Garden City, Kansas
Garden City is a city of 27,819 people in Finney County, Kansas, founded in 1878.
Why visit Garden City
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 27 parks and trails, 39 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Sequoyah Cinema 9, 900 Block North Seventh Street Historic District, Buffalo Hotel and Lee Richardson Zoo.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Garden City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Garden City
Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 28,151. The city is home to the Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.
From the Wikipedia article Garden City, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks9
900 Block North Seventh Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in Garden City, Kansas
Buffalo Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Hotel building in Garden City, United States of America
Bungalow Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Garden City, Kansas
Cedar Cliff
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
House in Garden City, Kansas
Hope House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in Garden City, Kansas
Little Finnup House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in Kansas, United States
Sen. William H. Thompson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
House in Garden City, Kansas
Windsor Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Former Hotel in Garden City, Kansas
Parks, trails and playgrounds27
Lee Richardson Zoo
Park · 1.6 mi
Zoo in Garden City, Kansas, United States
312 East Finnup Drive
Parrot Cove
Sports field and stadium · 0.8 mi
990 Stone Creek Drive, Garden City
We-Su 12:00-19:00; Sa[3] 21:00-24:00 open "Adult Night"
Big Pool
Sports field and stadium · 1.5 mi
504 East Maple Street, Garden City
May 24-Aug 10: Mo-Fr,Su 13:00-18:00; Sa 13:00-20:00
15 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes39
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27 more on the map.
History
In February 1878, James R. Fulton, William D. Fulton and W.D.'s son, L.W. Fulton, arrived at the present site of Garden City.
The original townsite was laid out on the south half of section 18 by engineer Charles Van Trump. The land was a loose, sandy loam and covered with sagebrush and soap weeds, but there were no trees. Main Street ran directly north and south, dividing William D. and James R. Fulton's claims. As soon as they could get building material, they erected two frame houses. William D. Fulton building on his land, on the east side of Main Street, a house one story and a half high, with two rooms on the ground and two rooms above. This was called the Occidental Hotel. William D. Fulton was proprietor. No other houses were built in Garden City until November 1878, when James R. Fulton and L.T. Walker each put up a building. The Fultons tried to get others to settle here, but only a few came, and at the end of the first year there were only four buildings.
Following a sustained drought, irrigation arrived in Finney County in 1879, with completion of the "Garden City Ditch". The ditch helped to launch an agricultural boom in southwestern Kansas.
From the History section of Garden City, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay18
AmericInn by Wyndham Garden City
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
3020 East Kansas Avenue, Garden City
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Garden City
Motel and hotel · 0.6 mi
2502 East Kansas Avenue, Garden City
Churches and places of worship18
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.2 mi
619 East Mary Street, Garden City
Three Hierarchs Orthodox Christian Church
Church · Orthodox · 1.2 mi
2009 North Main Street, Garden City
St. James Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.6 mi
1608 Belmont Place, Garden City
Saint Thomas Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.2 mi
712 North Main Street, Garden City
Second Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.1 mi
1107 North Main Street, Garden City
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries37
Charles O Stones Intermediate Ctr
School · 1.3 mi
401 N Jennie Barker Rd, Garden City
Healthcare3
Map of Garden City
174 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 17°F | 0.5 in | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 20°F | 0.6 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 28°F | 1.1 in | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 37°F | 1.6 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 78°F | 49°F | 2.8 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 60°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 65°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 63°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 54°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 40°F | 1.3 in | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 27°F | 0.5 in | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 18°F | 0.7 in | 2.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Garden City Exp Stn (2 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
Finney County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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)
- 2009-06-25: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Garden City Regional Airport (GCK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Holcomb 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Deerfield 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Lakin 22 mi west, about 36 min by car
- Ingalls 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Cimarron 30 mi east, about 48 min by car
- Sublette 34 mi south, about 55 min by car
- Montezuma 34 mi southeast, about 55 min by car
- Scott City 35 mi north, about 56 min by car
- Ulysses 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Dodge City 48 mi east, about 1 h 15 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 Garden City, KS IMG 5935, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Broncbuster Stadium in Garden City, KS, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- Garden City, Kansas aerial view, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- Garden City High School football stadium - Kansas, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- Garden City, Kansas, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- Garden City KS 901 N 7 St from SE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Little Finnup house from E 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Garden City KS 1011 N 4 St from E 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- William Thompson house (Garden City) from NW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Buffalo Hotel (Garden City, KS) (1), Ammodramus, CC0
- Cedar Cliff (Garden City KS) from NE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Hope house (Garden City KS) from NW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Windsor Hotel (Garden City KS) from NE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Garden-city-water-tower, Art davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dog on the Rails (8981945939), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Sunshine on the Grain Elevators (8983139540), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
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