Holton, Kansas
Holton is a city of 3,387 people in Jackson County, Kansas, founded in 1856.
Why visit Holton
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Holton Bath House and McFadden House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 15°F.
Weather in Holton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Holton
Holton is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,401.
From the Wikipedia article Holton, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Holton Bath House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Bathhouse in Holton in Jackson County, Kansas
McFadden House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Lustron house in Holton, Kansas
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes7
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 1.1 mi
107 South 75 Highway, Holton
Mo-Th 07:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-24:00; Su 08:00-23:00
History
The party that chose the site of Holton started at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in May 1856. A train of six covered wagons, each drawn by two yoke of oxen, started the long trek to take Free State settlers to Kansas. They were financed by the Kansas Society of Milwaukee which was headed by Edward Dwight Holton, the Milwaukee abolitionist. They met General James H. Lane with two hundred men at Nebraska City, Nebraska, a rendezvous for Free State men. They followed the Jim Lane Road into Kansas approximately thirty miles. They came to Elk Creek, 2+1⁄2 miles west of Holton, where they cut timbers to make a bridge, crossed it and made camp where Central School now stands. They liked the two streams (later named Banner Creek and Elk Creek) and the pleasant grassy hills, so they decided to stay. A company was organized and a civil engineer who was with them commenced the survey. They named the new town in honor of Holton.
A log house 20 by 20 feet (6.1 m × 6.1 m) was erected; it was so planned that is could be used for a fort and was known as Jim Lane's Fort. In the spring of 1857, J. B. Ingerson surveyed the townsite lots.
From the History section of Holton, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
First Christian Church
Church · Disciples Of Christ · 0.4 mi
310 West 5th Street, Holton
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Jackson Heights High School And Middle School
School · 3.9 mi
12719 266Th Road, Holton
Healthcare1
Map of Holton
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 15°F | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 20°F | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 29°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 40°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 74°F | 51°F | 5.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 62°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 66°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 4.3 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 55°F | 3.8 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 41°F | 3.3 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 30°F | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 41°F | 20°F | 1.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Holton (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
Jackson County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2015-07-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2010-08-10: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2010-03-09: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Philip Billard Municipal Airport (TOP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Hiawatha 28 mi north, about 46 min by car
- Topeka 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Atchison 32 mi east, about 52 min by car
- Highland 37 mi northeast, about 59 min by car
- Auburn 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Lawrence 43 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Leavenworth 44 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Lansing 47 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Manhattan 51 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- St. Joseph 52 mi northeast, 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
- Holton KS 2007, Jon Barker, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lustron House, Lefibreguy, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.