Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city of 22,331 people in Geary County, Kansas, founded in 1854.
Why visit Junction City
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 32 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include B&B Theatres Junction City Gem, Bartell House, Christian Wetzel Cabin and Junction City Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Junction City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Junction City
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby.
From the Wikipedia article Junction City, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks14
Bartell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Hotel building in Junction City, Kansas
Christian Wetzel Cabin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Cabana and moved building in Geary County, Kansas
Grand Army of the Republic memorial
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Memorial in Junction City, Kansas
Geary County Historical Society Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
530 North Adams Street, Junction City
Tu-Sa 13:00-16:00
1st Infantry Division - Desert Storm Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
Junction City and Geary County Law Enforcement Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
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7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes32
Cracker Barrel
Diner · American · 2.0 mi
115 North East Street, Junction City
Su-Th 06:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-23:00
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 1.7 mi
321 East Ash Street, Junction City
Mo-Th,Su 06:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 06:00-24:00
JC's BBQ Grill
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.9 mi
812 East Chestnut Street, Junction City
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Negril Caribbean Restaurant
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
127 West 7th Street
20 more on the map.
History
Junction City is so named from its position at the confluence of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers, which forms the Kansas River.
In 1854, Andrew J. Mead of New York of the Cincinnati-Manhattan Company, Free Staters connected to the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company planned a community there called Manhattan (there was also a discussion to call it New Cincinnati). When the steamship Hartford delivering the immigrants could not reach the community because of low water on the Kansas River, the Free Staters settled 20 miles east in what today is Manhattan, Kansas. The community was renamed Millard City for Captain Millard of the Hartford on October 3, 1855. It was renamed briefly Humboldt in 1857 by local farmers and renamed again later that year to Junction City. It was formally incorporated in 1859.
In 1923, John R. Brinkley established radio station KFKB (which adopted the slogan Kansas First, Kansas Best) in nearby Milford, Kansas, using a 1 kW transmitter. It was one of the first radio stations in Kansas. Brinkley used the station to espouse his belief that goat testicles could be implanted in men to enhance their virility.
From the History section of Junction City, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay17
Churches and places of worship13
Episcopal Church of the Covenant
Church · Episcopal · 1.0 mi
314 North Adams Street, Junction City
Shopping10
Blessings Upon Blessings Books
Shop · 1.2 mi
623 North Washington Street, Junction City
Gas and EV charging13
Forsyth Express Shoppette and Gas Station
Gas station · 3.1 mi
Trooper Drive, Fort Riley
Schools, colleges and libraries32
Dorothy Bramlage Public Library
Library · 1.1 mi
230 West 7th Street, Junction City
Healthcare2
Lt. Gen. Richard J. Seitz VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
1169 Southwind Drive, Junction City
Map of Junction City
155 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 19°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 22°F | 1.1 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 33°F | 1.9 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 42°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 74°F | 54°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 64°F | 4.8 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 69°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 66°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 58°F | 2.8 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 45°F | 2.3 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 33°F | 1.4 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 23°F | 1.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Milford Lake (4 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
Geary County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-09-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2022-02-17: Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Marshall Army Airfield (FRI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Grandview Plaza 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Fort Riley 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Chapman 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Manhattan 17 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Abilene 21 mi west, about 35 min by car
- St. George 26 mi northeast, about 42 min by car
- Clay Center 29 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
- Wamego 32 mi northeast, about 51 min by car
- Council Grove 32 mi southeast, about 51 min by car
- Salina 44 mi west, 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
- Geary county courthouse kansas, Calvin Beale, Public domain
- Old Junction City High School Geary County Historical Society Museum, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Junction City High School Kansas, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jackson - McConnell House Junction City Kansas DSC 8450, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- George T. Brown House Junction City Kansas, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Junction City, Kansas, "The Gateway to Fort Riley" - Large Letter Postcard (7999419612), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City Kansas addition, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City Kansas front entrance, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City Kansas cornerstone, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City Kansas southwest view, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City Kansas south view, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City front, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Junction City Kansas office, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Arch Junction City KS front 2, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bartell House Junction City Kansas, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-09-09 19 37 55 UTC minus 5 Aerial view of a brush fire in Milford Township, Geary County, Kansas, with Milford Lake visible to the west (left) and Madison Township, Riley County to the east..., Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-09-09 19 37 50 UTC minus 5 Aerial view of a brush fire in Milford Township, Geary County, Kansas, with Milford Lake visible to the west (left) and Madison Township, Riley County to the east..., Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christian Wetzel Cabin and other buildings on site, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christian Wetzel Cabin 1, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Spring Valley Historic, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Arch back, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Arch front, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sirloin Stockade 4891575487, CGP Grey, CC BY 2.0
- 2022-09-09 19 38 12 UTC minus 5 Aerial view of a brush fire in Milford Township, Geary County, Kansas, with Milford Lake visible to the west (left) and Madison Township, Riley County to the east..., Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
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_and_Madison_Township,_Riley_County_to_the_east_(right).jpg){kind=link}
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