Wichita, Kansas

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City of Wichita
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Air Capital Of The World
Location in the state of Kansas
Coordinates: 37°41′20″N 97°20′10″W / 37.68889, -97.33611
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Sedgwick
Government
- Mayor	Carl Brewer (D)
Area
- Total	138.9 sq mi (359.8 km²)
- Land	135.8 sq mi (351.6 km²)
- Water	3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²)
Elevation	1,299 ft (396 m)
Population (2006)
- Total	357,698
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes	67201-67221, 67223, 67226-67228, 67230, 67232, 67235, 67260, 67275-67278
Area code(s)	316
FIPS code	20-79000[1]
GNIS feature ID	0473862[2]
Website: www.wichita.gov

Wichita (pronounced /ˈwɪtʃɪtaː/), also known as the Air Capital of the World, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, as well as a major aircraft manufacturing hub and cultural center. In July of 2006, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Wichita ninth on its list of the 10 best big cities to live in the United States. The city is home to six major aircraft manufacturing companies and McConnell Air Force Base. Wichita is located in South Central Kansas on the Arkansas River, and is the county seat of Sedgwick County. It is also the home of a National Weather Service Forecast Office which serves portions of central, south-central, and southeast Kansas.

The city's population was 344,284 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated to be 357,698 in the year 2006,^[3] making it the 50th largest city in the United States. The Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which encompasses Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Sumner counties, has a 2007 estimated population of 596,452 persons residing in 245,159 households, making it the 84th largest MSA in the United States. The Wichita-Winfield Combined Statistical Area also includes Cowley County and has an estimated population of 630,703. Nearby Reno County is not a part of the Wichita MSA or CSA, but the Census reported a population estimate of 63,832 in Reno County in 2003.

Geography

Wichita is located at 37°41′20″N, 97°20′10″W (37.688848, -97.336226).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 138.9 square miles (360 km²) and 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²), or 2.29%, is water.^[1]

Climate

Wichita has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool to cold, dry winters. Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of about 20°F (-8°C) in January to an average high of nearly 93°F (34°C) in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) an average of 64 days per year and reaches 100°F (38°C) an average of 14 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below 32°F (0°C) an average of 108 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between the second week of October and mid-November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the end of March and the final week of April.

The area receives over 30 inches (760 mm) of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June—with a combined 21 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 22 to 40 inches (560 to 1,020 mm). There are on average 88 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages almost 17 inches (44 cm), but the median is less than 8 inches (25 cm). Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 11 days per year with at least an inch of snow being received on five of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 18 days per year.

The area is vulnerable to severe weather, with often violent thunderstorms occurring mainly during the spring and summer months of March-June. These occasionally bring large hail as well as frequent lightning. Sometimes tornadoes occur. The outskirts of Wichita were affected during the Andover, Kansas Tornado Outbreak on April 26, 1991, which spawned an F5 tornado—the most violent of its kind. During the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, on May 3, 1999, an F4 tornado hit the town of Haysville, tracking then north and hitting the southwest edge of Wichita.

Source: Monthly Station Climate Summaries, 1971-2000, U.S. National Climatic Data Center

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Temperatures (°F)
Mean high	40.1	47.2	57.3	66.9	76.0	87.1	92.9	91.6	82.2	70.2	54.5	43.1	67.4
Mean low	20.3	25.3	34.4	43.7	54.0	63.9	69.1	67.9	59.3	46.9	33.9	24.0	45.2
Highest recorded	75 (1967)	87 (1996)	89 (1989)	96 (1972)	100 (1996)	110 (1980)	113 (1954)	110 (1984)	108 (2000)	95 (1979)	85 (1980)	83 (1955)	113 (1954)
Lowest recorded	−21 (1982)	−21 (1982)	−2 (1960)	15 (1975)	31 (1976)	43 (1969)	51 (1975)	48 (1967)	31 (1984)	18 (1993)	1 (1975)	−16 (1989)	−21 (1982)
Precipitation (inches)
Median	0.63	0.62	2.13	2.32	3.25	3.72	3.76	2.16	2.09	1.95	1.81	1.01	29.62
Mean number of days	5.4	5.4	8.1	8.5	11.2	9.7	7.2	7.6	7.2	6.4	5.8	5.7	88.2
Highest monthly	2.73 (1973)	3.33 (1987)	9.17 (1973)	6.02 (1999)	9.62 (1993)	8.90 (1995)	6.65 (1971)	7.69 (1987)	10.69 (1999)	9.42 (1998)	4.91 (1992)	4.71 (1984)
Snowfall (inches)
Median	2.8	2.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	2.2	7.7
Mean number of days	3.6	2.5	1.1	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.8	2.7	11.0
Highest monthly	19.7 (1987)	16.7 (1971)	13.6 (1998)	4.6 (1979)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5 (1991)	7.1 (1972)	13.8 (1983)
Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches; median values are provided for precipitation and snowfall because mean averages may be misleading. Mean and median values are for the 30-year period 1971–2000; temperature extremes are for the station's period of record (1954–2001). The station is located at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport at 37°39′N 97°26′W, elevation 1,321 feet (401 m).

Demographics