Leavenworth, Kansas

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Leavenworth, Kansas
—  City  —
Centennial Bridge over the Missouri River between Leavenworth and Platte County, Missouri, 2006

Seal
Motto: The first city of Kansas
U.S. Census Map
Coordinates: 39°18′40″N 94°55′21″W / 39.31111°N 94.92250°W / 39.31111; -94.92250Coordinates: 39°18′40″N 94°55′21″W / 39.31111°N 94.92250°W / 39.31111; -94.92250
Country United States
State Kansas
County Leavenworth
Founded 1854
Incorporated 1855
Government[1]
 • Type Mayor/Council
 • Mayor Laura Janas Gasbarre
 • Mayor Pro-tem Mark Preisinger
 • City Manager J. Scott Miller
 • City Clerk Karen J. Logan
Area[2]
 • Total 24.06 sq mi (62.32 km2)
 • Land 24.04 sq mi (62.26 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation 840 ft (256 m)
Population (2010)[3]
 • Total 35,251
 • Estimate (2012[4]) 35,816
 • Density 1,466.3/sq mi (566.1/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 66043, 66048
Area code(s) 913
FIPS code 20-39000[5]
GNIS feature ID 0478411[6]
Website www.LVKS.org

Leavenworth is the largest city in and the county seat of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. Located on the west bank of the Missouri River 25 mi (40 km) northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, it is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.[7][8] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 35,251.[9]

Contents

History [edit]

Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated city in Kansas. The city is directly south of Fort Leavenworth, the Intellectual Center of the Army and home to the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. The Fort was established as Cantonment Leavenworth in 1827 by Colonel Henry Leavenworth. The fort was located outside the city limits of Leavenworth until it was annexed by the city on April 12, 1977. It is also currently home to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies, the Center for Army Leadership, the Combat Studies Institute, the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, the Center for Army Lessons Learned and the Mission Command Center of Excellence.

Leavenworth is the home of many detention centers and prisons, including the Leavenworth federal prison for which the city is most famous, and several smaller jails and prisons, including the city and county jails, a Federal Detention Center, and the military's only maximum security prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks which is inside the Military Corrections Complex that also includes the Joint Regional Correctional Facility, a pre- and post-trial detention facility built in 2010.[10] The Kansas State Penitentiary and a state medium security prison are also located nearby.

Beneath the city appears to be another one entirely: a recently publicized underground series of "vaults," from years past.[11]

Leavenworth is home to University of Saint Mary, operated by the Sisters of Charity.

Leavenworth is home to the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum, which houses several carousels.

Geography [edit]

Leavenworth is located at 39°18′40″N 94°55′21″W / 39.31111°N 94.92250°W / 39.31111; -94.92250 (39.3111112, −94.9224637) at an elevation of 840 feet (256 m).[6] The city lies on the west bank of the Missouri River in the Dissected Till Plains region of North America's Central Lowlands.[12][13] Four small tributaries of the river flow generally east through the city. From north to south, these are Quarry Creek, Corral Creek, Three Mile Creek, and Five Mile Creek.[14] Located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of U.S. Route 73 and Kansas Highway 92 (K-92), Leavenworth is 25 mi (40 km) northwest of downtown Kansas City, 145 mi (233 km) south-southeast of Omaha, and 165 mi (266 km) northeast of Wichita.[7][12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.06 square miles (62.32 km2), of which, 24.04 square miles (62.26 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.[2] Fort Leavenworth occupies the northern half of the city's area.[14]

Leavenworth, along with the rest of Leavenworth County, lies within the Kansas City metropolitan area.[8] It borders another city, Lansing, Kansas, to the south.[14]

Climate [edit]

Lying in the transition zone between North America's humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), Leavenworth experiences hot, humid summers and cold, drier winters. The average temperature in Leavenworth is 55 °F (13 °C).[15] Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to an average high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July.[16] The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 43 days per year and reaches or exceeds 100 °F (38 °C) an average of four days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 107 days per year. Typically, the first fall freeze occurs by the third week of October, and the last spring freeze occurs by the second week of April.[15] In an average year, Leavenworth experiences 89.7 days with measurable precipitation and receives 42.97 inches (1,091 mm) of precipitation.[15][16] Annual snowfall averages 16.1 inches (41 cm).[16] Measurable snowfall occurs an average of eight 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 15 days a year.[15] On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Leavenworth was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -27 °F (-33 °C) in 1989.[16]

