Why visit Sterling
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Cooper Hall and Shay Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Sterling
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sterling
Sterling is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,248. Sterling is home to Sterling College.
From the Wikipedia article Sterling, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Cooper Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
University building in Sterling, Kansas
Shay Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Commercial building in Sterling, Kansas
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Sterling Free Public Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Carnegie library in Sterling, Kansas
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes3
Clive's Staples Coffee Shop and Bakery
Cafe · Coffee Shop
135 South Broadway Avenue, Sterling
History
For millennia, the land and future state known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, Rice County was founded.
Sterling was founded in 1872, originally called Peace for Mr. Ninde, a Quaker. In 1876, the name was changed to Sterling, by two brothers after their father Sterling Rosan.
In the 1890s, Jonathan S. Dillon sold groceries at his general store in Sterling. Later in 1913, he opened his first J.S. Dillon Cash Food Market in Hutchinson. Later he expanded into the Dillons grocery supermarket chain.
In the 1970s, Sterling was considered a national "Broomcorn Capital."
From the History section of Sterling, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Sterling
16 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 (0 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, 9 miles away.
- Nickerson 8 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Lyons 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Hutchinson 19 mi southeast, about 31 min by car
- South Hutchinson 19 mi southeast, about 31 min by car
- McPherson 31 mi east, about 51 min by car
- Great Bend 34 mi west, about 54 min by car
- Ellsworth 36 mi north, about 58 min by car
- Lindsborg 38 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Hoisington 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Kingman 39 mi south, about 1 h 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
- Annual catalogue of the officers and students of Cooper Memorial College, Sterling, Kansas (1898) (14595737618), Sterling College (Kan.), No restrictions
- Sterling Free Public Carnegie Library, Catboy69, CC0
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