Wellington, Kansas

Wellington, Kansas
City
Location of Wellington, Kansas
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Sumner
Area
• Total	5.8 sq mi (14.9 km2)
• Land	5.7 sq mi (14.6 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	1,230 ft (375 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	8,647
• Density	1,529.6/sq mi (590.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	67152
Area code	620
FIPS code	20-76475Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0470147Template:GR
Website	http://www.cityofwellington.net

Wellington, Kansas is known as The Wheat Capital of the World.

Wellington is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Sumner CountyTemplate:GR.

History

Wellington was first surveyed on April 4, 1871 and named for the Duke of Wellington. It was designated as the permanent seat of Sumner County in 1872, winning out over competitor Sumner City. Trading with the cattle herds coming up the Chisholm Trail was an important factor in the early economy of the town.

Geography

Wellington is located at 37°16′2″N 97°24′0″W (37.267289, -97.400061)Template:GR, at an elevation of 1230 feet.Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (14.9 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (2.08%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,647 people, 3,422 households, and 2,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,529.6 people per square mile (590.9/km²). There were 3,795 housing units at an average density of 671.3/sq mi (259.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.36% White, 1.71% African American, 1.24% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.58% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.26% of the population.

There were 3,422 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,410, and the median income for a family was $43,493. Males had a median income of $34,368 versus $22,254 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,790. About 8.9% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

This area produces vast quantities of winter wheat and wheat is still the driving force behind the local economy, so much so that Wellington is called the "Wheat Capital of the World". Railroads and petroleum are also significant, and manufacturing, especially aircraft parts, is growing.

Community events

• Kansas Wheat Festival - every July
• Aviation Fest - every September

Notable people

• Dort Clark - film and television actor 1940s-1970s, over 60 roles
• Mardie Cornejo - major league baseball player
• Nate Cornejo - major league baseball player
• Neil Frank - meteorologist and former director of the National Hurricane Center
• Joseph E. Maddy - pioneering music educator and founder of the Interlochen Arts Camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts

External links

• City of Wellington
• Wellington at Blue Skyways