Climate data for Leavenworth, Kansas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 74
(23)		 81
(27)		 87
(31)		 93
(34)		 97
(36)		 106
(41)		 110
(43)		 108
(42)		 104
(40)		 95
(35)		 84
(29)		 70
(21)		 110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 39
(4)		 45
(7)		 56
(13)		 67
(19)		 76
(24)		 85
(29)		 90
(32)		 88
(31)		 80
(27)		 68
(20)		 54
(12)		 41
(5)		 65.8
(18.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30
(−1)		 35
(2)		 45
(7)		 55
(13)		 65
(18)		 74
(23)		 79
(26)		 78
(26)		 68
(20)		 57
(14)		 44
(7)		 32
(0)		 55.2
(12.9)
Average low °F (°C) 19
(−7)		 24
(−4)		 33
(1)		 43
(6)		 54
(12)		 63
(17)		 69
(21)		 67
(19)		 57
(14)		 46
(8)		 33
(1)		 23
(−5)		 44.3
(6.9)
Record low °F (°C) −17
(−27)		 −19
(−28)		 −10
(−23)		 4
(−16)		 27
(−3)		 42
(6)		 45
(7)		 41
(5)		 30
(−1)		 18
(−8)		 −2
(−19)		 −27
(−33)		 −27
(−33)
Precipitation inches (mm) 1.03
(26.2)		 1.53
(38.9)		 2.74
(69.6)		 4.04
(102.6)		 5.38
(136.7)		 5.92
(150.4)		 5.20
(132.1)		 4.49
(114)		 4.82
(122.4)		 3.78
(96)		 2.45
(62.2)		 1.59
(40.4)		 42.97
(1,091.5)
Snowfall inches (cm) 4.4
(11.2)		 5.3
(13.5)		 1.7
(4.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.2
(0.5)		 0.7
(1.8)		 3.8
(9.7)		 16.1
(41)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.7 5.1 7.9 8.9 11.2 9.9 7.5 8.0 7.6 7.3 6.4 5.2 89.7
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 2.3 2.3 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.4 2.1 7.9
Source: National Weather Service;[15] The Weather Channel[16]

Demographics [edit]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 7,429
—
1870 17,873 140.6%
1880 16,546 −7.4%
1890 19,768 19.5%
1900 20,735 4.9%
1910 19,363 −6.6%
1920 16,912 −12.7%
1930 17,466 3.3%
1940 19,220 10.0%
1950 20,579 7.1%
1960 22,052 7.2%
1970 25,147 14.0%
1980 33,656 33.8%
1990 38,495 14.4%
2000 35,420 −8.0%
2010 35,251 −0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census [edit]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 35,251 people, 12,256 households, and 8,129 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,466.2 people per square mile (566.1/km²). There were 13,670 housing units at an average density of 568.6 per square mile (219.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.4% White, 15.1% African American, 0.9% American Indian, 1.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 8.1% of the population.[9]

There were 12,256 households of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.7% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.15.[9]

The median age in the city was 34.8 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.9% male and 46.1% female.[9]

The median income for a household in the city was $49,823, and the median income for a family was $61,576. Males had a median income of $49,693 versus $30,888 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,102. About 9.8% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.[9]

Economy [edit]

As of 2010, 58.6% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 7.8% was in the armed forces, and 50.8% was in the civilian labor force with 47.0% being employed and 3.8% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 34.5% in management, business, science, and arts; 22.8% in sales and office occupations; 23.2% in service occupations; 8.4% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 11.0% in production, transportation, and material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (22.7%); public administration (15.6%); and retail trade (13.0%).[9] The U.S. military at Fort Leavenworth is the city's largest employer, employing roughly 5,600 people, followed by Leavenworth Public Schools and the Department of Veteran Affairs Eastern Kansas Health Care System.[17]

The cost of living in Leavenworth is below average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 87.1.[18] As of 2010, the median home value in the city was $124,200, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,282 for housing units with a mortgage and $428 for those without, and the median gross rent was $762.[9]

Government [edit]

Leavenworth City Hall, 2009

Leavenworth is a city of the first class with a commission-manager form of government.[19] The city commission is the city's governing body and consists of five members, including the mayor and the mayor pro-tem. It sets city policies, adopts the city government's annual operating budget, and appoints city boards, commissions, and officials, including the city manager. Commissioners are elected to either four-year or two-year terms, one is appointed to serve as mayor, and another to serve as mayor pro-tem.[20] The commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.[19] The city manager is the city's chief executive, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the city government. The manager supervises all city government departments and employees, prepares and proposes the annual operating budget, and recommends policies to the city commission.[21]

As the county seat, Leavenworth is the administrative center of Leavenworth County. The county courthouse is located downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city.[22]

Leavenworth lies within Kansas's 2nd U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 5th district of the Kansas Senate and the 40th, 41st, and 42nd districts of the Kansas House of Representatives.[19]

Leavenworth is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.

