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Topeka Kansas
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Topeka is located at 85km southwest of Kansas City. The state's
capital (pop. 126,500) was founded by abolitionists in 1854. A
century later it played a key role in the civil-rights movement:
Sumner Elementary School was the catalyst for the Brown v. Board
of Education ruling by the Supreme Court that forced the
desegregation of public schools. Other attractions include the
Topeka Zoo, with its enclosed tropical rain forest, and the
Reinisch Rose Garden. The Menninger Foundation Museum is devoted
to the work and theories of the great psychiatrist Karl
Menninger.
- Founded: 1854 (incorporated, 1857)
- Head Official: Mayor William W. Bunten (since 2005)
- City Population
- 1980: 118,690
- 1990: 119,883
- 2000: 122,377
- 2003 estimate: 122,008
- Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.3%
- U.S. rank in 1980: 136th
- U.S. rank in 1990: 149th
- U.S. rank in 2000: 197th
- Metropolitan Area Population (Shawnee County)
- 1980: 154,916
- 1990: 160,976
- 2000: 169,871
- Percent change, 1990–2000: 5.5%
- U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported
- U.S. rank in 2000: 319th
- Area: 56 square miles (2000)
- Elevation: Ranges from 876 feet to 971 feet above
sea level
- Average Annual Temperature: 65.1° F
- Average Annual Precipitation: 33 inches of rain, 21
inches of snow
- Major Economic Sectors: Services, government,
trade, manufacturing
- Unemployment Rate: 7.0% (February 2005)
- 2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 11,294
- Major Colleges and Universities: Washburn
University
- Daily Newspaper: The Topeka Capital-Journal
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