Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city of 12,678 people in Franklin County, Kansas, founded in 1865.
Why visit Ottawa
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 28 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Plaza Grill and Cinema, Ottawa Memorial Auditorium, Dietrich Cabin and Old Depot Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 18°F.
Weather in Ottawa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ottawa
Ottawa (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Kansas, United States. It is located on both banks of the Marais des Cygnes River near the center of Franklin County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 12,625. It is the home of Ottawa University.
From the Wikipedia article Ottawa, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks11
Dietrich Cabin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Kansas, United States
Old Depot Museum
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Museum in Ottawa, Kansas
135 Tecumseh Street, Ottawa
Franklin County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
County courthouse in Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa High School and Junior High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
High school in Kansas, United States
Ottawa Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Library in Ottawa, Kansas
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Tauy Jones Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
University building in Ottawa, Kansas
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes28
The Pizza Village
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
330 South Main Street, Ottawa
Tu-Th 11:00-20:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Mug Shot Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.3 mi
110 South Main Street, Ottawa
Mo-Sa 06:30-16:00; Su 08:00-13:00
16 more on the map.
Where to stay4
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Motel and hotel · 1.5 mi
2340 South King Street, Ottawa
Churches and places of worship12
Grace Community Fellowship
Church · Presbyterian · 0.9 mi
501 South Poplar Street, Ottawa
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare2
AdventHealth Specialty Care at Ottawa
Hospital · 0.5 mi
901 South Main Street, Ottawa
Map of Ottawa
99 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 18°F | 1.2 in | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 22°F | 1.6 in | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 32°F | 2.3 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 42°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 68°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 65°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 44°F | 3.1 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 32°F | 2.4 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 22°F | 1.7 in | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ottawa 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
Franklin County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-09-11: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-20: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2019-05-28: Tornadoes And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2015-07-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
New Century AirCenter (JCI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Gardner 24 mi northeast, about 38 min by car
- Lawrence 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Olathe 31 mi northeast, about 50 min by car
- Lenexa 35 mi northeast, about 57 min by car
- Overland Park 37 mi northeast, about 59 min by car
- Topeka 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Leawood 40 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Merriam 42 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kansas City 46 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kansas City 53 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
- Ottawa kansas downtown 2009, Ichabod, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Huddle (Baker at Ottawa), Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Huddle (Baker at Ottawa) (cropped), Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa Braves offense, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- EF2 damage to a hotel in Ottawa, Kansas, following a tornado on April 13, 2026, NWS Topeka, Public domain
- EF2 damage in Ottawa, Kansas, Damage Assessment Toolkit, CC0
- Ottawa High School, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa Junior High School, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa, KS historic district, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Buildings in Ottawa, KS historic district, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plaza Cinema Ottawa, KS, USA, ASiplas, CC0
- Cinema in Ottawa, KS historic district, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tauy Jones close1, Brandon Riffel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Depot Museum (2), Bhall87 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa, KS former public library building funded by Andrew Carnegie., Kaethesson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tauy Jones Hall (2), Bhall87, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Franklin County Courthouse, Bhall87, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Baker Pep Squad, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peoples Bank Field Home Stands, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Baker Offense, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peoples Bank Field Scoreboard, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kent Kessinger, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peoples Bank Field view from stands, Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dietrich House 1, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dietrich House 2, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mercury Vapor Street Light, Gosorio4005, CC0
- James H Ransom House, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ransom House Front, Nja1985, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS west and north elevations, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS north elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS east elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS south and east elevations, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS bay window, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS window, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS east and south elevations, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS east and north elevations, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS west elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reid, Lyman, House Franklin Co KS north and west elevations, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Industry Room, Kmwebber, CC BY-SA 4.0
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