Atwood, Kansas
Atwood is a city of 1,320 people in Rawlins County, Kansas, founded in 1875.
Why visit Atwood
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 4 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Shirley Opera House and Jayhawk Theatre.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 29 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Atwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Atwood
Atwood is a city in and the county seat of Rawlins County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,290.
From the Wikipedia article Atwood, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Shirley Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Opera house in Atwood, Kansas
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes4
History
In 1875, T.A. Andrews and J.M. Matheny traveled to Rawlins County and started a town site about two miles east of the current city. The city of Attwood (with two t's) was named after Attwood Matheny, the 14-year-old son who accompanied his father on the journey. In 1882, the U.S. Post Office requested permission to drop one "t" thus becoming Atwood. In 1881, Atwood became the county seat of Rawlins County.
From the History section of Atwood, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship7
Courts of Praise
Church · Nondenominational · 0.8 mi
812 South Railroad Avenue, Atwood
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Atwood
30 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 15°F | 0.4 in | 5.0 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 17°F | 0.6 in | 6.1 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 25°F | 1.1 in | 4.5 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 34°F | 2.3 in | 3.1 in |
| May | 75°F | 46°F | 3.2 in | 0.6 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 57°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 62°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 60°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 50°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 36°F | 1.6 in | 1.6 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 24°F | 0.8 in | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 16°F | 0.6 in | 4.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Atwood (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Rawlins County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2025-12-19: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-10-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-06-16: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Colby Municipal Airport (CBK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 26 miles away.
- Trenton 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Bird City 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Stratton 26 mi northwest, about 41 min by car
- Oberlin 27 mi east, about 44 min by car
- Colby 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Benkelman 31 mi northwest, about 50 min by car
- Culbertson 31 mi north, about 49 min by car
- McCook 35 mi northeast, about 57 min by car
- Brewster 36 mi southwest, about 57 min by car
- St. Francis 40 mi west, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Rawlin Co KS Courthouse, Smallbones, Public domain
- Shirley Opera House from SE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
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