Leavenworth (Kansas)

Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is situated on the west bank of the Missouri River. The population was 35,420 at the 2000 census.

History

Leavenworth City Hall

Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated city in Kansas. The city is located south of Fort Leavenworth, the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi, which was established in 1827 by Colonel Henry Leavenworth. 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 Marshals' Detention Center, and the military's maximum security prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks. The very large Kansas State Penitentary and a State medium security prison are also located nearby. Leavenworth is also home to University of Saint Mary (Kansas), operated by the Sisters of Charity. Leavenworth is sister city to the city of Wagga Wagga in the Australian state of New South Wales as well as the city of Ōmihachiman, Japan. Beneath the city appears to be another one entirely: a recently publicized underground series of "vaults" is thought to have been used for commerce, fugitives, or slavery.

Geography

Leavenworth is located at (39.308248, -94.922740).Vorlage:GR According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.5 square miles (60.9 km²), of which 23.5 square miles (60.9 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.09%, is water.Vorlage:GR

Climate

Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of about Vorlage:Convert in January to an average high of nearly Vorlage:Convert in July. The maximum temperature reaches Vorlage:Convert an average of 44 days per year and reaches Vorlage:Convert an average of 4 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point (32°F) an average of 114 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between the last week of September and the first day of November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the last day of March and the final week of April.

The area receives nearly Vorlage:Convert of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June—the April–June period averages 31 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 29 to Vorlage:Convert. There are on average 93 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages about 10 inches, but the median is less than Vorlage:Convert. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 4 days per year with at least an inch of snow being received on three of those days.

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Source: Monthly Station Climate Summaries, 1971–2000, U.S. National Climatic Data Center

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches; median values are provided for precipitation and snowfall because mean averages may be misleading. Mean and median values are for the 30-year period 1971–2000; temperature extremes are for the station's period of record (1948–2001). The station is located in Leavenworth at 39°16′N 94°55′W, elevation Vorlage:Convert.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Leavenworth Public Schools USD 453

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 35,420 people, 12,035 households, and 8,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,506.8 people per square mile (581.7/km²). There were 12,936 housing units at an average density of 550.3/sq mi (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.77% White, 16.32% African American, 0.76% Native American, 1.48% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.08% of the population.

There were 12,035 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.1% 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 2.60 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 112.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,681, and the median income for a family was $48,836. Males had a median income of $36,953 versus $24,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,785. About 6.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

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.

Notable people

• Buffalo Bill Cody, soldier, buffalo hunter and wild west showman
• Hilda Clark, American actress and model
• Robert E. Davis, Kansas Supreme Court Justice
• Neil Dougherty, basketball coach
• Melissa Etheridge, musician
• Fred Harvey, prolific restaurateur
• Wild Bill Hickok, soldier, lawman, gunfighter
• Ron Logan, former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Entertainment
• Wayne Simien, basketball player
• Harold Coyle, author
• Sean Malto, Pro Skateboarder
• Randy Sparks, Musician, Entertainer (New Christy Minstrels)

External links

• City Website
• Leavenworth County Historical Society
• Leavenworth Area Development Corporation
• Leavenworth Convention and Visitors Bureau
• US Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth
• Underground City Beneath Leavenworth

Vorlage:Leavenworth County, Kansas Vorlage:Kansas City MSA USA-Kansas Kansas