Why visit Lyons
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 2 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Rice County Courthouse and Coronado-Quivira Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Lyons
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lyons
Lyons is a city in and the county seat of Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,611.
From the Wikipedia article Lyons, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
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Rice County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Lyons, Kansas, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes2
County Seat Bar & Grill
Restaurant · American, Grill
105 West Main Street, Lyons
Tu-Sa 11:00-00:00
Where to stay1
History
For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans.
Although Coronado's exact route across the plains is uncertain and has been widely disputed, his men and he are thought to have camped near the present location of Lyons on their quest for Quivira, a Native American place that Indians to the southwest had told them was fabulously wealthy in gold.
West of Lyons is a cross commemorating Juan de Padilla, a member of Coronado's expedition, who returned the following year as a missionary. He was killed in 1542 by Native Americans after establishing a church in the area, and is considered the first Christian martyr in North America.
In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Lyons Main Street (U.S. Highway 56) is based on the Santa Fe Trail.
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, Rice County was founded.
Lyons was originally called Atlanta, and under the latter name was founded in 1870. It was renamed Lyons in 1876, in honor of Freeman J. Lyons.
From the History section of Lyons, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Healthcare1
Map of Lyons
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 20°F | 0.8 in | 3.3 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 31°F | 2.0 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 41°F | 2.4 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 53°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 64°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 69°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 66°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 58°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 44°F | 2.5 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 31°F | 1.1 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 22°F | 1.0 in | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sterling (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
Rice 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)
- 2025-05-21: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires (Severe Storm)
- 2023-10-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe 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
Lyons-Rice County Municipal Airport (LYO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Hutchinson 25 mi southeast, about 41 min by car
- Ellsworth 27 mi north, about 43 min by car
- McPherson 29 mi east, about 47 min by car
- Great Bend 32 mi west, about 52 min by car
- Lindsborg 33 mi northeast, about 53 min by car
- Hoisington 33 mi west, about 54 min by car
- Salina 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Hesston 45 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kingman 48 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Newton 51 mi southeast, 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
- Rice County courthouse in Lyons Kansas, OlyScientist, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lyons, Kansas (14475180826), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lyons Courthouse (1935) P5310421, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice County Mural Project P5310413, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice County Mural Project P5310414, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice County Mural Project P5310411, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice County Courthouse (Kansas), Spacini, CC BY-SA 4.0
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