El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city of 12,769 people in Butler County, Kansas, founded in 1868.
Why visit El Dorado
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 24 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cinema 6, Oil Hill, Butler County Courthouse and El Dorado Carnegie Library.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in El Dorado
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About El Dorado
El Dorado is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County and located in south-central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 12,870. It is home to Butler Community College.
From the Wikipedia article El Dorado, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks9
Butler County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Courthouse in El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Public library, constructed in 1912, in El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Railway station in El Dorado, the United States of America
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Yingling Brothers Auto Company
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Building in Kansas, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
BG Products Veterans Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 1.0 mi
392-420 Southwest Haverhill Road, El Dorado
El Dorado State Park Singletrack South Trail Trailhead
Hiking and trails · 2.7 mi
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes24
Club Vaudeville
Bar and pub · 0.8 mi
206 South Main Street, El Dorado
Fr-Sa 17:00-02:00
La Casita Mexican Food
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi
214 East Central Avenue, El Dorado
Arby's
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.5 mi
1707 West Central Avenue, El Dorado
Mo-Th 10:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:30; Su 10:00-23:00
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 1.1 mi
2422 West Central Avenue, El Dorado
Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su 10:30-24:00
12 more on the map.
History
El Dorado was laid out and platted in 1868. The name is of Spanish origin meaning "golden land". El Dorado was incorporated in 1870.
In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado; in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to Arkansas City. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942. The original branch line connected Florence, Burns, De Graff, El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Rock, Akron, Winfield and Arkansas City.
In 1915, the El Dorado Oil Field was the first oil field that was found using science/geologic mapping, and part of the Mid-Continent oil province. By 1918, the El Dorado Oil Field was the largest single field producer in the United States, and was responsible for 12.8% of national oil production and 9% of the world production. It was deemed by some as "the oil field that won World War I".
In 1916, there was an anti-black race riot in El Dorado after an incident between a black shoe shiner and a white oil worker. Large numbers of black families removed their household goods and moved out of El Dorado.
From the History section of El Dorado, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship24
Trinity Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.6 mi
400 West Ash Avenue, El Dorado
Calvary Tabernacle First United Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 0.9 mi
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging7
Sunny Stop Convenience Store
Gas station · 0.9 mi
301 East Central Avenue, El Dorado
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Healthcare2
Map of El Dorado
120 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 20°F | 0.9 in | 1.1 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 23°F | 1.4 in | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 33°F | 2.5 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 43°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 54°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 64°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 69°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 67°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 58°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 45°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 33°F | 1.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 24°F | 1.3 in | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for El Dorado Hcn (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
Butler County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2025-09-11: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-20: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
El Dorado/Captain Jack Thomas Memorial Airport (EDK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Towanda 7 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Augusta 10 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Leon 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Potwin 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Benton 14 mi west, about 22 min by car
- Andover 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Bel Aire 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Wichita 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
- Derby 28 mi southwest, about 45 min by car
- Arkansas City 52 mi south, about 1 h 30 min 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
Loading what members have shared...
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
- El Dorado, KS 67042, USA - panoramio (18), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Yingling Brothers Auto Co. NRHP 11000409 Butler County, KS, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Missouri Pacific Depot, El Dorado, Kansas, Art davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- El Dorado Courthouse, Butler County, Kansas, MadameGraffigny, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado, KS public library building funded by Andrew Carnegie, Kaethesson, CC BY-SA 3.0
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