Topeka, Kansas
Topeka (/təˈpiːkə/ tə-PEE-kə)[9][10] is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County.[1] It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 126,587.[5][6] The Topeka metropolitan statistical area, which includes Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, and Wabaunsee Counties, had a population of 233,870 in the 2010 census.
"Topeka" redirects here. For other uses, see Topeka (disambiguation).
Topeka, Kansas
United States
1854
1857
Stephen Wade [3]
62.76 sq mi (162.53 km2)
61.44 sq mi (159.14 km2)
1.31 sq mi (3.39 km2)
938 ft (286 m)
126,587
125,963
2,000/sq mi (780/km2)
150,003 (US: 217th)
232,670 (US: 200th)
Topekan
UTC-5 (CDT)
20-71000
485655[1]
The city, laid out in 1854, was one of the Free-State towns founded by Eastern antislavery men immediately after the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Bill. In 1857, Topeka was chartered as a city.
The city is well known for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.[11]
History[edit]
Name[edit]
The name "Topeka" is a Kansa-Osage word that means "place where we dig potatoes",[12] or "a good place to dig potatoes".[13] As a placename, Topeka was first recorded in 1826 as the Kansa name for what is now called the Kansas River. Topeka's founders chose the name in 1855 because it "was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound".[14][15] Mixed-heritage Kansa Native American, Joseph James, called Jojim, is credited with suggesting Topeka's name.[16] Along with Cheyenne, Wyoming and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Topeka is one of three state capitals with an indigenous name in a state with an indigenous name.
Topeka
24
47
202
345
560
910
4,308
657
11
6,494
Being the state's capital city, Topeka's largest employer is the State of Kansas—employing about 8,400 people,[47] or 69% of the city's government workers. Altogether, government workers make up one out of every five employed persons in the city.[48]
The educational, health, and social services industry makes up the largest proportion of the working population (22.4%[48]). The four school districts employ nearly 4,700 people, and Washburn University employs about 1,650.[47] Three of the largest employers are Stormont-Vail HealthCare (with about 3,100 employees), St. Francis Health Center (1,800), and Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Administration Hospital (900).[47]
The retail trade employs more than a tenth of the working population (11.5%[48]) with Wal-Mart and Dillons having the greater share. Nearly another tenth is employed in manufacturing (9.0%[48]). Top manufacturers include Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Frito-Lay, and Jostens Printing and Publishing. Jostens announced plans in May 2012 to move production from its Topeka facility to Clarksville, Tennessee, affecting about 372 employee positions. Southwest Publishing & Mailing Corporation, a smaller employer, has its headquarters in Topeka.
Other industries are finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing (7.8%); professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (7.6%); arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (7.2%); construction (6.0%); transportation and warehousing, and utilities (5.8%); and wholesale trade (3.2%).[48] Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is the largest insurance employer, with about 1,800 employees.[47] BNSF is the largest transportation employer, with about 1,100.[47] Evergy employs nearly 800.[47] About a tenth of the working population is employed in public administration (9.9%[48]).
Major employers in Topeka include:
Education[edit]
Elementary and secondary education[edit]
Topeka is served by four public school districts, including:
Infrastructure[edit]
Transportation[edit]
I-70, I-470, and I-335 all go through the City of Topeka. I-335 is part of the Kansas Turnpike where it passes through Topeka. Other major highways include: US-24, US-40, US-75, and K-4. Major roads within the city include NW/SW Topeka Blvd. SW Wanamaker Road. N/S Kansas Ave. SW/SE 29th St. SE/SW 21st St. SE California Ave. SW Gage Blvd. and SW Fairlawn Rd.
Topeka Regional Airport (FOE) formerly known as Forbes Field is in south Topeka in Pauline, Kansas. Forbes Field also serves as an Air National Guard base, home of the highly decorated 190th Air Refueling Wing. Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK) in Manhattan, Kansas is the next closest commercial airport; Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in Kansas City is the closest major airport. Philip Billard Municipal Airport (TOP) is located in Topeka's Oakland area.
Passenger rail service provided by Amtrak stops at the Topeka Station. Service is via the Chicago-to-Los Angeles Southwest Chief during the early morning hours and makes intermediate stops at Lawrence and Kansas City. The Kansas Department of Transportation has asked Amtrak to study additional service, including daytime service to Oklahoma City.[58] The Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and Union Pacific Railroad provide freight service as well as several short line railroads throughout the state.
Greyhound Lines provides bus service westward towards Denver, Colorado, eastward to Kansas City, Missouri, southwest to Wichita, Kansas.[59]
The Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority provides local transit service. The agency offers bus service from 6 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday, and 7 am to 5 pm on Saturday. It also provides demand response general public taxi service which operates evenings from 8 pm until 11:30 pm and on Sundays.