Wichita metropolitan area, Kansas

Geography

The Wichita metropolitan area is located in south-central Kansas along the Arkansas River, near its confluence with the Little Arkansas River. The city of Wichita forms the urban core, with development radiating outward into suburban and exurban communities. The metro is generally surrounded by agricultural land, with smaller satellite towns connected by state routes.

Downtown Wichita lies near the geographic center of the city, bordered by the Arkansas River to the west and the historic Delano and Old Town districts. Suburban growth is concentrated in Sedgwick County, and mostly within Wichita.

Divisions

Counties

• Butler
• Harvey
• Sedgwick
• Sumner

Communities

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More than 400,000 inhabitants

• Wichita (Principal city) Pop: 400,900

10,000 to 30,000 inhabitants

• Derby Pop: 25,625
• Newton Pop: 18,602
• Andover Pop: 14,892
• El Dorado Pop: 12,870
• Arkansas City Pop: 11,974
• Winfield Pop: 11,777
• Haysville Pop: 11,262

1,000 to 10,000 inhabitants

• Augusta Pop: 9,256
• Park City Pop: 8,333
• Bel Aire Pop: 8,262
• Wellington Pop: 7,715
• Valley Center Pop: 7,340
• Mulvane Pop: 6,286
• Maize Pop: 5,735
• Goddard Pop: 5,084
• Rose Hill Pop: 4,185
• Hesston Pop: 3,505
• Oaklawn-Sunview Pop: 2,880†
• Clearwater Pop: 2,653
• Kechi Pop: 2,217
• Cheney Pop: 2,181
• Halstead Pop: 2,179
• North Newton Pop: 1,814
• McConnell Air Force Base Pop: 1,636†
• Sedgwick Pop: 1,603
• Douglass Pop: 1,555
• Belle Plaine Pop: 1,467
• Colwich Pop: 1,455
• Towanda Pop: 1,447
• Conway Springs Pop: 1,086
• Oxford Pop: 1,048
• Caldwell Pop: 1,025

:† Denotes a census-designated place

Fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

• Garden Plain Pop: 948
• Benton Pop: 943
• Andale Pop: 941
• Burrton Pop: 861
• Mount Hope Pop: 806
• Eastborough Pop: 756
• Leon Pop: 669
• Whitewater Pop: 661
• Bentley Pop: 560
• Argonia Pop: 456
• Potwin Pop: 421
• South Haven Pop: 324
• Elbing Pop: 226
• Walton Pop: 219
• Geuda Springs (partial) Pop: 158
• Viola Pop: 115
• Cassoday Pop: 113
• Latham Pop: 96
• Mayfield Pop: 75
• Milan Pop: 56
• Hunnewell Pop: 44

Unincorporated places

• Beaumont
• Bois d'Arc
• Corbin
• Peck
• Schulte

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 571,166 people, 220,440 households, and 149,768 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 82.36% White, 7.51% African American, 1.06% Native American, 2.73% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.67% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.23% of the population.

The median income for a household in the MSA was $42,070, and the median income for a family was $50,202. Males had a median income of $37,025 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $19,519.

Economy

In 2024, the Wichita metropolitan area had a GDP of approximately US$ 46.47 billion, which represents about 20.6% of Kansas’s total nominal GDP,{{cite web |title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Wichita, KS (MSA) (NGMP48620) |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP48620

The metro has long been a center of aircraft manufacturing, earning it the nickname “Air Capital of the World”. Major employers in the region include Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation (Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker brands), Koch Industries, Cargill Protein, Ascension Via Christi Health, Wesley Medical Center, and the State of Kansas through education and government offices.

Business enterprises with significant operations in Wichita include Airbus’s North American engineering center, Johnson Controls, and Koch. The region’s higher education institutions, led by Wichita State University, contribute to aerospace, health care, and technology research.

Retail and commercial centers in the metro include Towne East Square, NewMarket Square, Bradley Fair, and Greenwich Place, as well as the Old Town entertainment district in downtown Wichita.

Politics

Presidential election results in the Wichita metropolitan area generally mirror Kansas’s broader political alignment, with Republican candidates receiving consistent majorities. In 2020, Sedgwick County (the core county of the metro) voted 56.4% Republican to 41.5% Democratic,{{cite web |title=Sedgwick County, KS Presidential Election Results 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-kansas-president.html

Colleges and Universities

Top 5 largest colleges by total enrollment (within the MSA)

• 1. Wichita State University – ~23,000
• 2. Butler Community College – ~9,000
• 3. Newman University – ~2,800
• 4. Friends University – ~1,500
• 5. Bethel College (North Newton) – ~500

List of institutions (including those in the CSA):

• Bethel College – North Newton
• Butler Community College – El Dorado/Andover/Wichita
• Cowley College – Arkansas City/Winfield
• Friends University – Wichita
• Hutchinson Community College (extension campuses) – Hutchinson/Wichita
• Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus (extension) – Wichita
• Newman University – Wichita
• Southwestern College – Winfield
• Wichita State University – Wichita
• WSU Tech – Wichita

Libraries

The metro public library systems include the Wichita Public Library, the Newton Public Library, the El Dorado Public Library, the Andover Public Library, and the Derby Public Library. Academic libraries in the area include Ablah Library at Wichita State University, the Newman University Library, and the Edmund Stanley Library at Friends University.

Media

Print

The Wichita Eagle is the metropolitan area's major daily newspaper. Other print outlets include the Wichita Business Journal and several community papers serving surrounding towns. The Sunflower is the student newspaper at Wichita State University.

