Norton, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norton, Kansas
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City and County seat
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Norton County Courthouse (built 1929)
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Location within Norton County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Norton |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Named for | Orloff Norton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.91 sq mi (4.94 km2) |
| • Land | 1.91 sq mi (4.94 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,330 ft (710 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,747 |
| • Density | 1,438/sq mi (556.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67654
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-51500 |
| GNIS ID | 485631 |
Norton is a city located in Norton County, Kansas, in the United States. It's the main city and the county seat, which means it's where the county's government offices are. In 2020, about 2,747 people lived in Norton.
Contents
History of Norton
Norton was founded in 1872. The city, like the county it's in, was named after Captain Orloff Norton.
One of the first buildings in Norton was a log house that served as a hotel. It was built in 1873.
An interesting fact from Norton's past is that one of the earliest known pictures of a tornado was taken here. Photographer Will Keller captured this image in 1909.
Geography and Climate
Where is Norton Located?
Norton covers an area of about 1.93 square miles (4.94 square kilometers), and all of it is land. The city is on the north side of Prairie Dog Creek in Norton County.
For many years, Norton faced frequent flooding from the creek. However, this problem was solved when the Bureau of Reclamation built Keith Sebelius Lake in 1963. This dam created a large reservoir about 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of the city. The border with Nebraska is just 11 miles (18 km) north of Norton.
Norton's Climate and Weather
Norton is in a unique spot where two different climate types meet: humid continental and semiarid. This means the temperatures can change a lot between winter and summer.
Because Norton is on the High Plains, it can sometimes get a lot of snow from just one storm. In fact, a single snowfall can sometimes bring as much snow as the average for an entire year!
| Climate data for Norton, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–2022 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) |
87 (31) |
95 (35) |
100 (38) |
102 (39) |
113 (45) |
116 (47) |
113 (45) |
108 (42) |
99 (37) |
89 (32) |
84 (29) |
116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.9 (19.4) |
71.8 (22.1) |
81.3 (27.4) |
88.1 (31.2) |
94.0 (34.4) |
100.1 (37.8) |
103.4 (39.7) |
101.9 (38.8) |
97.6 (36.4) |
91.3 (32.9) |
78.7 (25.9) |
68.2 (20.1) |
104.6 (40.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.7 (5.4) |
45.6 (7.6) |
56.8 (13.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
74.9 (23.8) |
86.2 (30.1) |
91.5 (33.1) |
89.3 (31.8) |
81.7 (27.6) |
69.4 (20.8) |
55.5 (13.1) |
43.7 (6.5) |
66.8 (19.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.0 (−1.7) |
32.2 (0.1) |
42.0 (5.6) |
51.1 (10.6) |
61.2 (16.2) |
72.3 (22.4) |
77.8 (25.4) |
75.7 (24.3) |
67.3 (19.6) |
54.6 (12.6) |
41.4 (5.2) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
53.0 (11.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
36.4 (2.4) |
47.6 (8.7) |
58.5 (14.7) |
64.1 (17.8) |
62.2 (16.8) |
52.9 (11.6) |
39.8 (4.3) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
39.1 (3.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −2.5 (−19.2) |
.16 (−17.69) |
9.7 (−12.4) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
33.9 (1.1) |
47.4 (8.6) |
55.1 (12.8) |
52.8 (11.6) |
39.3 (4.1) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
11.2 (−11.6) |
0.8 (−17.3) |
−7.6 (−22.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−25 (−32) |
−17 (−27) |
2 (−17) |
19 (−7) |
37 (3) |
42 (6) |
36 (2) |
24 (−4) |
6 (−14) |
−11 (−24) |
−27 (−33) |
−27 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.56 (14) |
0.69 (18) |
1.37 (35) |
2.28 (58) |
3.55 (90) |
3.01 (76) |
3.52 (89) |
2.76 (70) |
1.75 (44) |
1.92 (49) |
0.89 (23) |
0.77 (20) |
23.07 (586) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.6 (12) |
5.6 (14) |
3.3 (8.4) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.1 (2.8) |
2.1 (5.3) |
3.5 (8.9) |
21.8 (55.45) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 6.8 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 6.9 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 67.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 10.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 634 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,074 | 69.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,202 | 11.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,787 | 48.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,186 | 22.3% | |
| 1930 | 2,767 | 26.6% | |
| 1940 | 2,762 | −0.2% | |
| 1950 | 3,060 | 10.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,345 | 9.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,627 | 8.4% | |
| 1980 | 3,400 | −6.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,017 | −11.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,012 | −0.2% | |
| 2010 | 2,928 | −2.8% | |
| 2020 | 2,747 | −6.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Norton's Population in 2020
The 2020 United States census counted 2,747 people living in Norton. There were 1,213 households and 692 families.
Most people in Norton (about 90%) are white. There are also smaller groups of black, Native American, and Asian residents. About 5% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
About 26% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.7 people. The average age of people in Norton was 42 years old.
Norton's Population in 2010
In the census of 2010, Norton had 2,928 people. There were 1,290 households and 763 families.
Most people (96.8%) were White. Other groups included African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 3.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 26.3% of households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 44.8 years.
Education in Norton
The public schools in Norton are part of the Norton USD 211 school district.
Eisenhower Elementary School
Eisenhower Elementary School was built in 1954. It has had additions in 1966 and 1990. This school teaches students from early childhood development (ECD) through sixth grade.
Students in grades ECD through four have one main teacher for most subjects. Students in grades 5 and 6 have different teachers for subjects like math, reading, science, and computer technology.
Norton Junior High School
Norton Junior High School was built in 1937 and updated in 1984. It serves over 120 students in grades 7 and 8.
Students take required classes like math, language arts, science, and social studies. They also learn computer technology, digital media, and technology exploration (like robotics). Elective classes include music, art, woodworking, and family sciences.
Norton Community High School
Norton Community High School (NCHS) was built in 1975 and 1977. It is a 3A high school with over 200 students.
NCHS offers many subjects, including advanced classes like calculus, physics, and human anatomy. Students can also take fine arts and vocational training classes.
Sports Achievements
The Norton Community High School Bluejays are known for their strong sports teams. They have won 17 state championships in wrestling. This includes six wins in a row from 2012 to 2017.
The football team won state championships in 1985 and 1986. The girls' basketball team won a state championship in 1983, and the boys' team won in 2003. NCHS also has teams for girls' tennis, volleyball, boys' golf, cross country, and track and field.
Notable People from Norton
- Nick Allen: A professional baseball player.
- William B. Ryan: He was a mayor of Norton, a lawyer, a state senator, and a judge.
- Kathleen Sebelius: She was the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the U.S. and a former governor of Kansas. Her father was also a governor of Ohio.
- Keith Sebelius: He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Kansas from 1969 to 1981.
- K. Gary Sebelius: He is a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He is the son of Keith Sebelius and the husband of Kathleen Sebelius.
Images for kids
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A historic photo of a tornado in Norton, taken on June 24, 1909.
See also
In Spanish: Norton (Kansas) para niños
