Kansas Is Way More Than Wheat Fields
Think you really know Kansas? It's a state filled with sunflower fields stretching for miles, Dorothy's actual house (Yes, really. You'll have to see it to believe it), and limestone post rocks that look like artistic prairie sculptures. Did we mention limestone is everywhere? Let's run through the facts, stats, and even tornado mythology that prove Kansas's flyover status is completely undeserved (though the aerial views are gorgeous).
Jackie, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Jackie has spent her entire life in Kansas, from KC suburbs to college apartments to the rural southeast where she planted her forever flag and refuses to move again. She followed the classic move-every-year rhythm through young adulthood, then abruptly settled into acres of land, a cottage home, a husband, two sons, a cat, and an unreasonable amount of love for the state. Kansas taught her to slow down, notice sunsets, and never underestimate BBQ sides, especially cheesy corn. By day she is an elementary art teacher. By night she is a writer juggling kids content, client work, and creative projects that spill everywhere. At Snappy Scout, Jackie edits Kansas guides with prairie level patience, local intuition, and the confidence of someone who knows the interstate does not tell the whole story.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Kansas Kansas?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Kansas
The Sunflower State; Jayhawker State; The Wheat State
Local Reality Check
Contrary to popular belief, Kansas is not completely flat. The Flint Hills are rolling, gorgeous, and full of tallgrass prairie, while the University of Kansas in Lawrence is literally built on a hill. The "flat as a pancake" theory only works if you don't leave the interstate.
You're most likely moving from
Missouri, Texas, California—and returning Kansas natives.
Strangely large concentration of
Grain elevators, sunflower fields, Pizza Hut HQs, Quik Trips (the Cadillac of convenience stores) and Czech pastries. Can you say "Povitica"?
Music scene
Lawrence indie rock, Kansas City jazz spillover (18th and Vine from KC MO), Wichita punk roots.
You'll have to see it to believe it
Monument Rocks, 80 foot chalk towers rising from wheat fields. Oh, and the World's Largest Ball of Twine.
Unique Geography
Flint Hills tallgrass prairie, High Plains, Smoky Hills, Red Hills badlands.
Kansas is home to
Dodge City (Wild West fame), Eisenhower Library, Amelia Earhart's birthplace, Sporting KC (top tier soccer stadium), and a replica of Dorothy's house in Liberal
Well known for its
Wheat production, tornadoes, Dorothy and Toto, basketball fervor. Did we mention BBQ?
Fun history fact
Entered Union in 1861 as a free state after Bleeding Kansas battles. On a lighter note, Pizza Hut was founded in Wichita in 1958.
Celebrity sightings
Paul Rudd's a regular around KC, while Melissa Etheridge, Martina McBride, and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) pop up when they're visiting home.
Noteworthy Census stat
Geographic center of contiguous U.S. sits near Lebanon, Kansas. There's a monument, so it has to be true.
Most interesting sub-culture within Kansas
Storm chasers and meteorology nerds living for Tornado Alley season. DISCLAIMER: The basement is always the safest place during a tornado (in other words, don't go chasing one)
Population
35th by population, 15th by land size
Kansas is roughly the same geographic size as
Cambodia
Locals Know Best
Kansans travel to Colorado a lot. It's an easy drive, straight down I-70, but man is it boring! Western Kansas truly is as flat as can be, but watch for the mountains popping up in the west. They spring up out of nowhere!
— Jackie Hostetler
Kansas Local Expert
Ready to See If Kansas Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Kansas guide for the bigger picture.