Broadcast

The Wichita–Hutchinson Plus television market is the 72nd largest in the United States, encompassing 24 counties in central and southern Kansas.

Television

All major network affiliates are represented in Wichita, including:

KSNW, channel 3 (NBC)

KAKE, channel 10 (ABC)

KWCH-DT, channel 12 (CBS)

KSCW-DT, channel 33 (The CW)

KSAS-TV, channel 24 (Fox)

KMTW, channel 36 (MyNetworkTV)

KPTS, channel 8 (PBS)

Radio

Over two dozen AM and FM radio stations broadcast in the Wichita area. Popular commercial stations include KNSS (1330 AM / 98.7 FM) (news/talk), KFDI-FM (101.3) (country), KEYN-FM (103.7) (classic hits), KRBB (97.9) (adult contemporary), and KZCH (96.3) (Top 40). Community and public radio services include KMUW (89.1 FM), the NPR affiliate operated by Wichita State University, and KJRL (105.7 FM), a religious broadcaster. Spanish-language radio outlets such as La Raza 102.5 FM also serve the metro’s Hispanic population.

Combined Statistical Area

The Wichita–Winfield Combined Statistical Area is made up of five counties in south central Kansas. The statistical area includes one metropolitan area and one micropolitan area. As of the 2020 Census, the CSA had a population of 682,159 (though a July 1, 2024 estimate placed the population at 695,403).

• Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
  • Wichita (Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick, and Sumner counties)
• Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs)
  • Winfield (Cowley County)

Transportation

Major highways

Interstates

• – A major north–south route connecting Wichita with Oklahoma City to the south and Topeka and Kansas City to the northeast.
• [[File:I-135 (KS).svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] I-135 – A spur of I-35 running north from Wichita through Newton, Salina, and connecting with I-70.
• [[File:I-235 (KS).svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] I-235 – A bypass loop around the western and northern sides of Wichita, terminating at I-135 in Park City.

U.S. Highways

• [[File:US 50.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 50 – Crosses the metro east–west north of Wichita.
• [[File:US 54.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 54 – A major east–west corridor through Wichita, largely forming Kellogg Avenue, a freeway through much of the city.
• [[File:US 77.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 77 – Runs north–south east of the metro, connecting to El Dorado and Arkansas City.
• [[File:US 81.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 81 – Runs concurrently with I-135 through Wichita and northward, continuing toward Salina.
• [[File:US 160.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 160 – Passes east–west through southern Sedgwick County, linking Wellington and Winfield.
• [[File:US 166.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 166 – Runs east–west south of the metro, connecting Arkansas City with southeast Kansas.
• [[File:US 177.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 177 – Extends north from Oklahoma into El Dorado, east of the Wichita area.
• [[File:US 400.svg|x24px|alt=|link=]] US 400 – Overlaps US 54 through Wichita, continuing east toward southeastern Kansas and west toward Dodge City.

Kansas Highways

• – Southwest of Wichita, running from Harper County toward Anthony and U.S. 160.
• – Extends north–south west of Wichita, linking Kingman to Hutchinson.
• – A north–south highway running concurrently with I-135 and U.S. 81 through Wichita, splits from I-135 at Southeast Boulevard, connecting Derby and Newton.
• • Connects Wichita to the southwest toward Schulte, entering the city as Southwest Boulevard.
• • Short east–west connector in Harper County, west of the metro.
• – A north–south connector west of Wellington, between U.S. 81 and K-2.
• – East–west route south of Wichita, linking Mulvane to Kansas Turnpike.
• – Runs east–west south of the metro, connecting Belle Plaine and Udall to Kansas Turnpike.
• – A major diagonal route running northeast–southwest, connects Hutchinson with Wichita and the Kansas Turnpike.
• – Passes north–south through Butler County, east of the metro, linking El Dorado to Emporia.
• – A north–south highway east of Wichita, connecting El Dorado to the Flint Hills Scenic Byway.
• – Runs from K-254 to I-135, linking El Dorado with Newton.
• – An east–west expressway linking Wichita with El Dorado.

Transit

• Wichita Transit operates fixed-route bus service and paratransit within the city of Wichita. Most routes follow a hub-and-spoke system centered downtown, with additional circulator and university-oriented services. The system provides basic mobility within the metro, though coverage and frequency are limited compared to larger urban areas.

Rail

Wichita is a freight hub served by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific, with regional and local switching by lines such as the Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad.

Amtrak service for the metropolitan area is at Newton, where the Southwest Chief stops daily.

Amtrak service ended in Wichita in 1979, when the Lone Star (formerly the Texas Chief) was discontinued. Passenger rail service is planned to return, with an extension of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer route via Newton expected to include Wichita as a major stop. The project is targeted to begin service by 2029.

Airports

• Wichita National Airport
• Jabara Airport

References

References

1. "Total Gross Domestic Product for Wichita, KS (MSA)". [[Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis]].
2. (March 12, 2025). "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2024". [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division.
3. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
4. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
5. "History of Wichita".
6. "About Wichita".
7. "Major Employers".
8. "Major Employers".
9. "Shopping & Entertainment".
10. "Largest Colleges and Universities in the Wichita Area". Kansas Board of Regents / Institutional Fact Books.
11. "Wichita-Hutchinson Plus Designated Market Area (DMA) Rank". outdoormediabuyers.
12. "Passenger service to Wichita to be operational by 2029".