Oberlin, Kansas
Oberlin is a city of 1,734 people in Decatur County, Kansas, founded in 1872.
Why visit Oberlin
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 6 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Sunflower Cinema and Bank of Oberlin.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Oberlin
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Oberlin
Oberlin is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,644.
From the Wikipedia article Oberlin, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
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Bank of Oberlin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Bank building in Oberlin, Kansas
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes6
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.4 mi
409 Frontier Parkway, Oberlin
Mo-Tu 08:00-21:00; We 08:00-20:00; Th-Su 08:00-21:00
History
Oberlin was platted in 1878. It was named after Oberlin, Ohio. Its first post office was established in April, 1878, and the city was incorporated in 1885.
On September 30, 1878, Northern Cheyenne, fleeing from Indian Territory to their homes in the north during the Northern Cheyenne Exodus, attacked homesteaders near Oberlin, then a tiny hamlet. The raid's victims are commemorated in the "Last Indian Raid in Kansas" room of the Decatur County Museum, and by a monument in the town cemetery.
On April 29, 1942, an extremely violent tornado swept away three farms south of Oberlin, killing 15 people. Oberlin was spared from direct hit, as it passed 1 mi (1.6 km) east of city. This tornado was retrospectively rated F5 on the Fujita scale.
From the History section of Oberlin, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Oberlin
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 16°F | 0.4 in | 5.7 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 18°F | 0.7 in | 6.2 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 26°F | 1.0 in | 3.4 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 36°F | 2.1 in | 1.9 in |
| May | 74°F | 47°F | 3.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 58°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 64°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 62°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 51°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 38°F | 1.7 in | 1.3 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 25°F | 0.8 in | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 17°F | 0.7 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oberlin Hcn (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
Decatur County has had 12 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)
- 2017-06-16: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Snowstorm)
- 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
McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport (MCK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Atwood 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- McCook 27 mi north, about 43 min by car
- Indianola 29 mi north, about 47 min by car
- Culbertson 32 mi northwest, about 52 min by car
- Bartley 32 mi north, about 51 min by car
- Hoxie 33 mi south, about 53 min by car
- Norton 34 mi east, about 55 min by car
- Cambridge 37 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Colby 41 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Hill City 48 mi southeast, 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
- Oberlin skyline, Jake Robinson, Public domain
- Oberlin, Kansas (9179311379), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oberlin, Kansas (9181526222), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oberlin, Kansas (9179312513), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oberlin, Kansas (9181525768), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bank of Oberlin from SE 2, Ammodramus, CC0
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