Sedgwick County, Kansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sedgwick County
County
Old Sedgwick County Courthouse in Wichita (2009)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	February 26, 1867
Named for	John Sedgwick
Seat	Wichita
Largest city	Wichita
Area
• Total	1,009 sq mi (2,610 km2)
• Land	998 sq mi (2,580 km2)
• Water	12 sq mi (30 km2)  1.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	523,824
• Estimate  (2023)	528,469
• Density	524.9/sq mi (202.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	316
Congressional district	4th

Sedgwick County is a place in Kansas, a state in the United States. Its main city, called the county seat, is Wichita. Wichita is also the biggest city in all of Kansas!

In 2020, about 523,824 people lived here. This makes Sedgwick County the second most populated county in Kansas. The county got its name from John Sedgwick. He was an important general during the American Civil War.

History of Sedgwick County

A railroad map of Sedgwick County from 1915

Sedgwick County has a long and interesting past. It includes times when Native Americans lived here and when different countries claimed the land.

Early Days of Kansas

For thousands of years, Native American groups lived on the Great Plains of North America. They often moved around, following animal herds.

Later, from the 1500s to the 1700s, France said they owned large parts of North America. In 1762, after a big war, France secretly gave this land to Spain.

Then, in 1803, the United States bought most of the land that is now Kansas from France. This huge purchase was called the Louisiana Purchase. It cost about 2.83 cents for every acre!

After another war, the Mexican–American War, more land was added to the U.S. in 1848. This included parts of what would become southwest Kansas. Finally, in 1854, the Kansas Territory was set up. Kansas officially became the 34th U.S. state in 1861.

How Sedgwick County Began

Sedgwick County was officially created in 1867. It was named after John Sedgwick. He was a very important Major General in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

In 1887, a railway company built a train line through the county. This line connected many towns, including Wichita. People in the area still often call this railroad the "Rock Island."

20th Century Events

Sedgwick County was the location for a series of crimes that happened between 1974 and 1991.

Geography and Neighbors

Sedgwick County covers a total area of about 1,009 square miles. Most of this is land, with about 12 square miles being water.

Counties Nearby

Sedgwick County shares its borders with several other counties:

• To the north: Harvey County
• To the east: Butler County
• To the southeast: Cowley County
• To the south: Sumner County
• To the west: Kingman County
• To the northwest: Reno County

People and Population

This chart shows the age groups of people in Sedgwick County based on the 2000 census.

Sedgwick County is part of the larger Wichita Metropolitan Area. This means it's connected to Wichita and the towns around it.

In 2000, there were about 452,869 people living in the county. About 34.4% of homes had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in the county was 34 years old.

Economy and Businesses

Sedgwick County is famous for being the starting place of some well-known restaurants. These include White Castle and Pizza Hut!

It's also a very important place for making airplanes. Companies like Cessna and Learjet have their main offices here.

Getting Around: Transportation

Sedgwick County has several airports that help people travel by air.

Airports in Sedgwick County

Here are some of the public airports you can find in the county:

• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)
• Beech Factory Airport (BEC)
• Cessna Aircraft Field (CEA)
• Colonel James Jabara Airport (AAO)
• Cook Airfield (K50)
• Maize Airport (70K)
• Westport Airport (71K)
• Westport Auxiliary Airport (72K)

Some airports that used to be open are now closed, like Riverside Airport.

Learning and Education

Sedgwick County offers many places for learning, from colleges to local schools.

Colleges and Universities

If you want to go to college, here are some options in Sedgwick County:

• Friends University
• Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Newman University
• University of Kansas School of Medicine
• WSU Tech
• Wichita State University

School Districts

The county is divided into many different school districts. These districts manage the public schools for students of all ages.

Fun Places to Visit

Sedgwick County has many interesting spots where you can have fun or learn something new!

• Sedgwick County Extension Arboretum: A place with many different kinds of trees and plants.
• Sedgwick County Zoo: A popular zoo with animals from all over the world.
• Sedgwick County Fair: A yearly event with rides, games, and exhibits.
• Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum: Learn about the history of the area.
• INTRUST Bank Arena: A large place where concerts and sports events happen.

Towns and Communities

A map of Sedgwick County from 2005.

A map showing the townships in Sedgwick County.

Sedgwick County has many different cities and smaller communities.

Cities in Sedgwick County

Special Census Areas

These are places that are counted separately for the census, but aren't official cities:

• McConnell AFB
• Oaklawn-Sunview

Smaller Unincorporated Places

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city:

Towns That No Longer Exist

Some towns that used to be in Sedgwick County are now "ghost towns." This means people no longer live there.

Townships of Sedgwick County

Sedgwick County is divided into 27 smaller areas called townships. The cities of Bel Aire and Wichita are separate and not part of these township numbers.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Sedgwick (Kansas) para niños