Wichita | History, Population, Map, & Facts (2024)

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What are some interesting facts about Wichita? ›

The city's name, "Wichita," comes from the original Native American tribe. Wichita is home to the Sedgwick County Zoo, one of the largest in the U.S. Bill Lear, inventor of the Learjet, founded Learjet Corporation in Wichita in the early 1960s, revolutionizing aviation with innovative designs.

Wichita is a city located in Butler County, Kingman County, Sedgwick County, and Sumner County Kansas. Wichita has a 2024 population of 395,484.

Wichita has long been known as a center of entrepreneurship. In addition to aircraft pioneers, Fred Koch founded Koch Industries in Wichita, and Dan and Frank Carney founded Pizza Hut. Coleman, Freddy's Frozen Custard, and many other successful companies began in Wichita.

Within a year of incorporation, Wichita experienced phenomenal growth, due largely to the cattle trade from Texas. So rapid was the population growth that in late 1872, Wichita became a city of the second class. That same year, Col. Marshal Murdock founded the Wichita City Eagle newspaper.

The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, who call themselves Kitikiti'sh or "eminent ones," have continued to pursue land claims, including Texas land claims for which they have been reimbursed.

Wichita (/ˈwɪtʃɪtɔː/ WITCH-ih-taw) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County.

The smallest city in Kansas is Waldron City, located in Harper County. On the other hand, Wichita has the largest population in Kansas, with 369,119 residents.

Wichita County's population increased 3 out of the 12 years between year 2010 and year 2022. Its largest annual population increase was 1.5% between 2019 and 2020. The county's largest decline was between 2020 and 2021 when the population dropped 3.2%.

Wichita proudly upholds the tradition of Kansas-style barbecue. The city's renowned BBQ joints serve up mouthwatering dishes like slow-smoked ribs, tender brisket, and smoky pulled pork. Be sure to try the burnt ends, a local specialty featuring caramelized and succulent pieces of beef or pork.

Wichita is the birthplace of Pizza Hut and White Castle fast-food chains. A.A. Hyde discovered Mentholatum in 1894 in the current The Spice Merchant & Company building.

What are two interesting facts about the Wichita? ›

The city of Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, was named after the tribe. The Wichita traditionally grew corn, pumpkins, beans, squash, and tobacco. They also hunted deer, antelope, bear, and bison (buffalo). The Wichita lived in round houses that looked like haystacks.

While both Omaha and Wichita hovered at around 500,000 residents in 1980, the population of Omaha's metro area now exceeds 975,000. Wichita's is 645,000.

The name Wichita (pronounced WITCH-i-taw) comes from a Choctaw word and means “big arbor” or “big platform,” referring to the grass arbors the Wichita built. The Spanish called them Jumano, meaning “drummer” for the Wichita custom of summoning the tribe to council with a drum.

The Wichita Mountains are geologically very old. The granite, rhyolite, and gabbro that constitute much of the range were solidifying beneath the surface of the earth 525 million years ago. Then between 330 to 290 million years ago the region was uplifted to heights greater than at present.

Wichita, Kansas, owes its name to the early presence of the tribe in that area. The Wichitas were dependent on both agriculture and hunting for subsistence.

Like most Caddoans, the Wichita traditionally subsisted largely by farming corn (maize), pumpkins, and tobacco; buffalo hunting was also an important part of their economy. They lived in communal grass-thatched lodges the shape of domed haystacks. On hunting expeditions they resided in tepees.

1 Kansas's Smith County sits at the geographical center of the United States. 2 Both the first Pizza Hut and the first White Castle opened their doors in Wichita, Kansas. 3 Kansas is known as the Sunflower State and the sunflower is the state's official flower.