Education [edit]

Primary and secondary education [edit]

Two public school districts serve the city. Fort Leavenworth USD 207 encompasses Fort Leavenworth and operates three elementary schools and one junior high school.[23] The remainder of the city lies within USD 453, Leavenworth Public Schools, which operates seven schools: four elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and Leavenworth High School.[24] Senior high school students from Fort Leavenworth attend Leavenworth High School.[25]

There are also three private schools in Leavenworth. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas oversees two Catholic schools: Xavier Elementary School (Grades Pre-K-8) and Immaculata High School (9-12).[26] The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod operates one Lutheran school, St. Paul Lutheran School (Pre-K-8).[27]

Colleges and universities [edit]

The University of Saint Mary, a four-year, private Catholic university, has its main campus in Leavenworth.[28]

Media [edit]

The Leavenworth Times is the city's daily newspaper with a circulation of roughly 5,500 copies.[29] In addition, the U.S. Army publishes the Fort Leavenworth Lamp, a weekly newspaper covering local military news.[30]

Leavenworth is in the Kansas City radio and television markets.[31][32] Two radio stations are licensed to the city: KKLO broadcasts from Leavenworth on 1410 AM, playing a religious format; KQRC-FM broadcasts from Mission, Kansas, on 98.9 FM, playing a rock format.[33]

Culture [edit]

Religion [edit]

In the mid to late 19th century Leavenworth had one of the largest Jewish communities in Kansas.[34] Leavenworth had multiple orthodox congregations by 1870, many of these Jews ultimately intermarried and over generations became Christian.[35]

Notable people [edit]

For notable prisoners at the Leavenworth federal penitentiary, see United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth.

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Leavenworth include:

Sister cities [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ http://www.lvks.org/department/index.asp?fDD=12-0
  2. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06. 
  3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06. 
  4. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-05-29. 
  5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  6. ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  7. ^ a b "City Distance Tool". Geobytes. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  8. ^ a b "State and Metropolitan Area Data Book: 2010". United States Census Bureau. p. 201. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "American FactFinder 2". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-09-18. 
  10. ^ www.ftleavenworthlamp.com
  11. ^ "Mystery Surrounds Leavenworth's Underground City". KCTV5. 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2008-08-24. 
  12. ^ a b "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map". Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  13. ^ "Phase I Environmental Assessment". Tetra Tech, Inc. July 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  14. ^ a b c "City of Leavenworth (map)". Kansas Department of Transportation. August 2008. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  15. ^ a b c d e "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service Forecast Office - Kansas City/Pleasant Hill. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  16. ^ a b c d e "Average weather for Leavenworth, KS". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  17. ^ "Leading Employers". Leavenworth County Development Council. Retrieved 2012-10-16. 
  18. ^ "Leavenworth, Kansas". City-Data.com. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  19. ^ a b c "Leavenworth". Directory of Kansas Public Officials. The League of Kansas Municipalities. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  20. ^ "City Commission". City of Leavenworth, Kansas. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  21. ^ "City Manager". City of Leavenworth, Kansas. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  22. ^ "Leavenworth County". Leavenworth County, Kansas. Retrieved 2012-07-05. 
  23. ^ "Fort Leavenworth USD 207". Fort Leavenworth School District. Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  24. ^ "Leavenworth USD 453 Home". Leavenworth Public Schools. Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  25. ^ "Schools". U.S. Army Garrison - Fort Leavenworth. Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  26. ^ "Catholic Schools". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  27. ^ "St. Paul Lutheran School". St. Paul Lutheran Church. Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  28. ^ "University of Saint Mary". Best Colleges. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  29. ^ "Leavenworth Times". Mondo Times. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  30. ^ "Fort Leavenworth Lamp". Mondo Times. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  31. ^ "2009 Arbitron Radio Metro Map". Arbitron. Retrieved 2011-12-12. 
  32. ^ "Kansas City TV Market (map)". EchoStar Knowledge Base. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  33. ^ "Radio Stations in Leavenworth, Kansas". Radio-Locator. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  34. ^ http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9695-leavenworth
  35. ^ http://web.ku.edu/~ksreligion/docs/history/judaism.pdf
  36. ^ "Sister Cities". Wagga Wagga City Council. Retrieved 2008-08-24. 

Further reading [edit]

County
  • History of Leavenworth County Kansas; Jesse Hall and LeRoy Hand; Historical Publishing; 684 pages; 1921. (Download 27MB PDF eBook)
Kansas

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Leavenworth, Kansas
Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Leavenworth.
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