields are located east of the Paris Community Center. Montara also has the Forbes Golf course. There is even a quarter midget track for racing. The Shawnee County South Community Center is also close by.
Economy and Jobs
In March 2013, a big chocolate company opened a new factory. Mars Chocolate North America built this plant. It cost $250 million. The factory is located south of Topeka, near Montara.
This new factory brought many jobs to the area. It also made some people wonder if property values would go up. The Topeka Regional Airport is also a major employer. It is located very close to Montara.
Education in Montara
Students in Montara attend schools in the Auburn–Washburn USD 437 school district. This is a public school district. Two schools are located right in Montara. These are Pauline Central Primary School and Pauline South Intermediate School.