Why visit Galena
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 7 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Edgar Backus Schermerhorn House and Williams' Store.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 25°F.
Weather in Galena
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Galena
Galena is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,761.
From the Wikipedia article Galena, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks5
Edgar Backus Schermerhorn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
House in Galena, Kansas
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Williams' Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Commercial building in Garden Township, Cherokee County, Kansas
Galena Mining & Historical Museum
Museum · 0.4 mi
319 West 7th Street, Galena
Mo-Fr 13:00-16:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes7
Kicks Bar and Grill on Route 66
Bar and pub · American
202 West 7th Street
Mo-Sa 11:00-18:00
Mi Torito Mexican Restraunt Galena
Restaurant · Mexican
418 South Main Street
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Gravy's Place
Bar and pub · Pizza
316 South Main Street
We-Th 15:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 15:00-01:30
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.5 mi
505 West 7th Street, Galena
Mo-Th 07:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-24:00; Su 07:00-23:00
Where to stay1
History
Although the railroad was built through the territory of Galena in 1871, the community did not start until the discovery of lead there in the spring of 1877. The first post office was established in 1877.
The city was originally platted by the Galena Mining and Smelting Company and was to be known as Cornwall. The city was actually known as Short Creek when first established because of a nearby creek and was known as Bonanza briefly before taking the present name of Galena in 1877, which is named after the lead ore galena found in the area. The city was part of the tri state mining area and had over 30,000 inhabitants. The population decreased after the mines closed in the 1970s.
The Jayhawk Ordnance Works northwest of Galena, built during World War II, was a large ordnance plant producing ammonium nitrate. After the war it was privatized by its operator Kenneth Aldred Spencer and at one point was the world's largest producer of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in the world. It would form the basis for the Spencer Chemical Company's fortune which would eventually be funneled into numerous philanthropies throughout Missouri and Kansas. The Spencer family had been in the area because of their ownership of the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company mining operation. The plant is still in operation as the Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corporation now owned by CABB.
From the History section of Galena, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries19
Healthcare2
Map of Galena
38 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 25°F | 1.9 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 29°F | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 37°F | 3.3 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 47°F | 5.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 56°F | 6.6 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 65°F | 5.6 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 70°F | 4.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 68°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 59°F | 4.2 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 48°F | 3.8 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 37°F | 3.3 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 28°F | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Joplin Regional Airport (9 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
Cherokee County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-07-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Joplin Regional Airport (JLN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Joplin 7 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Baxter Springs 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Webb City 10 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Columbus 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Commerce 16 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Carthage 18 mi east, about 29 min by car
- Miami 18 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Neosho 21 mi southeast, about 34 min by car
- Pittsburg 24 mi north, about 38 min by car
- Frontenac 27 mi north, about 43 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
- Downtown Galena, Abe Ezekowitz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fire Dept Galena (15205402808), Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Galena Mining & Historical Museum - May 2022, Matthew Nichols, CC BY 2.0
- Whitcomb Locomotive at the Galena Mining & Historical Museum - September 2014, Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0
- Galena Mining & Historical Museum - September 2014, Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0
- Centennial Arch, U.S. Route 66, Galena, KS 2026-03-23, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- U.S. Route 66, Galena, KS, state line 2026-03-23, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Edgar Backus Schermerhorn House, AbeEzekowitz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eisler Brothers, AbeEzekowitz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Erie Lackawanna Locomotive - 15388809351, Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0
- Erie Lackawanna Locomotive 2 - 15368963306, Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0
- U.S. Route 66, Jasper Co., MO, state line 2026-03-23, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Missouri-Kansas state line, U.S. Route 66 at State Line Rd 2026-03-23, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
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