Where is Kansas located?

Pinpointing Kansas on a map of the United States is relatively easy, given the fact that it is the most central state in all of the U.S. Kansas is located in the Great Plains Region of the United States. With three different nicknames referencing Kansas, one of which is the Wheat State, Kansas is a prominent hub for agriculture. The climate works wonders for growing produce, wheat, corn, and soybeans.

Total Area of Kansas

As the fifteenth largest state based on physical size alone, the Sunflower State has a total area of 82,278 square miles. The state has a width of 410 miles and a length of 213 miles. Of this total area, the ratio of water to land areas is 520 square miles to 81,759 square miles. Land areas take up 99.4% of Kansas, and water areas take up a very small percentage of 0.06% of the total area.

Since Kansas is a landlocked state, the main water sources are rivers and lakes. There are an estimated number of sixty rivers that flow through Kansas, along with twenty-one lakes and nine reservoirs. Only two of the twenty-one lakes are natural. The other nineteen have been constructed by man.

Population and Density

According to the census conducted in 2018, the population of Kansas is 2,920,000 people. Taking the total area in consideration, the population density can be calculated. That numerical value comes to 35.2, meaning there is an average number of 36 people per square mile in Kansas. Based on population density, Kansas is considered the 35th largest state in the U.S.A.

Geographic Center of Kansas and the U.S.A. Situated at the very center of the United States, Kansas has a latitude of 39.0119° N and a longitude of 98.4842° W. With Nebraska to the north and Oklahoma to the south, Kansas is situated between Colorado in the west and Missouri in the east. Kansas is home to the geographic center point of the contiguous states of America as well. The centermost point of the United States is at coordinates 39°50′N and 98°35′W. Located in Smith County, the geographic center is near a city called Lebanon, Kansas.

Elevation Levels: Highest, Lowest, and Average

The mean elevation level in Kansas is 2,000 feet above sea level. The highest point is Mount Sunflower, towering at a height of 4,039 feet above sea level. At its lowest point, the Verdigris River is a mere 679 feet above sea level.

History of Kansas

Located in the Midwest, Kansas is named after the Native American tribe, Kansa. Kansas has a history of an uproar over colonization. Now known as the Free State, Kansas was primarily comprised of Native American land until European settlers arrived in 1812. From there, Kansas land was the subject of great chaos until 1861 when Kansas was admitted into the Union, declaring the land a free state. Kansas became the thirty-fourth state added to the United States.

State Name
Kansas
Area
213,100 km2
Area Ranking
15
Capital
Topeka
Statehood Year
1861
Timezones
America/Chicago, America/Denver
Postal Abbreviation
KS
FIPS #
20

Where is Kansas located?

Kansas Belongs to the Midwest U.S. Census Region